Japanese traditional dance

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There are two types of Japanese traditional dance: Odori, which originated in the Edo period, and Mai, which originated in the western part of Japan. Odori grew out of Kabuki drama and is more oriented toward male sentiments. Mai is traditionally performed in Japanese rooms instead of on the stage. It was influenced by the Noh Drama.

A variation of the Mai style of Japanese dance is the Kyomai or Kyoto Style Dance. Kyomai developed in the 17th century Tokugawa cultural period. It is heavily influenced by the elegance and sophistication of the manners often associated with the Imperial Court in Kyoto.

Another famous dance in Japan is the Obon dance, called "Bon Odori" (盆踊り) in Japanese. People dance the Obon during the Obon Festival, held every summer in districts and neighborhoods in every city in Japan. Obon is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one's ancestors.('_') It is believed that each year during obon, the ancestors' spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives.

The Sparrow dance, called Suzume Odori (雀踊り), is a dance based upon the fluttering movements of the tree sparrow. It was first performed, improvised, by stonemasons who were constructing Sendai Castle for the daimyo Date Masamune. The emblem of the Date clan incorporates two tree sparrows. The Sparrow dance is now performed yearly in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture at the Aoba festival in mid-May^[1]. School children in Miyagi prefecture learn and perform the Sparrow dance, especially during the Obon Festival.

A newer dance, So-ran Bushi, is a new sort of Japanese traditional dance that fuses traditional Japanese movement with a modern rock beat.