Kagurazaka Awa Odori (traditional dance) Festival, 2026

Awa Odori is a traditional Japanese folk dance originating in Tokushima Prefecture, often performed during the Obon festival each August. Dancers move in lively processions called "ren," accompanied by shamisen, taiko drums, and flutes, chanting the famous refrain that translates to "the dancing fool and the watching fool are both fools, so you might as well dance." Participants wear distinctive costumes—women in graceful, tilted straw hats, men in looser, energetic styles—creating one of Japan's most joyful and iconic summer dance traditions.