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(traditional Japanese music)

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-Obon Odori is a Japanese festival
of honoring one's ancestors.

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It's believed that ancestors
come back and visit.

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And during this time
we put up lanterns to tell us,

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you know, here we are,
this is your home.

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(crowd chatter)

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A major part of the

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Obon Festival, or
Bon Odori Festival

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is dancing... dancing for joy
for our ancestors.

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(traditional Japanese music
and taiko drum)

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Before dancing starts,
we always have a service.

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And so a typical
sort of Jodo

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Shinshu Buddhist service,
which is the sect of Buddhism

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that this temple belongs
to, is sutra chanting,

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(chanting)

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-Okay, please
line up for 

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Mi Kokoro Ondo.

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(traditional Japanese music)

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-In the true sort
of essence of Bon Odori,

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you don't really need to know
the dance.

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You should just dance!

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(traditional Japanese music
and singing)

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The music that you hear,

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and when we dance
in Bon Odori,

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it's kind of a split between
sort of religious music,

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Japanese music,

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and then like some fun dances
that are thrown in.

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All of the music
has been passed down to us

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and we have dances
that were passed down as well.

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(taiko drumming)

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Within the Buddhist
churches of America,

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I think

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we're one of the oldest
consecutively running Obons.

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(traditional Japanese music &
taiko drumming)

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It’s really exciting time

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and one of my 
favorite times of the year. 

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(applause)