So I’ve read a bit about Japanese Festivals like the Bon festival and Tanabata to just name some and i really like them and I want to celebrate them. Now I’m not Japanese so would it be wrong for me to do so?
Yes. That would be racism and cultural appropriation.
Hmm I don’t think it’s a matter of good or bad, it’s more that you kinda can’t? What makes festivals special is that they are celebrated by lots of people at a given time. You couldn’t really celebrate them by yourself.
For instance, tanabata is special because lots of people around you tie wishes to certain bamboo plants and pray for the lovers to meet at this one time of the year. You can look at the sky on that day and hope the lovers meet this year, but that’s pretty much it.
Bon is less of a celebration and more of a time for people going back to visit and clean their ancestors’ graves. There are dancing festivals taking place at that time, but that’s not something you can really celebrate by yourself either.
If there is a Japanese community near you though and they do celebrate, they most likely will let people know if they can come. I have a friend from the community in Japantown in San Francisco and everyone seems to be welcome to their events, but I could be wrong. When I lived in Vancouver, the Japanese cultural center organized a big summer festival and they invited visitors to take part in the dancing, try Japanese street food, watch Japanese singing, etc.
Sorry to be a bummer op, but at least there’s a lot of exciting stuff you can learn online about those celebrations and maybe you can plan a trip to an event eventually?
I lived in Tokushima during Awa Adori. They wanted me to dance in it, but I refused because I can’t dance, but lots of other white people did. They were glad we were there to celebrate with them.
My sister and I also ended up in Gion in Kyoto during Obon (completely by mistake) and she was wearing a yukata. The locals kept telling us that they were glad we were there and how much they loved here yukata.
Cultural appropriation is a western concept and very few Japanese people subscribe to it. They would feel honored that you are interested in their culture and want to learn about it.
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Yes. That would be racism and cultural appropriation.
Hmm I don’t think it’s a matter of good or bad, it’s more that you kinda can’t?
What makes festivals special is that they are celebrated by lots of people at a given time. You couldn’t really celebrate them by yourself.
For instance, tanabata is special because lots of people around you tie wishes to certain bamboo plants and pray for the lovers to meet at this one time of the year. You can look at the sky on that day and hope the lovers meet this year, but that’s pretty much it.
Bon is less of a celebration and more of a time for people going back to visit and clean their ancestors’ graves. There are dancing festivals taking place at that time, but that’s not something you can really celebrate by yourself either.
If there is a Japanese community near you though and they do celebrate, they most likely will let people know if they can come. I have a friend from the community in Japantown in San Francisco and everyone seems to be welcome to their events, but I could be wrong.
When I lived in Vancouver, the Japanese cultural center organized a big summer festival and they invited visitors to take part in the dancing, try Japanese street food, watch Japanese singing, etc.
Sorry to be a bummer op, but at least there’s a lot of exciting stuff you can learn online about those celebrations and maybe you can plan a trip to an event eventually?
I lived in Tokushima during Awa Adori. They wanted me to dance in it, but I refused because I can’t dance, but lots of other white people did. They were glad we were there to celebrate with them.
My sister and I also ended up in Gion in Kyoto during Obon (completely by mistake) and she was wearing a yukata. The locals kept telling us that they were glad we were there and how much they loved here yukata.
Cultural appropriation is a western concept and very few Japanese people subscribe to it. They would feel honored that you are interested in their culture and want to learn about it.