Tomohiko Sato, 51, works for a PR company by day and is a Bon dancer by night. Living in Tokyo, for more than a decade he has spent his summers attending hundreds of dance events, particularly during o-Bon, and promoting them on his social media accounts. He may even be Japan¡¯s first-ever ¡°Bon-bassador.¡±
1. You once said that your job is your ¡°life work¡± and the Bon dance is your ¡°soul work.¡± What did you mean by that? A job is something you need to make a living. My job is PR work but, since encountering Bon dance, I¡¯ve found a new purpose in life. It¡¯s my ¡°soul work.¡±
2. What was your first experience with the Bon dance? It was in August 2011 at the Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple Bon Dance Festival. I had a friend who really liked the Bon dance and went to this festival to understand why he liked it so much. I got hooked on it that day and went to 20 different Bon dance events that year. The following year, I went to Gujo Hachiman Castle in Gifu Prefecture where they pull all-nighters for four days to perform the Bon dance. I went there without booking a hotel, danced until the morning and returned home.
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