The 53rd Tokyo Koenji Awaodori

The Tokyo Koenji Awaodori is the second largest Awa-dance festival in the nation next to the one in Tokushima, where the dance festival is originally from. The festival in Koenji began in 1957 as a new event by a youth group that the local business association had just established. As volunteer members visited Tokushima and learned authentic Awa dance, local dance groups began to form and the level of dancers dramatically improved. The event has continued to grow and today attracts 1.2 million visitors every year, known as one of three major summer festivals in Tokyo along with the Sumida River Fireworks Festival and Asakusa Samba Carnival. 12 performance areas are established from the north side of Koenji Station to the south side along the Konan Dori Avenue to provide over 10,000 dancers from 70 teams with a stage on which to perform their dance. A combination of elegant female dancers, dynamic male dancers, and the swinging rhythms of noisemakers will captivate many first-time visitors with heat and passion.