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Summer dance festivals. Click to enlarge image.

From the imperial court to folk festivals, dance is an intricate and indispensable part of Japanese culture. Virtually every village has its own variations and traditions, and getting involved is a great way to make friends and improve your language skills. In and near Okazaki there are many opportunities to observe or participate in a wide range of these dances.

To participate in or see any of these dances, any of the Summer Language and Culture Program, AIJP, AJSP, Acceleration, SILAC or Internship courses will be suitable. If you wish to see all of the Gion festival, then it is possible to participate in the July Summer Language and Culture Program or Japan Discovery tour either during or after a course of studies, choosing from either SILAC, Acceleration Format 2 (Options A, B, or C) or private lessons. For more information please read the Discovery Program files.

The easiest dances to get involved in are the Bon-Odori held in August. The Bon Festival is celebrated nationwide, and there are dances everywhere. The closest dances are held in the grounds of the civic center about 500 meters from Yamasa's campus, but there are many other locations throughout Okazaki. The village of Asuke north of Okazaki has a popular dance, and since the Korankei gorge is extremely beautiful it makes for a good day & evening trip.

One of the most famous Bon dances is at the town of Gujo Hachiman in Gifu north of Nagoya. The festival goes all month and during the peak in mid-August they dance all night. Anyone can join in and anyone does. Plenty of street stalls selling beer, food and sweets, most people are wearing traditional dress, and its a good place to dance, people watch and party.

For dancing that requires some preparation and practice, the Gomangoku Odori on the first Friday night of August is slightly traditional, while the Yosakoi is very modern. Anyone can join a local group but you would need to do so at least a month in advance and be prepared to practice as the dancers take their fun very seriously. Its also fun to watch, particularly when the Brazilian samba dancers appear on the scene after the mikoshi shrines completed their procession.

Two particularly famous dances that are worth seeing are the Tokushima Awa-odori and the dances of the Gion festival. These are for viewing, though in the case of the Awa-odori it is usually possible to join in the dancing in the arcades after the main event - it is a difficult dance to do though, especially for women. The Gion dances are special, here you watch rather than participate, but the dragon dances, and particularly the dances by the maiko & geiko (geisha) of Gion are performed so beautifully and professionally that the chance to watch is a moment of magic.

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Questions regarding this file...

If any of the information in this file is unclear, or if you need more detailed information, please click here and read the study/applications section of the FAQ before contacting us. Best regards, Declan Murphy.

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