Awa Odori Dance

A traditional Obon dance from Tokushima Prefecture with over 400 years of history. Famous for its catchphrase about fools dancing and watching fools. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from across Japan every August, making it one of Japan's largest dance festivals. Dancers form groups called ren and perform in a distinctive formation.

A large-scale folk dance festival that evolved from Tokushima's Obon tradition. Thousands of dancers organized into groups perform complex formations in coordinated movements, creating a magnificent spectacle. Evolved from an Edo-era community event into contemporary tourism-oriented performance art, it attracts over 800,000 visitors annually. The unified movements and coordinated chanting of thousands of dancers exemplify collective artistic expression and the vitality of Japanese folk traditions, demonstrating how ancient practices remain socially meaningful and artistically dynamic.

A traditional Japanese dance performed during the Obon period to honor ancestral spirits. Typically danced in circles around a raised platform (yagura), each region has its own unique dances and music. Also held in overseas Japanese communities, it is cherished as a participatory tradition for experiencing Japanese culture.

An all-female musical theater troupe founded in 1914. Distinguished by its otokoyaku (male-role) and musumeyaku (female-role) system, it stages spectacular musicals and revues. With its unique star system and passionate fan culture, it occupies a singular position in Japanese entertainment history.

A traditional Japanese storytelling art where a single performer sits on a cushion using only a fan and towel to enact stories. Established in the Edo period, it features the technique of portraying multiple characters through masterful narration. English rakugo and young performers are recently attracting new audiences.

A festival dance originating in Kochi Prefecture, characterized by dancing with naruko (wooden clappers). The Kochi Yosakoi Festival, started in 1954, spread nationwide due to its flexibility allowing free choreography and costumes, evolving uniquely in each region including the 'YOSAKOI Soran Festival.'