![]() ![]() Bizan Ropeway which gives a great view of the city.Īddress: Tokushima ken Tokushima-shi Shimomachi Bridge 2 - chome 20 No.Awaodori is the result of crossbreeding a male Shamo chicken and other superb chicken breeds. The ticketing office also has bundled fees which allow you to enjoy the performances, packaged with entrance fees to the Awa Odori Festival Museum and a two-way ride to the Mt. The performances have English and Chinese translations available. However, if you’d really like to savor and immerse yourself in the experience, you can reserve seats for scheduled performances via the Awa Odori Kaikan office. So if you’re feeling the dance fever getting to you, embrace it and don’t be shy! There are also areas outside the main stages of the dance parade that invite everyone - and we mean everyone - to dance along. Tourists can watch the dance parade from the sidelines for free. How to join the Awa Odori Festival as a tourist The dance parade usually starts at 6 PM, and lasts late into the evening.Īlong the vicinity of the festival, food stalls and game stands are also present for guests to check out. The event has also evolved over the years, modernizing along with the times. People who play traditional instruments like taiko, shamisen (a guitar-like instrument), flute, and the like also join to serve as accompaniment for the dancers. Men, on the other hand, wear happi (a light cotton coat) paired with shorts. ![]() Women dancers wear a white yukata (light cotton kimono often worn in the summer) matched with amigasa (a woven grass hat). One of the songs associated with Awa Odori is called Awa Yoshikono which has a phrase, “Fools dance and fools watch, if both are fools, you might as well dance.” It gives a positive spin on the sentiment, welcoming any participant who would like to join, skilled dancer or not, to participate and have fun dancing together. People who play traditional instruments also participate.Dancers are divided into groups called ‘ren’. ![]() Women dancers wear a white yukata and an amigasa men wear happi and shorts.The event references a popular Awa Odori song called Awa Yoshikono.‘Awa’ came from the feudal name of Tokushima Prefecture while ‘odori’ means dance. However, it wasn’t until later in the Showa Period (1926 to 1989) that the term ‘Awa Odori’ was coined. In 1578, a historical record cites feudal lord Sogo Masayasu holding a Furyu dance at Syouzui Castle in Tokushima.Īll theories are widely accepted, marking the history of Awa Odori Festival roughly 400+ years old. The way Awa Odori is danced by several groups is quite similar to the Furyu dance. Lastly, there’s the Furyu dance origin story. This partially intersects with the first theory, as Bon Odori is held in Tokushima Castle. The other theory is it’s inspired by Bon Odori, the traditional dance done to commemorate one’s ancestors during Obon season. Photo by 663highland under Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 3.0 This is believed to have evolved into the event we know of today. As a result, people, regardless of social status, got drunk and ended up happily singing and dancing all over town. Feudal lord Hachisuka Iemasa is said to have given out sake to the citizens of the city to celebrate the completion of the Tokushima Castle. There are a few legends tied to the history of the Awa Odori Festival. Theories about Awa Odori Festival’s history Wondering about what prompted this joyous celebration and how to join the Awa Odori Festival yourself as a tourist? The festival is known for closing down streets to make way for dancing, where groups (called ren) ranging from amateurs to seasoned dancers join the event. It’s held every 12 to 15 August during Obon season, the time of the year when the deceased are said to revisit their living relatives. ![]() The Awa Odori Festival in Tokushima is one of Japan’s biggest and most fun summer festivities, attracting approximately 1.3 million visitors annually. Dance Your Heart Out at Awa Odori Festival ![]()
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