The 46th Bon Odori Festival 2022 held at the Shah Alam National Sports Complex Panasonic in Shah Alam on July 16 marked the festival’s return for the first time in three years after a long Covid-19 layoff.
Bon Odori’s organizing committee chairman Dai Hoshiai said at the press conference that the event welcomed 15,000 more attendees than the average 35,000 who came each year.
He said that Bon Odori is a cultural event where everyone, including Muslims, could enjoy themselves.
According to some estimates, the event attracted over 50,000 people.
Japanese ambassador to Malaysia Katsuhiko Takahashi said the Bon Odori Festival was held to promote and strengthen cultural ties between Malaysia and Japan by allowing the locals here to experience a variety of Japanese foods, art and dance.
Attendees, many clad in traditional Japanese outfits and adhered to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) by wearing masks, were treated to cultural activities such as Bon Odori dance and Wadaiko Japanese drum performance, and a variety of Japanese food.
Edmund Lee, who was among the thousands at the event said, “I have attended Bon Odori here in Shah Alam for several years. This year the crowd is super big. I think it’s the biggest crowd so far.”
Among the VIP guests at the event was Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
The 46th Bon Odori Festival is jointly organized by The Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur, The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur and the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia, and supported by the Selangor state government, Invest Selangor Berhad and Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia.
Bon Odori is a Japanese folk dance. It is organized during the mid-year and always accompanied by singing and dancing in tune with the lively rhythm of drums, gongs and flutes. The festival is held annually as a popular get-together summer event held in every district of every city in Japan.
In Malaysia, the festival, held annually since 1977, started as a small affair for Japanese expatriates to immerse their children in Japanese culture, but has slowly grown into an event that attracts over 35,000 participants annually.
