🏮 Koenji Awa Odori

東京高円寺阿波おどり

Suginami, Tokyo · Every year in late August (the last Saturday and Sunday)

Summer festival

348 days to go
Rooms around Suginami, Tokyo fill up while the festival is on.

The Tokyo Koenji Awa Odori is held every year on the last Saturday and Sunday of August in Koenji, Suginami Ward, Tokyo, and is the largest Awa Odori festival in the Tokyo area, second only to the Tokushima City Awa Odori. Organized by the NPO Tokyo Koenji Awa Odori Promotion Association, it takes place in the shopping streets and Kominami-dori spanning from JR Koenji Station to Tokyo Metro Shin-Koenji Station, and draws about 10,000 dancers. In 1957, the youth group of the local Pal Shopping Street started it as a town revitalization event called "Koenji Baka Odori" in conjunction with the annual festival of Koenji Hikawa Shrine. In 1963 it was renamed to its current name, and with guidance from Tokushima natives living in Tokyo, it developed into a full-fledged Awa Odori. It has become established as a late-summer tradition in Tokyo. The highlights are the nagashi odori (parade dancing) that tours eight performance venues set up around the station, and stage dancing at Sesion Suginami and Za-Koenji. About 150 groups participate, including famous groups, corporate groups, and student groups, and since 2014, one group from Tokushima, the home of the dance, has been invited on the first day. On the Friday night before the festival, a "Fure Odori" is held in the shopping streets, allowing people to casually enjoy the atmosphere of the home of the dance.

Getting there

JR Chuo Line Koenji Station and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line Shin-Koenji Station are the nearest stations, and each performance venue is within walking distance from both stations. Because Chuo Line rapid trains pass through Koenji Station all day on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, it is necessary to use local trains or trains directly through to the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line.