Journeys in Japan · SEASON 8
Awa Odori Festival: Spirited Away in Tokushima
Episode 26 · 2017-09-26

- Documentary
Episode overview
The Awa Odori is a huge dance festival that takes over Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, for four days in early August. It features some 100,000 fired-up dancers and attracts as many as 1.3 million spectators from home and abroad. Our traveler B.T. watches the dancing on the first day. On the second, he learns a few steps and chorus before jumping into the frenzied dancing himself. He also takes a side trip to Wakimachi, an old town near Tokushima City, where he enjoys its traditional townscape and experiences indigo dyeing. At the end of his journey, he heads out by boat to observe giant tidal whirlpools.
28 minutes
Season 8 episodes
1. Koza: A Rhythm All Its Own2017-01-31
2. Ogawayama: A Rock Climber's Paradise2017-02-07
3. Niseko: Snowy Adventures2017-02-14
4. Suruga Bay: The Bounty of the Deep2017-02-21
5. Tokoname: City of Ceramics Past and Present2017-02-28
6. Ibaraki: Savoring Winter Flavors2017-03-07
7. Hokkaido: Sculpting Winter's Ice and Snow2017-04-04
8. Mt. Norikuradake: A Peak Winter Experience2017-04-11
9. Odate: The Land of the Akita Inu2017-04-18
10. Oya, Utsunomiya: Stone Town & Quarry Ruins Tour2017-04-25
11. Nagoya: Samurai Warlord Chronicles2017-05-02
12. Hakuba: Off Piste to a Hidden Hot Spring2017-05-09
13. Nara: Ancient Sanctuary for all Living Creatures2017-05-30
14. Monobe, Kochi: Tales from the Magical Mountain Hamlet2017-06-20
15. Manazuru: Good Living by Design2017-06-27
16. Nanyo, Ehime: Water for Life and Fun2017-07-04
17. Meiwa-cho, Mie: An Ancient Legend Comes to Life2017-07-11
18. Mount Daisen: Mystical Rites, Local Life2017-07-18
19. Murayama, Yamagata: Local Delicacies, Local Pride2017-07-25
20. Tottori: Sculpted by Nature2017-08-01
21. Deep into the Unspoiled Forest: Shirakami Sanchi2017-08-08
22. Yonaguni: Wild West Escapades2017-08-15
23. Obuse, Nagano: Walking and Running for Fun2017-08-22
24. Taisetsuzan: Summer Alpine Discoveries2017-09-12
25. Kochi's Summertime Fever: The Yosakoi!2017-09-19
26. Awa Odori Festival: Spirited Away in Tokushima2017-09-26
27. Yanai: Old Town of Goldfish Lanterns2017-10-03
28. Nagara River: Pristine Beauty, Waterborne Bounty2017-10-10
29. Minami-Izu: Unspoiled Seaside Getaway2017-10-17
30. A River Runs Through Hokkaido2017-10-24
31. Kagoshima: The Taste and Style of "Kuro" Culture2017-11-07
32. Kikuma, Ehime: Pride and Pageantry2017-11-21
33. Togakushi: Autumn Hues at a Sacred Mountain2017-11-28
34. Passage of Time: Lake Towada in Autumn2017-12-05
35. Karatsu: Festival Floats, Deep Community Spirit2017-12-12