The Bon Odori dance, once a community event and a midsummer ritual for consoling ancestors' spirits, has evolved drastically in recent years, picking up popular disco and anime tunes and attracting people regardless of their age or nationality.
"Let's take Bon dance to the world!" shouted DJ Koo, the leader of pop band TRF, before a crowd at the Bon Disco event held at Tokyo's Kanda Shrine in late July, and those who had gathered for the crossover of Bon dance and disco roared in agreement.
With his turntable replacing Japanese drums on the stage around which people dance in one direction, DJ Koo played songs such as "Y.M.C.A." and "Call Me" while dancers moved in sync, following the traditional moves of Bon dance.