![]() ![]() ![]() Children sometimes perform along with adults, but there are also children-only groups and adult-only groups. Many groups include both men and women, who perform the two different steps, although sometimes everyone does the men’s dance. The women’s dance is supposed to be elegant and harmonious, with beautiful tiptoe steps, and aims to display the glamorous flexibility of the dancers, but the men’s dance is variously described as displaying dignified elegance, liveliness, or wildness. There are different steps for men and women. The Awaodori dance is also known as the fools’ dance, due to the lyrics of the accompanying song: ‘The dancers are fools The watchers are fools Both are fools alike so Why not dance?’ Some groups strictly follow the traditional dance moves and accompanying music, but others prefer to innovate. They’re accompanied by musicians playing lively music, many of whom dance themselves. The groups of dancers advance along a straight line, performing the Awaodori dance as they go. The original event took place in a shopping arcade next to the station, but its huge size means that eight more parade routes have been added, so the total performance space is now about five kilometres long. Koenji Awaodori started as a small local festival in 1957, but it now attracts dance groups from all over Japan. As I’ve never been to Tokushima myself, I’m going to write about the Koenji event instead. If you are interested in the Tokushima event, check out the official website (in Japanese), or the Japan National Tourism Organization’s guide. Nowadays, it’s even bigger than the one in Tokyo, being attended by 1.3 million spectators. These women are playing the shamisen, a kind of three-stringed lute. No-one is really sure if the legend is true or not, but there has certainly been an annual Awaodori festival in Tokushima for hundreds of years. This resulted in drunken people dancing in the streets, and inventing a new dance in the process. Legend has it that the dance form emerged spontaneously after Lord Hachisuka Iemasa distributed free sake (rice wine) to celebrate the completion of Tokushima Castle in 1586. Over the course of the weekend, 1.2 million people come to watch and take part in the festivities.Īwaodori is a traditional form of dance that originated over 400 years ago in Tokushima on the island of Shikoku. 12,000 dancers and musicians from almost 200 dance groups parade along the streets of the neighbourhood. Held every summer on the last Saturday and Sunday of August in the Koenji district of Tokyo, the Awaodori is a dance festival of almost unimaginable scale. ![]() In all, the Hyottoko group has 100 members, including men and children. Women dancers from the Hyottoko dance group, dressed in traditional straw hats and yukata. Only in Japan: Products you’ll find nowhere else.Always check official sites before heading to an event. ( JC Team) Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. The quickest way from Kōbe to Tokushima is by bus From Shin-Kōbe Station, the journey takes approximately 2 hours and 8 minutes. Another option is to do a day trip from Kōbe or Osaka on the mainland. The festival is said to attract 1.3 million visitors, so if you intend to stay nearby, you should book well in advance. There are also some handy tours departing from Osaka that include tickets to the event. Tickets for the reserved seats range from about ¥ 2,000 to ¥ 6,000 in price and can be purchased in advance at the Information Center in front of Tokushima Station, at local convenience stores, or on the official website. The main dances are performed from the 12th to 15th, but the Evening Selection is held on the night of the 11th. Dancing takes place in the street (which can be viewed for free - such as at Ryogoku Honmachi Shopping Street) and at several stages and arenas with reserved seating. The streets of central Tokushima City are closed to traffic each evening of the festival. Many of the female dancers wear distinctive hats resembling folded tacos which are made from tatami. There are a variety of styles of dress for men and women, and they typically dance separately or together in large choreographed groups. The festival was renowned as a raucous and drunken event, and over the years a distinctive dance style emerged. Awa was the pre-Meiji name for the area in which Tokushima city is located. The dance festival ( odori means dance) has its origins as a summer obon festival. It takes place in Tokushima - a prefecture on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Awa Odori is rated by many as Japan’s top summer festival.
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