Tokushima Prefecture 《Awa Odori》 One of the world's leading Bon Odori festivals with a history of 400 years
徳島県の阿波踊りは、400年の歴史を持つ有名な盆踊り大会です。 日本文化に不可欠な阿波踊りのような祭りは、この国の伝統についてのユニークな洞察を提供します。 「阿波踊り」は戦後、古い「盆踊り」に代わって普及しました。 お盆の踊りから始まり、制約の中で進化して現在の形になりました。 現代の阿波踊りでは、踊り手が伝統楽器のリズムに合わせて動きます。 8月12日から15日まで開催されるこのフェスティバルでは、日頃の練習の成果や各グループの個性が反映されたパフォーマンスが繰り広げられ、多くの観客を魅了します。(English) The Awa Odori festival in Tokushima Prefecture is a renowned Bon Odori festival with a 400-year history. Integral to Japanese culture, festivals like Awa Odori offer unique insights into the nation's traditions. "Awa Odori" was popularized post-war, replacing the older "Bon Odori" term. Originating from dances during the Obon festival, it evolved amidst restrictions to its current form. Modern Awa Odori involves dancers moving to the rhythms of traditional instruments. The festival, held from 12th to 15th August, attracts vast crowds, with performances reflecting daily practice and individuality among groups.
Tokushima Prefecture （Awa Odori） One of the world's leading Bon Odori festivals with a 400-year history - Japanese festivals you should know again
A)
Festivals have long been a part of Japanese life, representing the climate and culture of the country. Many festivals are open to tourists, allowing them to share the same experience as the locals. You can also learn about Japanese culture and history by taking part. Travelling for festivals will give you a unique experience you can't get on a routine trip.
This time we will introduce you to Awa Odori, a traditional performing art that Tokushima boasts to the world and which is said to have a history of over 400 years. Let's look at the origins and history of Awa Odori and the festival's highlights.
* 2023 will be held from Saturday, 12th to Tuesday, 15th of August. See bottom of article for details
B)
Naruto Strait is Tokushima's speciality. And in summer, Awa Odori is the most popular dance.
However, it is not well known that the name "Awa Odori" is surprisingly recent. Although unclear, the Awa Odori festival, which had its prototype in the early Edo period, was called "Bon Odori" for a long time.
In the early Showa period, a local historian, Koro Hayashi, suggested that it would be better to use the term "Awa Odori", which had been used in some circles since the Taisho period. It was only after the war that the name "Awa Odori" became established.
C)
The power of the ordinary people explodes! A great rave considered dangerous by the superiors
There are various theories about the origins of Awa Odori, and none of them has definitive proof. Still, it is known that in the early Edo period, the ordinary people in this area danced enthusiastically during the Obon festival. There seems to be no doubt about it.
In the "Miyoshiki", a record of the rise and fall of the Miyoshi clan who ruled Awa from the end of the Sengoku period, it is recorded that in 1573 the feudal lord watched the elegant dances of the ordinary people in the castle town.
Furyu, "Refined beauty" Odori is what we now call a costume procession that became very popular during the Sengoku period. During the Obon season, groups in cities and villages form a formation, sing popular songs and play flutes and drums as they travel to other areas and dance. In other areas where this elegant dance has been performed, they also serve a graceful dance.
Going to another place to complete the sleek dance was called "Refined beauty, Create a relationship between sophisticated beauty and objects'', going out and performing the graceful dance in return was called "return''. It is said that the origin of "Refined beauty" odori is to take the god of plague out of the area where they live and pay him, and naturally, the people who are brought in take the god of plague with them.
It is said that the repetition of "to another place'', "to give back'', "to another place'' and "to return'' spread like wildfire, resulting in large-scale Furyu Odori during the Obon period.
This was not limited to Awa but was also very popular in Kyoto and other places, and people who were enthusiastic about dancing even rushed to the Imperial Palace.
Fearing that the enthusiasm of the ordinary people would turn into riots, restrictions such as "Don't form large groups'' and "Don't do ostentatious things'' were issued several times during the Edo period. Each time, Awa Odori evolved by avoiding these restrictions.
D)
Dancers gather several times the local population, the World's Leading Bon Dance Competition.
The mainstream of modern Awa Odori is to shake hands in unique movements to the simple rhythms of the shamisen and taiko drums.
This is one of the devices that emerged in the Edo period due to restrictions on ostentatious festivals, where more than 100 people gathered in each town and competed in eccentric dances. As soon as I saw it, I could join in by imitating what I saw.
Tokushima City's Awa Odori is held from 12 to 15 August, when people many times the size of Tokushima's population gather to perform the dances they practise daily. Box seats in the performance hall, where the dances of many groups (ren) can be slowly appreciated, are the premium tickets fought for every year. In recent years, there have also been stage performances by famous ren.
People from other prefectures who are fascinated by Awa Odori also hold Awa Odori in their regions from July to September. For example, Tokyo alone has 20 to 30 annual Awa Odori events. It is a great pleasure for us to do this.
E)
Behold! The results of daily practice are shining, dance in perfect order
As mentioned above, one of the attractions of Awa Odori is that it is not very complicated. However, acquiring the ideal movement as a ren is not a matter of life and death. Awa Odori is divided into men's and women's dance, and the basics are to lower the hips and move the right and left hands out simultaneously.
The man wraps his head in a towel, and the woman wears a woven hat. The tune is Yoshiko Bushi, which was popular in the Edo period. Not only is the choreography slightly different for each ren, but the speed also has individuality. The difference will be the highlight.
F)
Sound of Awa Odori
Musical instruments that play the unique music of Awa Odori are collectively called 'Narimono(Musical instruments)'. Based on a combination of gongs, hand drums, taiko drums, large taiko drums, flutes and shamisen, some hayashi is played to the light rhythm of the Awa Odori dance. The production is exquisitely arranged according to the dance style of the ren while preserving the traditional melody and competing for individuality.
G)
Awa Odori
12th to 15th August *Scheduled to be held from 12th (Sat) to 15th (Tue) August in 2023
The central area of Tokushima City
Executive Committee Secretariat to connect with the future of Awa Odori
https://www.awaodorimirai.com/
Tokushima Prefecture 《Awa Odori》 One of the world's leading Bon Odori festivals with a history of 400 years - Japanese festivals you should know again
https://discoverjapan-web.com/article/94608
Awa Odori 2023 Live Streaming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMCQ9mW-_nc
Awaodori in Tokushima, Japan 4K HDR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1W04B5qxBM
Sou(All) Odori - Awa Odori (Minamiuchi Enbujo/Part 2) 2023-08-12T21:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMw77AYlKa4&t=316s
[Official] 2023 Awa Odori_August 12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GXP-etSQFs&t=2558s
A situation where people overseas were instantly captivated by seeing Japan's strange dance [overseas reaction]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc_ST0ehTps
Asakusa Awa Odori 2023 - Awaodori in Asakusa Japan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Iiz6c7Sb0
Awa-Odori Paris 2015 - Awa Odori in Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOUlGdo149w
"Awa Odori" was held today as scheduled Mayor of Tokushima requested cancellation - on August 14
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/tokushima/20230814/8020018275.html