Awa Odori Dance Festival Held in Paris

One of the four prefectures of Shikoku, Japan, is Tokushima formerly known as Awa, the cradle of Japan's top dance fest "Awa Odori". NHK had a live coverage of this year's Awa Odori and the performance of a group of French men and women who had come all the way from Paris just to take part first hand in the street dancing.

Performers clad in traditional Obon dance costumes chant and dance as they parade along the streets to the accompaniment of shamisen (three-stringed instrument), drums, and piccolo-sounding wooden flute.

Today's episode tells how these French folks danced Awa Odori in Tokushima and then later led a team of dancers to Paris for the debut of Awa Odori in the French capital.

Earlier in May this year, an extensive presentation of  the dance was slated as "Awa Odori Paris 2015", but the event was postponed due to social unrest following a chain of terrorist attacks in January.

On October 1, a team of 30 Awa Odori dancers were joined by some 150 Paris citizens at the Japan Culture Center near the Eiffel Tower for a mass dancing of Awa Odori as part of the 1st Awa Odori Paris. The whole neighborhood resounded with a lively chorus of "Yattosay".
Regis Arnault, French journalist and chairman of the executive committee, greeted in the opening speech, "We are extremely honored to present to you Japan's Maturi".

On the stage were dance performances by the dancers from Tokushima and "Tokusy", Tokushima's costumed mascot character, and a dancing lesson for Paris citizens.

Agnes Tempesta, 38, told a Japanese reporter, "I traveled to Tokushima this summer. So excited to have danced on the stage today". 
Minoru Yamada, director of the Awa Odori Promotion Society, hopes to send a team of 300 next year.