Bon Odori 2019 KL attendees revel in food and dance

Just like in previous years, over 35,000 people, many donning colourful Yukatas, a traditional Japanese robe, filled the Kompleks Sukan Negara Shah Alam (Panasonic) stadium, Selangor on July 20 to revel in the 2019 43rd Bon Odori Dance Festival Kuala Lumpur.

Participants danced in tune with the lively rhythm of Japanese drums, gongs and flutes, as well as enjoyed the variety of Japanese foods from a myriad of participating food stalls.

Students from The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur dressed up in Yukata and Zori (straw, leather and wooden sandals) performed on the Yagura, a special stage built specifically for the festival in the centre of the stadium, and led the crowd delightedly circling around the Yagura to the Bon Odori dance.

“Due to the effort of approximately 1,000 volunteers from participating organisations, the event has been successful over the years and has turned into a vibrant spectacle that people look forward to annually,” said Ryuta Katori, organising chairman of the 2019 Bon Odori Dance Festival in Kuala Lumpur.

Japan’s ambassador to Malaysia Dr. Makio Miyagawa said the festival was held to promote and strengthen cultural ties between Malaysia and Japan by allowing the locals to experience a variety of Japanese foods, art and dance.

Tourism Selangor provided the assistance of RELA, traffic police, free shuttle bus service, medical team, Bomba and others.

The 43rd Bon Odori Kuala Lumpur 2019 is jointly organised by The Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur (JCKL), The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur and Embassy of Japan in cooperation with the Alumni Look East Policy Society (ALEPS), Japan Graduates Association of Malaysia (JAGAM), The Japanese Chamber of Trade & Industry Malaysia (JACTIM) and Tourism Selangor. It is supported by the Selangor state government and Invest Selangor Berhad.

Bon Odori is a Japanese folk dance. It is major festival in Japan and celebrated annually as a popular get-together summer event. In Malaysia, the festival dates back as far as 1977. It has grown and evolved successfully over the years making it a much-awaited event that attracts tens of thousands of Malaysians and Japanese expatriates every year. The celebration in Malaysia is said to be the largest Bon Odori festival in the world, outside of Japan.