It's called Awa odori (dance), and people gather from across the nation from August 12 to 15 both to dance and watch. There's a unique type of dancing that's performed in the area around Tokushima City on the island of Shikoku. The Awa-odori effects even last a couple of days as simply humming the traditional and infectious festival song is sure to bring happiness and a lighthearted feeling.The Whole City and Visitors Enjoy Festive Dance And it is only natural, as the participants’ performance and the overall cheerfulness are guarantees to spend a very good evening.
Koenji Awa-Odori is one of the most popular matsuri in the capital, with about one million spectators over the two days it lasts. The thrift stores and other vintage shops of the area also take the opportunity to display their merchandise. "Erayatcha, erayatcha, yoi yoi yoi yoi!" and "Yatto-saa! Yatto-saa!" are shoutings to encourage the dancers, without specific meaning.Īs for every festival in Japan, food and drinks stalls are every where along the streets and at the entrance of sacred grounds, such as Koenji Hikawa shrine. It's a fool who dances and a fool who watches if both are fools, you might as well dance! Odoru ahouni miru ahou onaji ahounara odorana sonson! In the smaller secondary streets, one can follow the dance groups and dance as well to the traditional festival tune: The ambiance at Koenji Awa-Odori is particularly joyful and hearty.
A funny old man wiggling at the end of the parade and stealing the show with his moves.Ī festival characterized by collective enthusiasm.Little Japanese children doing their best to dance and imitate the adults’ movements,.Men sprinting like crazy when the music starts,.To the sound of taiko drums, shamisen lutes and flutes, various sophisticated choreography are performed, that are lively, sometimes funny or endearing. Light happi jacket and tabi footwear for men.Colorful yukata, geta clogs and plaited hats for women,.Note however that it is necessary to arrive in advance, unless one don’t mind disturbing the crowd and have people grumbling.
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To better enjoy the show, the best is to find a seat at a cafe with an elevated terrace, or to make one’s way through the crowd to secure a free spot on the side of the road. The groups successively parade until 8 p.m., and spectators can watch from the sides of the large Konen Dori avenue, that stretches toward south until Shin-Koenji subway station. The festival can be observed as soon as getting off the train at Koenji station, from 5 p.m. Music and Awa-odori dance parade in the evening Amateur groups, who have honed their show all year long, represent a neighborhood, an association, a club or a company. Some are professionals, famous Ren that perform throughout Japan. Today, many Ren groups, including musicians and dancers, men, women and sometimes children, participate in this great yearly event. It thus became the most important festival in Tokyo regarding Awa-odori performances.
#Awa odori professional
The festival finally gained credentials and was officially named Koenji Awa-Odori six years later, thanks to the involvement of professional dancers and traditional dance specialists. Koenji’s yearly festival began in 1957 and was then named Koenji Baka Odori, which means "the fools’ dance at Koenji". The legend has it that the city dwellers drank too much and started to dance and play music in the streets.Ī recent matsuri but deeply rooted in tradition Awa-odori later became synonym to a neighborhood festival, when in 1586, lord Iemasa Hachisuka organized a huge banquet and offered a lot of alcohol to celebrate the completion of Tokushima’s castle. The festival focuses on the traditional dance, whose origins can be traced to O-bon, a Buddhist ritual held to celebrate the return of the deceased in the world of the living for a few days.
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