Japanese Drill Team?!?!

After having dinner with some friends, Elyce and I came home to what seemed like a mini-parade in our neighborhood. There were drummers and dancers in the streets. A truck with a microphone and a loud speaker had someone singing and a couple guys playing some type of Japanese guitar. The drummers and dancers followed the truck throughout the neighborhood. Elyce and I had no idea what was going on, but it was entertaining for a few minutes. Lots of folks, Japanese and American came out of their homes to see this little festival that was marching through the streets. I asked Elyce, "What do you think it is? What do think they're singing and dancing about?" Elyce replied, "I don't know, they look like a Japanese Drill Team." So for the rest of the night we just called them the Japanese Drill Team. Well, this "Drill Team" carried on until about midnight. Take a look at the video I recorded and imagine two or three groups of these "teams" strolling through your neighborhood til midnight!
The next day I found out that this event is the annual Obon Festival. It's a way of paying respects to the deceased family members and celebrating their lives and wisdom.  More info on the Obon Holiday can be found here.