The largest traditional dance festival in Japan, Awa Odori takes place in Tokushima City in the secluded prefecture of Tokushima on Shikoku Island. If you’re looking for an excuse to wear a kimono or yukata, you won’t find a better occasion! 1. Locals will dress up in kimono or yukata to watch the parade while relishing festival treats, including chocolate bananas, karaage fried chicken, okonomiyaki pancakes, yakisoba noodles, and more. Often surrounding these festivals are pop-up stalls selling food, drinks, souvenirs, toys, and more. Other common practices include group dances, effigy burning, parade floats, and performances with traditional instruments. While there is no definitive data detailing exactly how many matsuri occur in Japan every year, estimates suggest that it could be as many as 300,000!Īpart from the costumes and music, one of the biggest icons of many matsuri is the “mikoshi,” a portable shrine said to hold a deity passionately carried around the neighborhood. Most matsuri festivals run annually or semi-annually by a shrine and can last anywhere between a single day to an entire month.
