100% Cotton.

44-45 inches Wide.

Half Yard Increments: 18 Inches.

(You will receive one continuous piece for multiple purchases).

This dramatic design features a typical bon dance, a traditional Japanese dance that is performed late June through August every year. The festival is a time when ancestors who have passed on are remembered and appreciated. The dancers wear authentic kimonos and dance around the "yagura", or elevated stage where singers and musicians take turns playing the traditional bamboo flutes, hand gongs, shamisen and taiko drums. Upbeat music is played in order to welcome the ancestor's souls and create a warm, inviting environment for the dancers.

This tradition is usually held at night, because it is widely believed that the ancestors' souls come back when the sun goes down. Although the dances seem simple in movement, they are performed with a lot of force and tenacity, creating energy that attracts the ancestors. The dances are performed int he serene Buddhist temples or in large open spaces or parks. Colorful paper lanterns are hung to help beckon the spirits of the ancestors.

14 1/2 inch repeat.

Wooden yagura is approximately 4 inches.