In the evening we set off for the Awaodori Festival in Koenji. This is something I was really looking forward to, and as it turned it seemed like the whole of tokyo was looking forward to it too because it was packed with people! I don't think I've ever been in crowds like that before!
Awaodori is a traditional dance from Shikoku and they have a massive festival there in August every year. The one in Tokyo started from people who had moved from Shikoku, and now heaps of different dance teams participate. They all dance up the streets which are lined with thousands of happy onlookers.
Most teams had a few different groups - a guy in front with a really tall pole with lanterns which he would spin around, a group of kids, some people in socks with fans and lanterns, guys with the yukata tucked up and dancing really low, and women in yukata dancing in the wooden shoes (geta) (this looks really hard!) Then they would be followed by the musicians which usually had some shimedaiko, flutes and shamisen and sometimes a bamboo log drum, and big drums at the back. It was really interesting to see them all - and I felt tired just watching them all dance for so long in the heat!
the kids :)
dancing on geta!
the musicians
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