No amount of heat, no matter how sweltering, seemed able to deter the long queue that had formed outside the Shah Alam National Sports Complex.

The initially controversial Bon Odori festival was in town for the first time in three years, and it appeared people of all stripes were more than happy to welcome it back.

Even though the gates were scheduled to open only at 4.30pm, many were already gathered outside the stadium, eager to enter.

The annual event has been organised in Malaysia since 1977 by various local Japanese groups with the backing of the Japanese embassy.

In Japan, Bon Odori is celebrated nationwide as a summer festival and, apparently, Malaysia’s festivities are the biggest outside its country of origin.

Many Malaysians came dressed in traditional Japanese outfits, including the full kimono getup with wooden slippers. Members of the local Japanese expatriate community were also in attendance.

In addition to visitors, the festival grounds and the surrounding area saw a heavy police presence, no doubt deployed to keep the peace.

Once the gates opened, streams of visitors began pouring in, largely in an orderly fashion thanks to the efforts of volunteers.

As was the case in 2019, in the centre of the field was the striped Kaguya, a stage on which performances and dances would be held.

Around it, many began laying down picnic mats or assembling foldable chairs to have a good view of the events. Others decided to make themselves comfortable in the stands, which offered an elevated view of the entire expanse.

It felt like the whole of Malaysia was represented here, with folks from all walks of life thronging the grounds. Some were with their friends, others on their own; many brought their families, some garbed in matching Japanese outfits.

Given that Bon Odori is meant to give Malaysians a glimpse into Japanese culture, it is not surprising that food-and-drink stalls were aplenty, lined up at the end of the field – about a dozen in total.

These stalls – largely selling treats such as sushi, bento, donburi and yakisoba, as well as drinks from Japanese brands – drew many hungry and thirsty attendees. While buying from these stalls was easy early on, once the crowds began to build, it was rather a struggle to queue up at all.

One particularly interesting stall sold Wagyu beef skewers, with each stick selling for about RM15, a pretty good price given how much that premium ingredient usually goes for.

Another stall sold refreshingly cold sakura and matcha ice-cream for RM1, which sold out rapidly thanks to the evening heat.

One stall even offered a range of local and Japanese books for bibliophiles to walk away with.

At the end of the row of stalls was one that allowed visitors to rent sets of Japanese kimonos, which many visitors did to take photos of themselves. The same stall also sold these kimonos, with a price tag to match the quality of the beautiful outfits.

At 7pm, the beating of the taiko drums atop the Kaguya began, signalling the beginning of the Bon Odori festival. Announcements, made in Japanese and English, welcomed organising committee chairman Dai Hoshiai to the stage.

In his speech, he thanked Malaysians for their continued support of the event over the past decades and wished everyone a good time.

Afterwards, the first of the iconic Bon Odori performances began, with youngsters from the Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur performing onstage.

In previous years, announcers had to invite members of the public to participate in the communal dance surrounding the Kaguya. This time around, no announcement had to be made as revellers eagerly joined in without having to be told, parading around the stage as they waved fans and hands in the air.

It was quite the spectacle that saw curious onlookers taking part themselves after observing fellow visitors having a good time.

The merriment went on until about 9.15pm, at which point the sea of people began to ebb as folks began going home.

Many stayed back for one final hurrah, though, and took the opportunity to join in the dance before the festival packed up for the year.

All in all, regardless of one’s thoughts on this cultural event, it was clearly something Malaysians welcomed and wholeheartedly enjoyed.

And with increased interest and attendance this year – an estimated 50,000 people took part in Saturday’s celebration – it is likely the Bon Odori festival is here to stay.