Bon Odori in Sanbu-Niku: Why I Share Small-Scale Activities

When you hear the name "Sanbu-Niku," do you know where it is right away?

Sanbu-Niku is the second district of a settlement called "Sanbu," located in the Nibu area of Hoki Town.
Within the Nibu area, there is Sanbu, and within Sanbu, there are the first and second districts. However, there is no fourth district.

…Honestly, when I first heard it, my head was spinning (laughs).
I can't help but wish they had chosen slightly different names.

However, for the locals, these divisions are very important. As a newcomer, I cannot afford to make mistakes, so I ask and confirm repeatedly.

“It’s Sanbu within Nibu, right?”
“It’s the second district, not the first district of Sanbu, correct?”

By saying these similar names over and over, I am gradually learning them. And every time I confirm, a conversation is born.
Perhaps this confusion is what keeps the local communication connected.

To Bon Odori Practice

The other day, I participated in Bon Odori practice at the Hoki Town Cultural Center in Sanbu-Niku.

In addition to the Bon Odori, I also tried the "100-Year-Old Gymnastics" with everyone.
It’s just repeating slow movements ten times, but it’s surprisingly tough.

My impression was,
“Isn’t this gymnastics that lets you live to 150, not just 100?”
I said (laughs).

After that, I played "Ue wo Muite Arukou (SUKIYAKI)" on guitar and horn, and sang along with everyone.

From those who hadn't had many opportunities to hear brass instruments up close, I received comments like:
“The tone of the horn is warm.”
“It’s a soft sound that blends with everyone’s voices.”
“It felt like the air in the room was vibrating.”

This is the greatest honor for a horn player.
The sound of the horn melting into everyone’s singing voices. Vibrating the same air in the same place with the local people.
I love these moments of music.

Small events that don't appear on the website

The Bon Odori in Sanbu-Niku will be held on August 14th.

However, I couldn't find this information on the Hoki Town Hall website.
Perhaps it will be posted later in a report by the district support staff. Even so, if it’s just a small note in the corner of a PDF, not many people will notice it.

I go out of my way to participate in such small district events multiple times and even make videos of them.

“There must be other places to cover, right?”
“There are more prominent attractions that you should promote more, right?”

I sometimes hear comments like that.

It is true that Hoki Town has many attractions that are easy to explain, starting with Mount Daisen.
Even so, I believe that the charm of a region lies precisely in these small-scale activities.

Why continue that Bon Odori?

A small district, population decline, aging, and a shortage of successors.
The region faces various challenges.

Continuing to do things exactly as they have been done since long ago is also important, because that is where the region's history lies.

However, inheritance may not just be about repeating exactly what was done in the past.
While using what we have inherited as a foundation, we who live in the present create a modern form.

To do that,
"Why are we continuing this?"
"What do I want to cherish here?"
I believe these questions are necessary.

Simply calling out, "Please participate in the Bon Odori," does not easily bring people in.
What do the people living there cherish, and for what purpose are they continuing it? And how do those who are newly involved engage with those thoughts?

Each of those things might become the core that strengthens the region from within.

The reason I play the horn

I have been playing the horn for a long time.
The horn is not an instrument born in Japan. It is an instrument that came from the West.
That is why, in university, I made the history of brass instruments in Japan the theme of my thesis.

From the teachers I studied under in Germany,
"Why do you play the horn?"
I was constantly asked.

"Because it's fun"
"Because I like it"

That alone was not enough to be taken seriously.

I, too, have been asking myself this for a long time.
What is the horn to me?
Why do I play the horn?
How do I connect with society through the horn?

This cannot be written in the past tense. It is a present-progressive question for which I am still searching for an answer.

Inheriting regional activities is surely the same.

Why continue that Bon Odori?
What will I cherish there?
How will I get involved?

The answer may not be found immediately.

I myself, as a member of the Community Revitalization Cooperation Squad, am groping along a pathless road.
In Japan, where the horn cannot yet be said to be fully integrated into society, how can I and the horn fit in, and how can we connect with the region and society?

And what will happen after continuing to share the activities of a small region?

I am still experimenting.

That is why I am going to the Sanbu-Niku Bon Odori again this year.
To observe the small, precious traditions that have continued in this small community.
And to create the Bon Odori of today together with all of you.

🏮 Sanbu-Niku Bon Odori
Date and Time: Friday, August 14th, from 7:30 PM
Location: Hoki Town Cultural Center (Sanbu-Niku)

Come and join us!

Watch the video here:
Sanbu-Niku Bon Odori Practice | YouTube Shorts
https://youtube.com/shorts/9qslJxHS9H4?feature=share