Far away from urban settings in both form and spirit, here is the hiddenJapan once thought to exist no more. It’s September 1st in the village of Yatsuomachi, and time for the annual Kaze no Bon (Dance of the Wind) Festival. Gracefully meandering dancers and musicians fill the streets for three days and nights to performfolk songs in what appears to be slow motion. And some participants parade wherever their whim takes them until the break of dawn. Here is the quintessential rural Japan, personified by a celebration of life and nature.