No yukata? No problem. Rent one of the casual summer kimonos and join this traditional celebration of bon odori.
For those not familiar with the Japanese folk dancing performance known as bon odori, this may be the ideal opportunity to catch an early glimpse at this beautiful art, usually presented in mid-August during obon celebrations. The Marunouchi festivities will definitely include the bon odori dance, performed by 100 dancers who will step to the beats of “Marunouchi Ondo”, an original version of the well-known Japanese folk song, Tokyo Ondo.
The event will kick off with uchimizu, that peculiar Japanese summer tradition of sprinkling water on the hot pavement in order to settle dust and bring down those scorching temperatures. A free yukata rental will be offered to the first 50 guests, between 17:00-20:00. And if you own your own yukata but struggle to put it on, just bring it along and volunteers will help you tie it up.
And any Japanese festival is not complete without the food stalls, so take a break to enjoy the various dishes of okonomiyaki, yakitori, and even Belgian beers and fruit smoothies.
Marunouchi Bon Odori Festival (click for more information, Japanese only)
When: Friday July 26, 17:30-21:00
Where: Naka-dori avenue, in front of Marunouchi Building (see map)
How much: Free
