Awa Odori: Tokushima’s Dance Festival, Dates, Where to Watch and How to Join In

On a mid-August night in Tokushima, the streets fill with the sound of shamisen, drums and bells, and thousands of dancers move past in long, swaying lines. People on the curb clap along, and now and then a dancer waves a spectator into the procession. This is Awa Odori, the dance festival of Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, and it is one of the liveliest ways to spend a summer evening in Japan.

What is Awa Odori?

Awa Odori is a huge dance festival held in the streets of Tokushima, and it is described as the largest dance festival in Japan. It is less a show on a stage than a citywide party in which the whole town becomes the dance floor. The crowds are large, with over 540 thousand tourists attending every year.

Its origin is popularly told as a story of a great celebration. In 1586, Lord Hachisuka Iemasa is said to have hosted a drunken party for the opening of Tokushima Castle, and out of that night grew the festival as an independent, citywide dance party. Whatever the exact truth, the spirit of the thing has stayed the same: loose, loud and shared.

The ren and their music

The dancing is organized into groups called ren, choreographed teams of dancers and musicians who move through the streets of Tokushima together. Each ren travels with its own band, and the music is typically built from the shamisen (a three-stringed instrument), taiko drums, the shinobue (a bamboo flute) and the kane, a small bell.

Standing by the route, you hear the rhythm arrive well before the dancers do. The beat is steady and driving, and it is easy to see why people start clapping without meaning to. Each ren passes in a wave of matching costumes, and the next one follows right behind.

Nagashi by day, Zomeki by night

The festival has two moods. During the daytime, the dancers perform a restrained dance called Nagashi, which has a measured, flowing feel. At night, the dancers switch to Zomeki, a frenzied dance with far more energy, and the atmosphere in the streets changes with it.

If you want to see both sides, it helps to know that the festival is not one single mood. The same procession can feel like a graceful parade in daylight and a loud, whirling celebration after dark.

Men’s and women’s dance

Men and women dance in different styles at Awa Odori, and you can tell the two apart as the lines go by. Children and adolescents of both sexes usually dance the men’s dance. That means a ren often includes young dancers moving alongside adults, which adds to the family feel of the whole event.

When and where is it held?

Awa Odori is held every year from 12 to 15 August in Tokushima Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku. The dancing takes place in the streets of Tokushima, where the ren move through the city over those days. Because the dates are fixed, the festival lands in the middle of the summer travel season in Japan.

Tokushima, the home of the festival

The original and the largest version of the festival is the one in Tokushima itself. Here the dance is tied to the city’s history, from the story of Tokushima Castle to the neighborhoods that field their own ren. For anyone who wants to see Awa Odori as it is meant to be seen, this is the place.

The sheer scale is part of the appeal. With more than 540 thousand tourists coming each year, the city is given over to the festival for the four days. Planning around those dates is wise, since the whole town is focused on the dancing.

Koenji in Tokyo

You do not have to travel to Shikoku to see an Awa Dance Festival. Koenji, an area of Tokyo, holds one modeled on Tokushima’s. It was started in 1956 by urban migrants from Tokushima Prefecture, who brought their hometown tradition with them to the capital.

It is the second largest Awa Dance Festival in Japan. For a traveler based in Tokyo, it offers a way to catch the same music and the same style of dance without crossing the country, though Tokushima remains the home of the festival.

Other summer dance festivals

Awa Odori is not the only festival where visitors are invited to dance. The Gujo Odori Festival in Gifu runs from July to September and offers ten dances to learn, which makes it a different kind of experience, one built around learning the steps. If your trip stretches across summer, the two festivals pair naturally as two ways of seeing Japan dance.

Can visitors take part?

Yes, visitors can often join in, since spectators at Awa Odori are frequently encouraged to take up the dance themselves. The festival is built on the idea that the street belongs to everyone, and the line between performers and onlookers is thin. A dancer may well pull you in from the sidelines.

Joining the dance

The invitation is part of the tradition, not an exception to it. As a ren passes, you may see dancers beckoning to the crowd, and people step off the curb to follow along. You do not need to know the choreography in advance, because the movements repeat and the music carries you.

It helps to pay attention to which dance you are watching. The restrained Nagashi of the daytime and the frenzied Zomeki of the night ask for different energy, and the men’s and women’s styles differ too.

If you would rather watch

Joining in is encouraged, not required. People spend the evening on the sidelines, taking in the passing ren, the costumes and the sound of the shamisen, taiko, shinobue and kane. Watching a few groups go by gives a good sense of how the festival is organized before you decide whether to step in.

Children and teenagers of both sexes usually dance the men’s dance, so younger travelers who want to try it will find that it is a familiar part of the festival. Whether you dance or watch, the experience is shared with the crowd around you.

Good to know before you go

Awa Odori falls in the heart of the Japanese summer, so expect warm, busy days and a festival that takes over the city. Because the dates are fixed, from August 12 to 15, accommodation in Tokushima is worth thinking about early. Bring a sense of rhythm, or at least a willingness to clap along, and take the invitation when a dancer offers it.