Awa Odori

Awa dancing is so much more energetic than other styles of Japanese dancing that this festival has some claim to being Japan’s answer to the Rio Carnival. Dancers participate in teams of several dozen called ‘ren’ (and there have been over 800 ren in recent years). Unlike other Japanese dances associated with the summer Bon festival, awa requires dancers to keep their arms above shoulder height. The song of the festival runs, ‘It’s a fool who dances and a fool who watches; if both are fools, you might as well dance!’ Increasingly popular elsewhere in Japan, the chance to experience awa in its home region should not be missed.