It was Okinawan night at the Jikoen Hongwanji on July 25, 2008. That’s right, 100% Uchinanchu! Historically, Jikoen only featured Okinawan dancing at their obon and required dancers to wear a full kimono (no hapi coats). In recent years, they introduced Japanese dances into the program and loosened up their dress code. On Friday, they went back to their roots and dedicated the entire evening to Okinawan songs and dances once again. They even held a kachashi contest at the end of the night.

Photos from the evening can be found in my Obon 2008 Flickr set.

Categories: Bon Dances