Awa Dance Festival
awa dance festival 阿波踊り awa odori held august part obon festival tokushima prefecture shikoku japan awa odori largest dance festival japan attracting million tourist every year group choreographed dancer musician known ren 連 dance street typically accompanied shamisen lute taiko drum shinobue flute kane bell performer wear traditional obon dance costume chant sing parade street awa old feudal administration name tokushima prefecture odori mean dance earliest origin dance style found japanese buddhist priestly dance nembutsuodori hijiodori kamakura period – also kumiodori lively harvest dance known last several day awa odori festival grew tradition bon odori danced part bon festival dead japanese buddhist celebration spirit deceased ancestor said visit living relative day year term awa odori used th century bon festivity tokushima famous size exuberance anarchy since th century awa odoris independent existence huge citywide dance party popularly believed begun lord hachisuka iemasa daimyō awa province hosted drunken celebration opening tokushima castle local consumed great amount sake began drunkenly weave stumble back forth others picked commonly available musical instrument began play simple rhythmic song reveler invented lyric lyric given song section article version event supported lyric first verse awa yoshikono bushi local version popular folk song praise hachisuka iemasa giving people awa odori quoted majority tourist brochure website however according local historian miyoshi shoichiro story first appeared mainichi shimbun newspaper article unsupported concrete evidence unclear whether song lyric written article appeared evidence festival history come edict issued tokushimahan feudal administration one dating bonodori may danced three day samurai forbidden attend public celebration may dance premise must keep gate shut quarrel argument misbehaviour allowed dancing bonodori prohibited temple ground suggests th century awas bonodori well established major event lasting three days—long enough major disruption normal functioning city implies samurai joined festival alongside peasant merchant disgracing brawling unseemly behaviour forbidden dancer spectator carry sword wooden otherwise dagger pole reveler prohibited dancing midnight dancer allowed wear head face covering suggesting serious public order concern meiji period – festival died tokushimas indigo trade financed festival collapsed due import cheaper chemical dye festival revitalised start shōwa period tokushima prefectural authority first coined name awa odori promoted region leading tourist attraction song associated awa odori called awa yoshikono localised version edo period popular song yoshikono bushi part sung others chanted origin melodic part traced kumamoto kyūshū awa version came ibaraki prefecture spread back nagoya kansai lyric first verse awa tono sama hachisukasama ga ima ni nokoseshi awa odoriwhat awas lord hachisuka left u present day awa odori song usually sung point parade dancer stop perform stationary dance — example street intersection front ticketed amplified stand set point around city every group singer dancer musician frequently break awa yoshikono chant parade street dancer also chant hayashi kotoba call response pattern ayattosa ayattosa hayaccha yaccha erai yaccha erai yaccha yoi yoi yoi yoi call semantic meaning help encourage dancer daytime restrained dance called nagashi performed night dancer switch frenzied dance called zomeki suggested lyric chant spectator often encouraged join dance men woman dance different style men’s dance right foot right arm forward touch ground toe step right foot crossing left leg repeated left leg arm whilst hand draw triangle air flick wrist starting different point men dance low crouch knee pointing outwards arm held shoulder womens dance us basic step although posture quite different restrictive kimono allows smallest step forward crisp kick behind hand gesture restrained graceful reaching towards sky woman usually dance tight formation poised end geta sandal child adolescent sex usually dance men dance recent year become common see adult woman especially dancing men style dance larger ren dance group also yakko odori kite dance usually involves one brightly dressed acrobatic dancer darting backwards forward turning cartwheel somersault freestyle choreography version male dancer crouch forming sinuous line representing string man end mime controlling kite kōenji area tokyo also awa dance festival modeled tokushimas started urban migrant tokushima prefecture second largest awa dance festival japan average group composed dancer attracting million visitor japanese production company tokyo story produced version awa odori paris bringing dancer japan order promote awa odori japanese matsuri culture abroad awa dance japanese movie starring nana eikura festival also prominently featured movie bizan starring matsushima nanako novel series anime golden time prominently feature lead cast member along friend college club japanese festival culture research society performing awa dance multiple time story poster representing popular anime character practicing awa dance also printed every year festival featured fatestay night example studio ghibli film heisei tanuki gassen ponpoko released pom poko englishspeaking country scene film tanuki use transformation magic put parade yokai part display includes procession tiny awa dancer tourism japan yosakoi miyoshi shōichirō tokushima hanshi tokuhon wisniewski mark awa odori trilogy awa life published topia tokushima prefecture international association de moraes wenceslau tokushima bon odori house ginevra dancing dead kyoto journal issue awa odori japan national tourist organization japan atlas festival japanese ministry foreign affair click awa odori koenji awa odori official site awa dance homepage wwwawaodorinet japanese awa odori blog japanese golden time official anime website awa dance homepage wwwawaodorinet english translation google awa odori webjapanorg dance fool awa odori festival japan wwwpilotguidescom archived wayback machine japanese line dance wwwcountrydancecom many picture dyeing dance english translation mark wisniewski official homepage tokyo ebisuren tokyobased classical style awa odori team english site contains picture video awa odorian awa odori related blog experienced performer english site contains picture behind scene insight awa odori paris home page awa odori paris english japanese site awadance koenji suiren official website english site contains picture information awa odori dance video japanese awa dance festival tokushima archived wayback machinenhk