Last additions - Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori Dance 南越谷阿波踊り |
My YouTube video of the 2023 Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori dance festival.Sep 02, 2023
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For the finale, they had a joint parade of dancers from various troupes.Aug 25, 2009
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Aoi means hollyhock.Aug 25, 2009
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Aoishin-ren musicians.Aug 25, 2009
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They are so good. Obviously, very well-trained and they must have practiced a lot.Aug 25, 2009
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Aoishin-ren is based in Koenji, Tokyo, and one of the leading troupes during the Koenji Awa Odori.Aug 25, 2009
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I love watching them. I got them on video as well.Aug 25, 2009
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Their dancing and music are so good.Aug 25, 2009
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Aoishin-ren, what I was waiting for. They are one of the best Awa Odori troupes in the world.Aug 25, 2009
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Everyone in this group have glowing faces, very vivacious.Aug 25, 2009
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The problem with this place were all these poles on the sides. Bad for picture-taking unless you are sitting on the front row. The lights also turned out very yellow, and my camera could not color balance it well.Aug 25, 2009
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This venue was very loose, no press photographers, and the kids wander about as they pleased.Aug 25, 2009
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Foinally, I moved to another venue across the road called Higashiguchi Minami-dori road.Aug 25, 2009
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Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori, Saitama Prefecture.Aug 25, 2009
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I liked this road because we could take front and center photos of the dancers.Aug 25, 2009
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Nishiguchi Minami-dori Aug 25, 2009
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I was curious to see all the dance venues. A short walk away was this Nishiguchi Minami-dori road. It was smaller and less crowded.Aug 25, 2009
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Grou[ photo of Aoishin-ren, one of the best Awa Odori troupes in the world. More photos of them later. 葵新連Aug 25, 2009
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Less crowded than the other side.Aug 25, 2009
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Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori on Nishiguchi Ekimae-dori. This road was also quite short, only a few hundred meters.Aug 25, 2009
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Nishiguchi Ekimae-dori, starting point for the dancers.Aug 25, 2009
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Minami-Koshigaya Chuo-dori road's starting point.Aug 25, 2009
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On the opposite side of the train station on the west side (nishi-guchi) is the other main venue called the Nishiguchi Ekimae-dori. This was less crowded, and fewer photographers.Aug 25, 2009
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Donations for the festival.Aug 25, 2009
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The scene in front of the train station. The outdoor stage in the forefront, and the Minami-Koshigaya Chuo-dori road on the upper right.Aug 25, 2009
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It was just a small stage with seats for the audience.Aug 25, 2009
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Next to Minami-Koshigaya Chuo-dori road and in front of the train station was this outdoor stage called ekimae Kumi-odori Kaijo. 駅前組踊り会場Aug 25, 2009
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The press photographers were such a problem at Minami-Koshigaya Chuo-dori road that I left after 10 min.Aug 25, 2009
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A major problem with the Minami-Koshigaya Chuo-dori road was that they had 5 or 6 press photographers who kept getting in the way. 報道陣がとても邪魔、迷惑。5〜6人の報道人は多すぎるぞ。Aug 25, 2009
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At 5:10 pm, the Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori started at all the main venues outdoors. Aug 25, 2009
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This is the Minami-Koshigaya Chuo-dori road venue. This is the main and most crowded venue. It's not that long though.Aug 25, 2009
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Next to the community center was this small outdoor stage.Aug 25, 2009
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Niji (Rainbow) was the name of the troupe.Aug 25, 2009
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The hall is emptied as people waiting to see Part 2 were waiting outside.Aug 25, 2009
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The final performance was by a troupe from Tokushima.Aug 25, 2009
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This joint session of Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori dance troupes was the best performance of all, I thought.Aug 25, 2009
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Toward the end, they had a special joint group of dancers from all the Koshigaya Awa Odori troupes performing together on stage. Aug 25, 2009
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So you can see that they are wearing different costumes.Aug 25, 2009
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Shadow dancingAug 25, 2009
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Anybody could take pictures, but flash was not allowed.Aug 25, 2009
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MInami-Koshigaya Awa Odori Dance, indoor performance. 南越谷阿波踊りAug 25, 2009
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During the 2.5-hour performance, numerous Awa Odori dance troupes performed colorfully to live music.Aug 25, 2009
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But it was nice to watch it on stage in a large hall as well. Although I still prefer seeing Awa Odori outdoors where you can see it in a continuous procession.Aug 25, 2009
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At first I thought that Awa Odori was meant to be performed outdoors, and it wouldn't be the same watching it in a large hall. Aug 25, 2009
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On both the 22nd and 23rd, they held Awa Odori performances inside the Koshigaya Community Center. Part 1 was held during 2 pm to 4:30 pm, and Part 2 during 5:30 pm to 8:45 pm.Aug 25, 2009
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I watched the indoor performance inside the Koshigaya Community Center on Aug. 22, 2009 from 2 pm to 4:30 pm.Aug 25, 2009
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Koshigaya Community Center.Aug 25, 2009
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Map of the festival venues. There are no less than seven venues where you can watch Awa Odori dances by 66 dance troupes. One venue is indoors at the Koshigaya Community Center.Aug 25, 2009
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The Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori is held annually near Shin-Koshigaya Station (Tobu ISezaki, Hanzomon, and Hibiya Lines) and JR Minami-Koshigaya Station (Musashino Line). These two train stations almost intersect.Aug 25, 2009
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The 25th Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori was held during Aug. 21-23, 2009. I saw it on the 22nd. The 21st was the festival eve when they had dance performances in the community center. The festival's main days were the 22nd and 23rd.Aug 25, 2009
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