World Chichibu Ondo Festival
“Hometown Support Team” of Waseda University (WAMIPOP) is an active supporter of Minano town, the birthplace of Chichibu Ondo. The Chichibu Ondo is considered as one of the three major folk songs in the Kanto region.
This year the Chichibu Ondo Festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we want to keep the connection between the history and people who have started the Chichibu Ondo Festival. We as a WAMIPOP team want to hold the “Chichibu Ondo Festival” through the internet! Let’s hold the “Chichibu Ondo Festival” together!
Chichibu Ondo Festival and WAMIPOP
Chichibu Ondo: Chichibu Ondo connects you and the world!
WAMIPOP has been active in Minano town since 2012. This is our 9th year since we started supporting Minano town. We also started participating in Chichibu Ondo Festival "Nagashi Dance Contest" since 2018.
Last year, junior high and high school students of Minano town, local people, international students, and past hometown support team members (20 people) joined together to dance the Chichibu Ondo!
With the support and instruction from the local people and a lot of practicing, we won the "Minano Tourism Association President Award"!
dance practice with local people
"Nagashi Dance Contest 2019"
"Chichibu Ondo" in KAZAKHSTAN !!
In September, 2019 with the 20th anniversary of the student exchange program between Waseda University and the Republic of Kazakhstan, we held an event introducing Minano town at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Almaty, Kazakhstan).
We organized a cultural exchange program dancing Chichibu Ondo with local students. In addition, with the sponsorship of Arai Buhei shop and Kamezawa shop, Kazakh students had the opportunity to try Japanese “Miso” soup and “Kudzu-bar” ice-cream to deepen their understanding of Japanese food and culture through the food of Minano town.
The History of Chichibu Ondo Festival
The Chichibu Ondo Festival is held every year on August 14th in Minano town, the birthplace of Chichibu Ondo.
The origin of Chichibu Ondo dates back to the late Edo period. The present form of dancing was completed in the early Showa era. Since then Chichibu Ondo is very popular as one of the three major Kanto folk songs.
As long as with the "Chichibu Ondo Festival" which started about 50 years ago the "Chichibu Ondo Nagashi Dance Contest" is successfully carried out every year.
Please refer to the following website for details about the Chichibu Ondo and Chichibu Ondo Festival’s history.
（Minano town tourism association’s website：https://www.minano.gr.jp/chichibu_ondo/）
Chichibu Ondo and Kaneko Isekiko, Kaneko Tota
Chichibu Ondo was born from the ancient Bon Odori song that was handed down to Chichibu by a doctor and haiku poet, Isekiko Kaneko. In the early Showa era, Isekiko began adjustments to make it public and dance. The lyrics were also written by Isekiko and publicly published.
The Chichibu Ondo dance shows the behavior and strength of the Chichibu people. The Chichibu Ondo has continued to reflect the culture of Chichibu that has been cultivated since ancient times and the thoughts of people who live in Chichibu now.
Isekiko's eldest son, Kaneko Tota said, "Folk songs are supposed to be sung for a long time by maintaining the orthodox and making corrections suitable for the time. It started with the efforts of the town and was blessed with people".
(Minano town educational committee’s website : https://www.town.minano.saitama.jp/haikunomachi/chichibuondo/#)
Let's listen to the Chichibu Ondosong!
Click the play button to hear the Chichibu Ondo song.
the Chichibu Ondo Mukhabbat ver.
How to dance the Chichibu Ondo
How to dance video by Mrs. Kamijo from Minano Town
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Keep your hands in front of you while pulling your right foot slightly.
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At the same time, get together both hands and fold the wrists, and put your hands up ( see straight-ahead).
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Step on with your right foot.
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Gaze toward your extended left hand and gently fold both knees in the forward direction (right knee is shallow, left foot slightly forward).
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Put out your right foot halfway and lower your hands, as it is, step on your right foot half a step forward and put both hands on the inside of both legs and hit three times lightly. Stretch the spine.
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Place the inside of your right knee on the slightly folded left knee and raise it to the upper left with your palms aligned. At this time, the center of gravity is on the left foot.
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Left palm is in the same position, and the right palm is slid down (looking at the left palm in a hand mirror and wiping out the magnificence of the mirror). Right palm is under the left elbow.
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Just as you fold your arms just in front of your chest, put your item on the right hand from the outside to the top, and the left hand from the inside to the bottom while hauling in hand over hand
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Align both feet, turn your left and right hands to the left of your body, and open your left foot sideways. Extend your left hand to the left, put your right hand on the breast and fold it to the left. Look at the left hand
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Fold your left hand in front of your chest, and from the inside to the bottom, right hand from the outside to the top and haul in hand over hand one time. Center your left foot and raise right foot
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Turn your left and right hands to the right of your body (change places with 9). Stretch your right hand higher than your shoulders and place your left hand on the right breast. Attach the thumb of right foot to the heel of the left foot.
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Align both hands in front of the ears with the fists facing inwards, turn them inward while making them stand up, and make a large turn while swinging the ears. With both fists facing forward, grate from the chest to the belly. At the same time, raise your left foot and align with your right foot.
Source: Chichibu Ondo Pamphlet
2020
Let’s dance Chichibu Ondo and
collect videos from all over the world together!
Zere, from Kazakhstan
Kazuya, Akane, Gulden, from Japan
Vocal : Mukhabbat, from Kazakhstan
(Social Distance Ver.)
Imangaliev family, from Kazakhstan
Anara, from Kazakhstan
Mrs. Yasuko, from Minano, Japan
John & Nurse, from Thailand
First & Fern, from Thailand
Nuraiym, from Kazakhstan
Mr. Miyahara, Minano junior high school, from Japan
Mukhabbat, from Kazakhstan
2021
Gulnur, from Kazakhstan
Miho, from Japan
Bibigul, from Kazakhstan
Nurshat, from Kazakhstan
Amanzhol, from Kazakhstan
Alman and friends, from Kazakhstan
Messages from all over the world !!
Kazuya, from Japan
Zere, from Kazakhstan
Anara, from Kazakhstan
Wang, from China
Mukhabbat, from Kazakhstan
Akane, from Japan
First & Fern, from Thailand
Zhou, from China
Kazama, from Japan
Gulden, from Kazakhstan
Nuraiym, from Kazakhstan
Abror, from Uzubekistan
Madina, from Kazakhstan
Mr. Saito, from Japan
Inagi, from Japan
2020
Ms. Maral, from Kazakhstan
2021
Gulnur, from Kazakhstan
Amanzhol, from Kazakhstan
Nurshat, from Kazakhstan
Mukhabbat, from Kazakhstan
Miho, from Japan
Bibigul, from Kazakhstan
After World Chichibu Ondo Festival
On August 14, 2020, we were able to hold the "World Chichibu Ondo Festival" online from 14:00 JST.
Approximately 30 people from the Waseda University Hometown Support Team OB/OG, former Waseda University foreign students, students and teachers from Kazakhstan, Thailand, and the Minano Town Office participated!
Thank you to everyone who cooperated. We look forward to seeing you again next year!
messages from participant
I had a lot of fun today! I think it is wonderful that people of various countries and ages gathered for the preparations of everyone at Waseda University. I am grateful! It was really fun to dance with everyone! If I have the opportunity again, I would like to dance the Chichibu Ondo!
Victoria,
Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages,
Kazakhstan
I tended to focus on what I couldn't do in Corona, but after joining this online Chichibu Ondo, I realized that there are things I can do now! It was great to see everyone's faces and hear their voices after a long absence!
Nao, Waseda University Home Town Sport Team OG
Today, I appreciate to be able to attend the Chichibu Ondo Festival Online . I am very impressed with today's event. It allows me to learn about the traditions and the tremendous culture of the Japanese. I also had the opportunity to dance together with fellow students from Waseda University. In addition to being a revelation and preserve a good culture and also keeps a good relationship between Waseda University And Panyapiwat Institute of Management as well.
Finally I would like to say thank you to Ogihara Sensi for warmly welcoming us and providing us the opportunity to be a part of fabulous event.
Nurse, Panyapiwat Institute of Management University(PIM), Thailand
This is the first time that I do Chichibu Ondo dance, so I was excited and happy to be part of this festival.
ดิฉันรู้สึกสนุกและตื่นเต้นมาก เพราะนี่เป็นครั้งเเรกเลยค่ะที่ได้เต้น Chichibu Ondo และดีใจมากๆที่ได้เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของกิจกรรมนี้ค่ะ
Aom, Panyapiwat Institute of Management University(PIM), Thailand
I’m sorry that i can’t continue your activity because i have to go my work to day. But it was a lot of fun in video conference .
Jay, Panyapiwat Institute of Management University(PIM), Thailand
Congratulations on holding the first online Chichibu Ondo Festival today. It's a great idea, and I'm glad I could join this too. That atmosphere was a good opportunity to meet all the people I haven't seen in a while and get closer to Japanese traditional culture. I was impressed that my daughter next door was enjoying the Chichibu Ondo dance.We would like to thank everyone involved in the realization of the Chichibu Ondo Festival, despite the effects of the coronavirus this year. Let's meet safely next year next year.
Samal Kadikova, Kazakhstan
It was a lot of fun to participate in the online Chichibu Ondo Festival.
At first I thought I couldn't dance, but as I practiced, I learned how to move. It was a very good exercise. I will continue to practice regularly. The smiles of everyone who participated were wonderful. I pray for next year's event in Minano Town.
Maral, Kazakhstan
It was a pity we couldn't hold the annual Chichibu Ondo Festival, but it was a lot of fun to be able to dance the Chichibu Ondo with everyone in the world in a new way!
I look forward to dancing with you all next year as well, "Online! And come to Minano Town!"!!
Mr. Nohara, Minano Town Office
