It's summer in Japan now and extremely hot. Yesterday I went to the bon-odori with my friends. We wore yukata to dance at the public square nearby. After some dancing, we went to the stalls and got ramune soda pop in glass bottles to quench our thirst. Please tell me about them.
People dance in a circle around the platform.
Originally the dances were held to welcome the spirits of the ancestors back to the world of the living during O-Bon, to honor and entertain them, and then to send them off again to the spirit world. Today, however, the religious meaning of the dances has faded, and the purpose is rather to help the members of a community get to know each other and strengthen their bonds. Urban housing complexes often hold bon-odori as summertime events that can help to enhance community solidarity. Many people dress up in yukata , informal cotton kimono with simple sash, when they participate in bon-odori . Recently yukata has become fashionable among young women.