1.
Awa Odori, the Tokushima dance festival
The Bon dance festival of Tokushima city on Shikoku, once the province of Awa, held August 12–15. Groups of dancers parade through the streets to shamisen, drums, flutes, and bells in a lively two-beat rhythm; also the dance itself.
Common expressions
- 踊る阿呆に見る阿呆、同じ阿呆なら踊らな損損: "The dancers are fools and the watchers are fools; if we're all fools, we may as well dance!" — the festival's famous chant
- 連: a dance troupe
- 男踊り / 女踊り: the men's bold, crouching style / the women's graceful style in straw hats
Cultural note
Awa Odori events are also held elsewhere, most famously in Tokyo's 高円寺 each August.