📜 Japan's largest dance festival, held annually in Tokushima-shi. 🔍 Celebrates O-bon, the Buddhist Festival of the Dead, with a history spanning centuries, and features vibrant dance teams and a lively atmosphere. # Why Go 💃 Experience traditional dance and lively atmosphere with 80,000 participants 🎶 Enjoy rhythmic music from shamisen, taiko drums, shinobue flute, and kane bell 🎉 Join in the 'Dance of Fools' with 1.3 million spectators 🇯🇵 Witness a 400-year-old cultural event # Why Avoid 🏨 Hotels in Tokushima City book out months in advance 🌧️ May be canceled due to weather conditions 🚌 Return transportation can be congested, causing delays 🚶‍♀️ Large crowds, especially in the evenings # Tips 🎟️ Purchase paid seating tickets in advance, available from June/July 🚶 Main spectacle takes place in the evenings (18:00-22:00) in blocked-off streets ✈️ Consider staying in nearby cities like Naruto, Takamatsu, or Osaka due to limited accommodation # Cost 💰 Paid stage tickets 1,000-15,000 yen for a 90-minute block. Daytime performances inside Awagin Hall 2,800-4,500 yen. Awa Odori Museum admission 500 yen. # Hours 🕒 Annually August 12-15 (some years August 11 also added). Main performances 18:00-22:00. Awa Odori Museum 9:00-17:00.