Awa Dance Festival

Awa- Odori is a type of Traditional Japanese dance. The word "Odori" means "Dance" in Japanese. The Awa festival is the largest dance festival in Japan.  From August 12th-15th millions of people come out and celebrate a tradition similar to the "Day of the Dead" in Mexico, in which the spirits of dead ancestors are honored.  Similarly, for these three days, people process through the streets, singing and dancing in order to honor the spirits of the deceased. Awa Odori began in Tokushima City in eastern Shikoku, although it is practiced in many other cities including Kanagawa in Yokohama City, and Tokyo.  It is quite common for the dancers to appear drunk or tipsy due to the awkward angle of their steps. Many times the dancers will make funny faces and act very silly while dancing,even tying  bandannas around the face to make them appear more silly.

Some Fun Pictures of the Festival in Kanagawa 

Tokyo 

Festival Origins 

The awa festival originated as priestly Japanese dances to celebrate the harvest. Awa-odori is believed to have begun in Tokushima when the Lord of the Awa Province hosted a giant drunken celebration at Tokushima Castle.  During this celebration those participating played  musical instruments and sang lyrical songs.

Traditional Features

A. Dancing

     1. Styles

          a) Nagashi: slow paced; done usually at the beginning

            b) Zomeki: fast paced, done usually at the end

http://video.google.com/videosearch?um=1&hl=en&q=awa-odori+dances&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#

 Singing

 Awa-odori also has tradtitional music and songs that accompany the festival itself. Many of these songs are lyrical or are chanted.  THe singing is often accompanied by the shamasen or the baiwa; stringed instraments similar to the guitar or banjo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb1EQ0g1gs0

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9NuzF6Jcdg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_LMwqCbl5Y