This audio is generated by AI, so pronunciation and expressions may not be fully accurate. The narration is only in English.
This year marks the 13th year of the Nakano Bon Odori Festival, which was launched in 2013 by Ageha Bijo. Its standout feature is live music. While it is unusual for bon odori dances in Tokyo to be accompanied by live performances of traditional Japanese instruments, Ageha says the decision was strongly inspired by the Gujo Odori Festival, a bon festival held in Gifu Prefecture in central Japan, that he researched during his university years. He says his aim was to recreate the same kind of fervor that fills the streets of Gujo for more than 30 nights every summer.
"There were barely any bon odori festivals in Tokyo with live music. Very few people even knew how to dance the traditional Tokyo Ondo or Nakano Ondo. To change that, we began mixing in pop songs, like those by Nakata Yasutaka, who produced tracks for artists like Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, alongside the traditional ones, starting from the very first year."
Ageha also embraced music from overseas, establishing a distinct style in which classical choreography was overlaid onto modern beats. He made subtle adjustments to the dances—for instance, adjusting the number of claps—to bridge past and present without breaking from the tradition of the dances.
"My goal was to lower the barrier to entry for bon odori, by incorporating little tricks so that people could dance along even if they didn't know the steps to the traditional dance. If memorizing the dance is too difficult, only a limited number of people would be able to participate, and bon odori is a form of culture that's meant to be open to anyone. I wanted first-timers to feel like they belonged right away."
What catapulted the Nakano Bon Odori Festival onto the global stage was none other than Bon Jovi Bon Odori ("Bon Jovi" for short), a bon odori set danced to songs by the American rock band Bon Jovi. Ageha says that the idea was sparked in 2018, when a Japanese record label asked him to incorporate a "Disco Bon Odori" set.
"The 'Disco Bon Odori' set went faster than we expected, and to fill the time, we made a last-minute decision to play Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a Prayer.' The moment the song started, the crowd went wild. I was dancing in the circle myself and immediately knew something extraordinary was happening."
Footage of the scene instantly went viral on social media, racking up tens of thousands of reposts on X (formerly known as Twitter). Later, even Bon Jovi's official account responded to the posts, thrusting the festival into the spotlight.
"Later, we realized that—and this was a total coincidence—the pre-chorus rhythm of 'Livin' on a Prayer' perfectly matched the cho-chon-ga-chon rhythm distinct to bon odori. It was a miraculous fusion of the movements of traditional Japanese dance and Western pop. That rhythmic synchronicity probably played a huge role in the crowd's excitement that day. After 'Bon Jovi,' the scale of the event changed completely."
And the numbers back it up: attendance ballooned into the tens of thousands in the years that followed, with a growing number of international visitors. Despite the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival drew about 75,000 visitors in 2024.
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The festival continues to push boundaries. In 2024, the festival attempted a Guiness World Record for the most people dancing the Tokyo Ondo simultaneously around the globe, titling it "SEKAI TO BON-ODORU." While the goal was participation from over 50 countries, the final count—2,453 participants from 26 countries—fell short of a record.
"We didn't achieve the Guiness record, but Nakano City is home to international residents from about 120 countries. Seeing so many international participants gave me a strong sense of the city's potential as a diverse city."
One moment that especially stayed with him was seeing refugees, invited through support organizations, join the dance wearing yukata (casual summer kimono made of cotton) and jinbei (traditional two-piece summer outfit typically worn by men and children), and being moved to tears as they danced.
"It made me realize bon odori could become a shared language across the world. Even if our countries and cultures differ, music and dance have the power to bring people together in this joyful circle. Witnessing that in person gave me tremendous hope."
Bon odori, originally a ritual to welcome and honor ancestral spirits during the Obon season (traditional period in Japan for honoring ancestors, usually in mid-August), has evolved nowadays to include entertainment as well, and become a cherished part of local festivals. Its appeal lies in its openness—anyone can join the circle, even in everyday clothes, and mimic the steps as they go. While bon odori is still unfamiliar to many parts of the world, it holds the potential to bring people from diverse cultural backgrounds together into a single circle.
Ageha highlights this openness as a powerful force for both self-liberation and community revitalization.
"Bon odori is, at its core, about being freed from work, and gathering, and enjoying life together while dancing. So, it makes sense that it transcends nationality, and that we've been able to incorporate elements of club and pop culture, and have so much fun with it."
Ageha sees this effort, which harnesses Tokyo's unique character and combines traditional culture from across Japan with music from around the world, as "the greatest form of entertainment ordinary people can create."
"My ultimate goal is to hold a bon odori festival at the National Stadium. It's because Tokyo is a city of such cultural diversity that we're able to naturally incorporate rhythms and dances from different countries and regions, and form a single circle where all of us respect the culture each of us brings. Bon odori like that can only be danced in Tokyo."
Bon odori is not just about listening to music—the joy grows when you feel the drumbeats of the taiko (Japanese traditional drums) through your whole body, sync your movements with those around you, and smile with one another. It is only when the sights, sound, and palpable intensity of the crowd all come together that you truly experience what bon odori is all about. Hence, Ageha says, his message to everyone.
"I want people to enjoy it with every fiber of their being, even if it's unfamiliar to them."
This year, in this space between tradition and innovation, this new kind of bon odori will once again set Nakano City ablaze with the spirit of celebration.
