ジェイソン先生から見た日本その③『Matsumoto Bon Bon』

2024.08.06

　※こちらはLittle Red English School 校長兼講師ジェイソンによる、英語学習のため記事です。2007年から日本に住んでいるジェイソンの目から見た日本、ニュージーランド（英語圏、西洋文化圏）との相違点、共通点などを記載しています。

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Hello everybody and welcome to the Little Red English School blog section of our website. My name is Jason Oleary, and I’m going to write a series of blogs to help you all learn a little, hopefully be entertained a little, and finally want to express your thoughts and feelings in English a little, too.

 

Matsumoto Bon Bon

 

       When I first experienced Matsumoto Bon Bon, I was in awe. There were so many people (young kids with their parents, school kids excitedly running around in groups, company workers straight out of the office wearing their team’s dance uniform instead of business suits, and sports clubs’ members promoting their club and bonding at the same time.) The waves of colours flowing through the streets with the repetitious sound of the theme song was infused into my mind. Furthermore, the smell of street food filling the air left me wanting to try a bite from every food stall I passed.

         I have very fond memories of this local dance festival. It was 2008, my second year here, and I was invited to join a team called,”YumeGumi”, the “Dream Team”. This team was and still is comprised of Japanese and foreigners. Even though I couldn’t speak much Japanese at the time, I was still included and that feeling of inclusion was invaluable to me. Sharing a bonding experience through traditional dance and song in the streets of Matsumoto in the warm summer evening made me feel somewhat accepted into a little social family of friends.

         Being an annual event, it is held every year, but it is never quite the same. There are always new people to meet (including new additions to families and visiting relatives), new food stalls, different weather conditions, and dance routes. As people grow and get on with their lives, it can be difficult to make time to visit or hang out. This is one opportunity where many acquaintances can reunite. When covid hit, it forced many events to be cancelled, including Matsumoto Bon Bon. I’m relieved that things are returning to normal again and this year the rules have gone back to pre-covid times.