Awa-odori Dance is one of the most popular summer events of Japan. It's held in Tokushima Prefecture, next to my prefecture, Ehime, but I've never seen it live. I've heard that the origin of the dance dates back to the late Edo period, 18th century. There are other theories, of course, but it's true that the dance came from a rather old era. To add a comment, videos or photos didn't exist in those days and so the original melodies, rhythms, and movements don't accurately come down to the present. The movement of the present Awa-odori dance was designed to encourage disappointed people after World War 2nd.
The Awa-odori dance has two types of movement, which are called men-type, and women-type respectively. Men never dance in the women-type way, but women are allowed to dance in the men-type way. The movement of the dance is humorous or funny, but dynamic in men, and charming in women at the same time.
Tokushima City, the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture, is swarming with local people and lots of sightseers during the period of the dance, from Aug 12th to 15th. The hotels are naturally fully booked. I asked the travel agency to get a room on the final night in April far in advance and enjoyed the dance with my wife and daughters. It was a lot of fun.
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