3 fantastic Bon Odori festivals happening in Tokyo this July 19-21 long weekend
Bon Odori is a lively summer dance held during the Obon period to honour ancestors – a tradition that's been around for over 500 years. People gather around a yagura stage, dancing in circles to the rhythm of the music. It's a festive, feel-good way to spend a summer night – and the perfect chance to show off your best dance moves. Here are three Bon Odori festivals you can join this weekend.
Sendagaya Bon Odori Festival, July 18-19
To kick things off, stop by the Sendagaya Bon Odori Festival taking place at Hato no Mori Hachiman Shrine. You can expect food stalls set up by local businesses, as well as games and activities for children. Plus, of course, the requisite communal dancing.
Not familiar with the moves? No worries. Drop by around 4pm to learn the choreography, and you can join in one of the Bon Odori dances happening at 5.30pm, 7pm and 7.50pm (5.30pm, 6.45pm and 8pm on Saturday).
Daibon, July 19
Get ready to get your groove on at Daibon, a modern rendition of the traditional Bon Odori festival held at Hachiman Shrine in Nakano ward's Yamatocho. Here, the customary Bon Odori festivities are fused with a line-up of DJs and contemporary artists, merging the timeless traditions with the energetic pulse of new-wave beats.
Watch as the festival comes alive with live DJ sets, which have in the past featured eclectic talents like Chinbantei Goraku Shisho, and the invigorating performances of Korean percussionists. Daibon takes the typical Bon Odori experience a step further, creating a fusion of sounds that should strike a chord with revellers of all ages.
Jiyugaoka Noryo Bon Odori Festival, July 19-21
The public square in front of Jiyugaoka Station is hosting a massive Bon Odori festival between July 19 and 21. Expect lively dancing to begin at 6.30pm each night (7pm on July 19) to the tune of Bon Odori classics such as 'Tokyo Ondo', as well as a more modern line-up of music featuring remixes of contemporary J-pop songs such as 'RPG' from Sekai no Owari and 'Takaneno Hanakosan' by Back Number.
New for 2025 is a special kids' dance session beginning at 5.30pm (6.10pm on July 19), making the Noryo Bon Odori a fun and family-friendly night out.
The Fuji Rock timetable for 2025 is here
The timetable for Summer Sonic 2025 is out now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Spectator
9 hours ago
- Spectator
What I learned from running my own Squid Game
You know how this story goes. The cameras are rolling. The audience is cruel. You're trapped in the game and the game is death and the game is going out live from the heart of the state of nature where empathy is weakness and you kill each other off until there's only one left. What will you do to survive? Who will you become if you do? This is the plot of Squid Game, Netflix's Korean mega-hit that just drew to its gory conclusion. It is also the plot of The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, The Running Man, Chain-Gang All-Stars and The Long Walk. We have spent several decades watching desperate people slaughter each other for survival to entertain the rich and stupid. Future generations will probably have thoughts about why we kept returning to this particular trope with the bloodthirsty voyeurism we associate with Ancient Rome. Obviously, these stories are meant to say something about human nature, and the depraved things desperate people can be made to do to each other; they're meant to say something about exploitation, and how easy it is to derive pleasure from someone else's pain. Squid Game says these things while shovelling its doomed characters through a lurid nightmare playground where they die in cruel and creative ways. After each deadly game, blood-spattered contestants are offered a chance to vote on whether to carry on playing. It's a simple referendum: if a majority votes to stay, they're all trapped in the death-match murder circus with only themselves to blame. If they object, a masked guard will accuse them of interrupting the free and fair elections and shoot them in the face. This is everything Squid Game has to say about representative democracy. 'I wanted to write a story that was an allegory or fable about modern capitalist society,' said director Hwang Dong-hyuk, just in case you didn't get the message. The whole thing is as subtle as a shopping-mall shooter. I'm reliably informed that the English-language translations strip away a degree of nuance, which probably helps audiences in parts of the Anglosphere where irony is an unaffordable foreign luxury and the experience of everyday economic humiliation feels a lot like being hit over the head with a huge blunt analogy. Squid Game does not want you confused about who the baddies are. There's a bored cabal of cartoon billionaires drinking scotch and throwing tantrums while they watch our heroes shove each other off cliffs. They smoke cigars and say things like 'I am a very hard man to please'. We never get to find out who they are or what their plan is, because it doesn't matter. How could it possibly matter? How could anything matter in a fake hotel lobby where all the furniture is naked ladies? This is how people who want to be rich think people who are rich ought to talk: like insurance salesmen cosplaying sexual villainy in a kink club for tourists. Nobody is supposed to be able to relate to the Squid Game villains. As it turns out, though, I can. There's an innocent explanation for how I came to run my own Reality Show of Death Game. Well, mostly innocent. I happen to have a secret other life as an immersive game designer. It's what I did instead of drugs during my divorce, after discovering that here, finally, was a hobby that would let me be a pretentious art wanker and a huge nerd at the same time. The games are intense – like escape rooms you have to solve with emotions. Many of them revolve around some species of social experiment – the kind that actual researchers can't do any more because it's inhumane. Famously, the 1971 Stanford prison experiment had to be shut down early after students who were cast as guards got far too excited about abusing their prisoners. The sort of people who pay actual money to play this kind of game are expecting to be made to feel things. They're expecting high stakes and horrible choices and wildly dramatic twists. The Death Game trope is an easy way to deliver all of that. Mine forced players to pick one of their friends to 'murder on live television'. It's a five-hour nightmare about social scapegoating with a pounding techno soundtrack. I had a lot going on at the time. I swotted up on Hobbes and Hayek. I took notes on Squid Game and its infinite derivatives. I gave the players character archetypes to choose from – the Diva, the Flirt, the Party Animal – and got them to imagine themselves in Big Brother if it were produced by actual George Orwell. I wrote and rewrote the script to make sure players wouldn't be able to opt out of picking one person to bully to death. I thought that it would be easy. Instead, I learned two surprising things. The first was that it's harder than you'd think to design a scenario where ordinary people plausibly hunt each other to death. Every time, my players tried their very hardest not to hurt each other, even when given every alibi to be evil. I created a whole rule system to punish acts of altruism, spent ages greasing the hinges on the beautiful hellbox I'd built for them, and still the ungrateful bastards kept trying to sacrifice themselves for one another. Even the ones who were explicitly cast as villains. Even when it was against the rules. It takes a lot of fiddly world-building to make violent self-interest feel reasonable. It takes a baroque notional dystopia and a guaranteed protection from social punishment. What you get is a manicured, hothouse-grown garden masquerading as a human jungle – an astroturfed Hobbesian state of nature where the cruelty is cultivated to make viewers feel comfortable in complicity. The story of these games scrapes the same nerves as the ritual reporting about shopping-mall riots on Black Friday – the ones that lasciviously describe working-class people walloping each other for a £100 discount on a dishwasher. The message is that people who have little are worse than people who have more. This is a wealthy person's nightmare of how poor people behave. The rich, of course, are rarely subject to this sort of moral voyeurism. But that story isn't true. In the real-life Lord of the Flies, the children actually worked together very successfully. In the real-life Stanford prison experiment, the guards had to be coached into cruelty. Real poverty, as sociologists like Rutger Bregman keep on telling us, is actually an inverse predictor of selfish behaviour. Not because poor people are more virtuous than anyone else, but because the rich and powerful can afford not to be. The rest of us, eventually, have to trust each other. The fantasy of these games is about freedom from social responsibility. In the Death Games, nobody has to make complex and demeaning ethical choices as an adult person in an inhumane economy. In the Death Games, it makes sense to light your integrity on fire to survive. But if we did, actually, live in a perfectly ruthless market economy where competition was the essence of survival, none of us would survive past puberty. The Death Games don't actually tell us anything about how life is. They show us how life feels. The second surprising thing I learned while running my own Squid Game is that nothing feels better than running Squid Game. If you need a rush, I highly recommend building a complicated social machine to make other people hurt each other, picking out a fun hyperpop soundtrack and then standing behind a production desk for five hours jerking their strings and cackling until they cry. People apparently like my game. It has run in multiple countries. And every time, it took me days to come down from the filthy dopamine high. It turns out that I love power. This was an ugly thing to discover, and there's an ugly feeling about watching a show like Squid Game – which is, to be clear, wildly entertaining. Voyeurism is participation, and the compulsive thrill of watching human beings hurt each other for money creates its own complicity. The audience is not innocent. Sit too close to the barrier at the beast show and you risk getting splashed with moral hazard.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
I got kicked out of a wedding because of my ‘inappropriate' outfit… people say the ‘horrid' bride got married ‘for show'
FROCK OFF I got kicked out of a wedding because of my 'inappropriate' outfit… people say the 'horrid' bride got married 'for show' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MOTHER has revealed that she travelled two hours to a wedding, only to be kicked out because of her "inappropriate" outfit. The mum-of-two, who is from the US and is a Korean language student, explained that not long after arriving at the nuptials, she was confronted by the bride about the colour of her dress. 2 A mu has revealed that after driving two hours to her husband's friends' wedding, she was kicked out for her "inappropriate" dress Credit: tiktok/@ebrown_rn 2 Fuming with the situation, the nurse took to social media to explain all, leaving many open-mouthed Credit: tiktok/@ebrown_rn Fuming with the situation, Elisé Brown acknowledged that when talking to the bride, she was told there was a 'dress code' which her colourful frock didn't meet. Eager to alert others to the awkward ordeal, posting on social media, the content creator uploaded a clip with the caption 'Got kicked out of a wedding reception for being out of a dress code I didn't know existed!' As she filmed herself sitting in her car, the nurse said: 'So I am currently sitting in my car because I came two hours to a wedding for one of my husband's friends and we have been here a total of 15 minutes, and the bride comes up to me and tells me that my outfit is 'inappropriate' for her wedding. 'There was a supposed dress code that I didn't know existed because I never got a wedding invitation mailed to my house - it was a text message that my husband received.' With intentions to celebrate the couple saying 'I Do' in style, Elisé wore a colourful dress containing dark blue, light blue, pale pink and white. But the irritated woman later confirmed that since leaving the wedding, she was informed that the dress code was 'navy, yellow, maroon or grey.' Elisé acknowledged that she had never met the bride prior to the big day, but did know the groom, as he had been friends with her husband for 20 years. She later confirmed that the bride didn't bother to greet her or formally introduce herself prior to their conversation, but was clearly not impressed with her outfit choice. After the embarrassing conversation with the 'rude' bride, Elisé 'walked out' of the wedding and headed back to her car. Clearly fuming, Elisé added: 'But in 2025, is this what brides do to their guests now? You walk up to your guests and tell them that the outfit they're wearing is not appropriate for their wedding?' I'm 5ft3 & a size 12-14 - my 7 Tesco dresses are an absolute bargain & perfect for a last-minute wedding guest outfit Stunned by the situation, the shocked mother then shared: 'I didn't know that was a thing. I mean, I've been married for 11 years. 'This is what we do to our guests? I'm kind of disappointed and I'm really ready to go home.' Social media users react The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ebrown_rn, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly gone viral and racked up 2.7 million views, 106,300 likes and 8,462 comments. But social media users were gobsmacked by the situation and many hailed the bride as 'horrid' and claimed she only got married 'for show.' If a bride is roaming around and taking time to be rude to guests, she's got issues TikTok user One person said: 'That ain't a wedding, that's a funeral of a friendship.' Another added: 'I think dress codes at weddings are horrid. Weddings have gotten out of control.' A third commented: 'If a bride is roaming around and taking time to be rude to guests, she's got issues that you don't need to think about twice.' Wedding Guest Outfit Etiquette If you're struggling to decided on a dress to see you through wedding season, here's a few rules on what not to wear so you don't get in trouble. Folklore says that wearing red at a wedding means you slept with the groom. Casual attire like jeans and flip flops should always be avoided. Any colour that could be picked up as white or cream - even if it's not. Most would agree that your cleavage needs to be covered. Wearing white is a massive no-no if you're not the bride. At the same time, someone else wrote: 'Apparently she got married for show, so that will last long and happy.' Not only this, but one user was gobsmacked and questioned: 'What??? You look fantastic!!! That's crazy!' Whilst another user sighed: 'That's very rude. I'm sorry that happened to you.' Meanwhile, one woman asked: 'And did you take your gift back with you?' To this, the woman confirmed: 'I didn't; it was only a $25 gift card. I literally walked out so quickly after her comment. I was HEATED.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
People begged for my skincare routine claiming I looked 19 not 39 – Korean beauty is a gamechanger & my 2 tips are FREE
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A 39-YEAR-OLD woman with flawless skin has been mistaken for being 20 years younger than she actually is. The mother proudly showed off her make-up routine online but was met with disbelief from many after revealing that she will soon be celebrating her 40th birthday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A mum-of-four has revealed the secrets behind her youthful complexion Credit: tiktok@bananalianas 2 In addition to Korean beauty, the 39-year-old shared her five-step routine for flawless skin Credit: tiktok@bananalianas Numerous social media users begged Liana, who is from the UK, for her skincare routine and now, the gorgeous fiancée has set the record straight on the secrets behind her youthful look. According to this brunette, she swears by Korean beauty - a beauty trend focused on the 'glass skin' look - for flawless skin. Not only this, but she also got candid on the two tips she recommends to defy wrinkles - and luckily for those on a budget, they are totally free. Showing off her 'go to everyday make-up routine' as a busy mum-of-four, Liana added concealer under her eyes, liquid bronzer to her forehead, nose and cheekbones and liquid blusher to her cheeks. Following this, the content creator, who has ditched foundation for good, applied gel to her eyebrows and finished off her natural look with a subtle brush of eyeshadow under her lash line, as well as a touch of Vaseline on her plump pout. But Liana's TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @bananalianas, sent social media users wild and quickly amassed 152,000 views, 15,600 likes and 252 comments in just three days. Viewers couldn't believe their eyes at Liana's age and raced to the comments to express their thoughts. One person said: 'You look like you're around 19-25.' Another added: '39!! I thought you were 22.' A third commented: 'You look mid 20s what.' From banana skins to ear massages - five natural anti-aging hacks revealed At the same time, one woman begged: 'Sis drop the skincare routine.. you look incredible.' Meanwhile, someone else asked: 'Do you use any skincare? Because you don't have wrinkles at all.' I think the game changer for me has been hydration and stopping vaping Liana In response, Liana wrote back and confirmed: 'I do use skincare, I can do a tutorial of what I use. I do have fine lines and wrinkles close up but skincare and hydration has helped minimise the look.' Not only this, but in addition to skincare, Liana also clarified her two free tips for an age-defying complexion, as she added: 'I think the game changer for me has been hydration and stopping vaping.' Biggest skincare trends for 2025 Face The Future's Head of Clinic, Kimberley Medd, shared the five skincare trends predicted to take off in 2025. 1. Exosomes Exosomes are the buzzword for 2025, taking advanced skin regeneration to new heights. These micro-messengers signal skin cells to repair damage, boost collagen, and accelerate recovery, and they're a gamechanger for targeting ageing. 2. Streamlined Skincare The age of 12-step routines is fading as consumers shift to more intentional, multi-functional products. Streamlining skincare not only saves time but also reduces the risk of overloading your skin. In 2025, we'll see a rise in hybrid products that combine active ingredients for simplified, effective results. 3. Vegan Collagen Plant-based collagen will dominate the skincare world this year, providing a sustainable, ethical alternative to traditional animal-derived collagen. Expect vegan collagen in everything from moisturisers to serums. 4. The Rise Of AI AI is revolutionising the beauty landscape, making it possible for consumers to get truly personalised skincare solutions. In 2025, we predict a dramatic shift towards AI-powered tools that help people understand their skin on a deeper level. 5. Hair Loss Solutions - Hair loss is an issue that affects more men than we often realise, and it's no longer just something we're talking about behind closed doors. This year, expect to see a continued rise in demand for treatments that not only tackle hair loss but also nurture overall scalp health. Liana's five-step skincare routine Moments later, the mother posted a short clip showing off her game-changing skincare routine, leaving many gobsmacked. First things first, she used the COSRX 6 Peptide Skin Booster, which works to improve skin elasticity, fine lines, pores and radiance and is now reduced to £18.90 on Amazon. Following this, Liana applied the K-SECRET Seoul 1988 Retinal Eye Cream, which has been slashed to £10.99 and the K-SECRET Seoul Retinal Serum, which shoppers can nab for £13.46. 39!! I thought you were 22 TikTok user After this, the mother applied the Mary&May Under Eye Cream, which is on sale for £7.46 and works to reduce dark circles and improve uneven skin tone. For the fourth step in her routine, Liana used the Corsx Advanced 96 Snail Mucin Power Essence, which is a number one best seller on Amazon and is now available for only £16. The bargain buy repairs and rejuvenates the skin from dryness and ageing, whilst giving a natural and healthy glow. To finish off her five-step routine, Liana used a gua sha to sculpt her face. Showing off her flawless skin, the mother beamed: 'All done, skin is looking dewy and glowy.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
