ISLAMABAD: Japanese Ambassador Takashi Kurai and his wife Keiko Kurai hosted a Japanese Bon Festival at their residence, to share a traditional Bon-Odori evening with the local diplomatic community.

Now an annual feature of the Japanese embassy’s cultural calendar, the event drew nearly 200 guests, including students, academics, poets and artists.

Ambassador Kurai welcomed the guests to his beautiful garden and spoke about the festival.

He said: “There are several traditional dances in Japan, but one of the most famous and common dances is the Bon-Odori which is danced annually in the festival. The Bon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honour the spirits of one’s ancestors. Through the Bon-Odori, we remember our ancestors and celebrate their presence in our lives.”

This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral homes and visit and clean their ancestors’ graves. It is also the time when ancestors’ spirits are supposed to revisit household altars. The typical dance takes place around a high wooden platform called the yagura.

Guests were entertained by the Japanese dancing to drumming by Katsunori Ashida, the head of public affairs at the Japanese embassy. He played the wadaiko drums and conducted the Bon-Odori, encouraging Pakistani guests to participate alongside Japanese volunteers.

The Japanese women were dressed in traditional Yukatas while Happi coats were available for guests to join in the spirit of the afternoon. Games and the presence of PARO, a mental health robot, kept the guests engaged while a delicious assortment of Japanese delicacies, tempura, sushi and yakitori were served.

A tradition that has lasted over 500 years, the festival of Bon typically lasts for three days; although the starting date now varies across different regions of Japan. When the lunar calendar was changed to the Gregorian calendar during the Meiji era, localities in Japan reacted differently and this resulted in three different times of Obon.

PARO is an advanced interactive robot developed by AIST, a leading Japanese industrial automation pioneer. It allows the documented benefits of animal therapy to be administered to patients in environments such as hospitals and extended care facilities where live animals present treatment or logistical difficulties.

PARO has five kinds of sensors: tactile, light, audition, temperature, and posture sensors, with which it can perceive people and its environment.

PARO responded as if it were alive, moving its head and legs, making sounds, opening and shutting its eyes.

Young children and many adults spent time petting PARO.

A guest, Nabeela Ajaz, was taken with PARO. “PARO, the seal type creature, stole the show at the Japanese ambassador’s residence. With her soulful eyes and the sweet soothing noise she was really a presence to ward off depression and loneliness. It is meant to be used in hospitals and old people’s homes, and I can imagine how helpful she would be!”

Another guest at the festival, Amin Kunjahi, said: “It is such a pleasant experience to watch and join in a traditional Japanese dance. The event was also very informative and it is interesting to know this dance is held every summer in Japan.

“The beat of the dance is like typical Pakistani traditional dances like the Luddi and Bhangra beats although Japan and Pakistan have no common regional borders, but the beat of music is almost same. Truly, music needs no language and knows no boundaries. It’s a communication between souls and really enjoyed the Bon-Odori evening.”

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2016