―From Preface― This book is the tanka anthology on the Nishimonnai Bon Odori in Ugo Town, Akita Prefecture. The Nishimonai Bon Odori is one of Japan's three major Bon Odori dances. It was classified as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1981 and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as one of the "Furyu-odori" dances in 2022. On the nights of August 16, 17, and 18, during the Bon festival, the Bon Odori is held mainly on Honcho Street in Nishimonai, Ugo Town, with a dance circle formed along the street. There is no written record of the Nishimonai Bon Odori's origin. However, according to the traditional oral story, it is said to date back more than 730 years. The dance is said to encompass prayers for a good harvest in the coming harvest season and the memorial to console the spirits of the departed. Children who join the dance in the early evening wear yukata (summer kimono) and Hachimaki (headdress). Dancers other than children dance in the circle wearing woven straw hats called Amigasa or black hoods called Hikosa-Zukin, concealing the dancers' faces. It is said that they dance with their faces covered because it is the Bon Odori (dance) of consolation. The spirits of the Dead who have descended on the Bon Festival from the other world join the dancing circle and dance with the living. Except for children, dancers wear costumes called Hanui made from scraps of kimono sewn together, such as kimono-patchwork, while most other dancers wear indigo-dyed yukata. There are two types of dances: Ganke and Ondo. Female dancers, in particular, dance with their entire bodies in a delicate, graceful, and flowing manner without stagnant movements. Not only the movement of the limbs but also the subtle actions of the nape of the neck and the head and the placement of the eyes hidden by Amigasa and Hikosa-Zukin would be the dancer's deep love poured into the dance itself. The mysterious and elegant dances undoubtedly emanate from the dancers' natural tenderness. Thus, on the evening of August 13, the spirits of the deceased, having arrived from the otherworldly shore during the Bon Festival, join the living in the dance circle from the 16th and dance to their hearts' content before returning to the other world. Around the final day of Bon Odori, a refreshing breeze rustles through Nishimonai. The townspeople warmly welcome the early autumn amidst the fragrant ears of rice beginning to hang, anticipating a bountiful harvest. ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- This book is English & Japanese bilingual edition. Premium color printing. Photographs are taken by the author Rika Inami. Enjoy Tanka and Photos of Ethereal Bon Odori in Nishimonai! April 2024 Rika Inami