Rice Riots at Coal Pits (Yama) #8 (Bon Dancing)
1958 - 1963

Yama no Kome-sodo #8 (Bon Odori)
[Rice Riots at Coal Pits (Yama) #8 (The Bon Dancing)]
20.9 x 30.2 cm Ink Painting

Peculiar to this area, during the Bon Festival by the lunar calendar, the people in the Buzen area (Tagawa) of the Chikuho region enjoyed Bon dancing called Uchiwa Bon Odori with fans in their hands. Included among the dancers were a number of people from outside of pits. Because the police prohibited 10 people or more to gather together after the military suppressed the riots in every area, it was a strict time when we were unable to hold the Bon festivals. In spite of this prohibition, young people did not stop the Bon dancing because they had taken the trouble to practice for it very hard. They danced, dreading when the police would come, and ran away rapidly as soon as they saw policemen appear.

Additional Notes
By the time of the Bon Festival, the ringleader of the rioters, Saburo Asahina [the ringleader's nickname after a very strong samurai in the Kamakura period (1192-1333)], was arrested and the other ringleaders had already disappeared from the pits in this area.

Lyrics of the Kudoki Song Used for a Bon Festival Dance
Suzuki Mondo to yu samurai wa, koryaa sassa no dokkoi sanosaa...
A samurai named Mondo Suzuki, koryaa sassa no dokkoi sanosaa (Interjected chants)...

Watcher: "Here they (the police) come!"


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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