The Awa Odori Matsuri would be held next week as part of the Obon festival in Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku in Japan. For Today’s Japan Photo, we take a look at the opening ceremony dance.
Awa Odori is the largest dance festival in Japan, attracting over 1.3 million tourists every year. Groups of choreographed dancers and musicians known as ren (連) dance through the streets, typically accompanied by the shamisen lute, taiko drums, shinobue flute and the kane bell. Performers wear traditional obon dance costumes, and chant and sing as they parade through the streets.
Image Credit: MSN Sankei
