Awaodori

One of the days of the trip I had been looking forward(other ones being obviously Mount Fuji and two meetings with friends) came. I would be seeing the Awaodori! Awaodori is basically 3 days dance festival(started yesterday, ends tomorrow. Timing same as Takamatsu festival) and contains well over million visitors each year it seems. That's a frigging big event! One of the biggest dance festivals in the world as it is. And so popular there was literally not a one room for any price I could find which is why I settled for Takamatsu for the hotel(which had decided advantage of having rooms available!).

But before the festivals I needed to do some washing of clothes! Having rechecked address I went on my way after waking up I headed far to the west(okay more like 2km). Process itself was easy as pie though waiting was bummer. But this was compensated a bit by nice little surprise by hotel. Newspaper! Haven't got one in any other hotels. Nice surprise. I didn't read it all but all the interesting looking ones. Most interesting one being article about the Takamatsuri festival I attended yesterday. Once that was sorted out I scanned through magazines available. One giving yet another surprise as amidst what looked like celebrity interviews, articles about fishing etc I come up to quite explicit adult cartoon. Bit later and nude shooting. Sheesh. Can't ever be quite sure what is safe to open here!

Dumping washed clothes back to the hotel I headed toward station. But I still had time to kill before train departs(less departures here than in Tokyo for sure) so I went to bookstore to ask for specific map I need next year(didn't have it) and then to Udon restaurant.

 Udon with beef. And raw egg in the center. 2 sushi pieces as well as I took set meal. With this done I took the train(1h or so) to Tokushima.

 Don't think I have seen those trees before. Interesting looking ones.

I had few hours to kill before first of the two events I had bought ticket for so went to explore nearby park. In retrospect one wonders if there would have been more imprompty dances already going around but what the heck. I would see plenty of dancing so no need to feel regret of "wasting" time exploring beautiful park ;)

I had kicked myself for forgetting the fan I had got yesterday as it was quite hot in Tokushima(while it had rained a bit in Takamatsu). Fear no more. I got this one right off the bat. THEN I started reading what it says. Pictured is just "Tokushima lawyers organization" or so. Back is then statement that they are opposed against the reammendent of Japans constitution regarding self defence forces. Gee. Not really sure how smart it is for me to be carrying around political statements. Hopefully anybody who noticed it just thinks I'm just tourist who can't read what he's flapping around :D

 

 Was quite refreshing walking amidst the trees. Though any spot where I could drink water was still welcomed. I was carrying pocari sweat around but still just plain water feels heavenly in this heat. Even when water isn't even particularly cold!

There was path to this "white hill". Was tempted to climb it but a) no idea how tall climb it is b) didn't want to miss the dance events c) we are talking about climbing hill on a very hot day...So instead I took left path and continued onward.

 

There were boats with passengers going through this periodically.

 

What kind of insect THAT is? Quite big! Biggest bug I have seen yet. And cue in and I saw 2 more quite live flying next to me. Gave me a creep.

 I found rose garden and knowing my mother likes flowers made sure to take lots of photos of those :D

Once this was done time to head toward the festival. I dropped by 7-eleven to load up on drinks again and then search for the first venue.

 

Here it was! However still biiiit early so I went around walking and found festival stalls in place selling all sort of food, drinks, lotteries etc etc etc.

 

Also found this. I ASSUMED this will be place for 2nd event. Address I had gave just rather loose area on google map so I wasn't quite sure where it was but since ticket had seat row and position I figured I should find some suitable looking spot fast. Not a particularly wide area(but wider than this road!).

 

 Alas no photographing allowed in first event but I took plenty more in the 2nd and dance itself is same. Clothing very similar though colourings and shapes vary a bit by groups(and there's huge number of groups performing in this city in this 3 days. Don't think I even saw all).

Awaodori consists of two dances. "Male" and "Female". While female one is done strictly by females male one can be danced by both. Kids usually dance male version as well.

Origin of dance is supposedly from when castle built was done and there was huge celebration and people drunkenly went out and started dancing. Other people took up instruments and started playing around. This is how dance came been. There's actually evidence of festival from laws from few hundred years ago specifying that dances are allowed for 3 days and that while samurai COULD dance they had to do it on their own areas with doors closed.

Haven't yet found lyrics of song but most famous part goes roughly like(translated): "dancers are a fool, watchers are a fool, we are both alike so why not just dance". Haha.

Dances were themselves quite interesting and enjoyed myself quite a lot. And unsurprisingly found little kids always particularly cute ones when they were dancing around :D

Toward last part of hall concert there was group whose clothes were bit unusual in that they lighted up in darkness. Quite an interesting effect it had when they danced in darkness.

But some photos and videos of the outdoor parade. Not all in time order as I'm having trouble having photos of camera and mobile phone be in order of taking time. It wants to order them "first camera photos in order of time, then phone photos". Bummer.

Just before show was about to start it rained for a while quite heavily. I quickly dressed up into rain wear I had brought with me. Originally took them for Fuji climb but guess it works out this way as well.

And if not for rain it sure was helpful protecting me from water that dropped from umbrella of women next to me :D would have been double soaked without rainwear! Actually those umbrellas were my biggest worry regarding rain. Would I see much of parade from the umbrellas! Luckily rain stopped just in time for parade.

 That hat sure looks weird :D Though not that I would say it's bad looking. Overall though can't complain about lack of pretty women to look at!

Each group has their own musicians. Due to rain guitar like instruments didn't play though.

 Dance had certainly catchy tune. Was tapping in rhytm myself as well. Generally on the more informal dances supposedly going around in city(but which I didn't see since I was...well here!) watchers are encouraged to dance along. "dancers are a fool, watchers are a fool..." ;)

 Male dance. Compared to female dance pose is lot more low-based. Oh and in the arena show at times men were jumping toward audience. Was just hoping they wouldn't misjudge distance and jump straight to audience :D I had seat on 2nd row(wow what a luck!) so would be among first in line of fire!

 Variety of colours and patterns in clothes was just stunning. 2 hours the parade lasted. That's a LOT of groups!

 Even little kids were performing! (heck youngest participiant in parade was carried on shoulders of a her dad :D)

 BTW must have been "fun" carrying around on those socks in water pools. Dancers of male dance have just socks with rubber in bottom. Women doing the female dance have at least wooden shoes. Though those are bummer to walk(been there, done that. though ones I used didn't have high heels like here the women had) so...Respect. Especially when the female dancers do the dance in half-run...THAT is hard on the clothes they wear.

 

Maybe even more sillier than hats of dancers of female dance is the headpiece in some dancers of male dance! Wonder what that is representing? Bird?

 

 Then couple videos so that you can see(and hear) what it was like.

That sort of dancing I spent 3 hours watching today. Was quite nice. Wouldn't be against seeing this again one day in future! Won't be in any NEAR future but who knows. One day might come again to here. I'm also starting to get used to the heat. It isn't pleasant but I'm learning how to cope with it at least.

With this I headed toward hotel again. Didn't spend more time on festival as it was getting late and trains don't run that often so waiting like 20 minutes could mean waiting extra 40 minutes in station...

But on train station got another proof that festival is going on. Train was late! We were able to leave about 20 minutes. I have seen train late like 3-5 minutes once or twice but 20 minutes? In Japan? What on earth happened!

Late night dinner. Udon!

Come to think off, I mainly ate Udon today...Well this IS Kagawa prefecture famous for udon so it fits.

And it IS good! Particularly the one I got at restaurant. This is cheaper konbini version.