The story
Bon Odori Penang in George Town
Penang's Bon Odori festival brings Japanese Bon dance, taiko drumming, and cultural performances to the historic Esplanade in George Town, growing from small 1970s gatherings organized by the Japanese expatriate community into a major annual event drawing tens of thousands. It is held in collaboration with the Penang state government and local Japan-related organizations, typically in the middle of the year.
The Bon Odori festival took root in Penang in the 1970s, when the island's Japanese expatriate community began organizing small gatherings, initially at what is now Penang City Park, then known as Penang Youth Park, as a way to keep Japanese cultural traditions alive among their children living abroad.