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The National Youth Service Commission (NYSC) in collaboration with the Japan Solidarity Association (JSA) and the Embassy of Japan successfully organized the Bon Odori Festival 2024 at the NYSC grounds in Maharagama. Despite the rainy weather, the festival was attended by a large number of Sri Lankan and Japanese nationals, highlighting the strong cultural ties between the two countries.
Bon Odori is a traditional Japanese festival to honour and bid farewell to ancestral spirits. This year’s Bon Odori included a variety of performances and activities highlighting the lively customs of Sri Lanka and Japan.
The celebration featured a Bon Odori dance performed by students from the Japanese School of Colombo and the Lanka Japan Business and Technology Institute (LNBTI) to popular songs such as Tokyo Ondo and Tanko Bushi. In addition to the Bon Odori dance, the following performances also added to the charm of this cultural event:
• Students from the Japanese School of Colombo and NYSC performed the traditional Japanese drum (Wadaiko)
• Japanese dance “Nanchu Soran” performed by students of the Japanese School in Colombo
• Karate performance by NYSC students
• J-Pop dance performed by LNBTI students
• Japanese and Sinhala songs performed by JICA volunteers and
• A fusion of Japanese and Sri Lankan traditional dances performed by NYSC students.
Ms. Shinyo Shono, a famous Japanese singer and long-time supporter of JICA, who visited Sri Lanka for the third time, brought live performance to this year’s Bon Odori event with her beautiful singing voice, adding color and vitality.
The event was attended by many dignitaries including the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, His Excellency Harin Fernando, the Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, Mr. MIZUKOSHI Hideaki, the Chairman of NYSC, Mr. Pasindu Gunaratne and the President of JSA, Mr. HOTTA Mikinaga.
The festival had numerous food stalls from famous Japanese restaurants such as Nihonbashi, Sushi Bar Samurai, Yamato, Ginza Hohsen, Kuuraku, Minori, Shikisen and Sakura Coffee Farm. In addition, the NYSC Cooking Class had a stall offering a variety of Japanese cuisine and popular Sri Lankan dishes. The event also featured stalls from the Sri Lanka Origami Origami Association, Sri Lanka Bonsai Association, JICA Volunteers, Japan Solidarity Association Bazaar and the Council for Local Government International Relations (CLAIR) promoted by Japanese local governments.
The 2024 Bon Odori Festival was a great success and the heavy rains did not dampen the enthusiasm of the people but became an impetus to further strengthen cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and Sri Lanka. The organizers sincerely thank all participants, sponsors and attendees for their support and participation in making this event an unforgettable celebration of friendship and cultural heritage.
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