Last week on the 26th, I took the Tozai Line from Takebashi two stops to Iidabashi and happened to go drinking in Kagurazaka—where a festival was underway. An Awa odori dance, no less.
That day the central city's high was 32.3°C. Around 7 p.m. it still felt near 30, humidity was high, and combined with the heat of spectators lining both sides of the street, I was drenched in sweat within five seconds.
The Kagurazaka Festival is a summer event run by the Kagurazaka shopping association. This was the 42nd year, with two themes: since the earthquake, "Ganbaro! Nippon" (Let's do our best, Japan), with donations during the period; and "Come to Kagurazaka in yukata," offering special deals for shopping and dining in summer kimono. It is a two-part program each year—the "Hozuki Market" (24th–25th) centered on Bishamonten Zenkokuji Temple, and "Awa odori" on Kagurazaka-dori (26th–27th).
Preaching to the choir, but groups in Awa odori are called "ren." At the Kagurazaka festival, local shopping-district ren such as Kagura, Kagurazaka Mizuki, Damudan, and Nanigashi led the way, joined by Shinjuku Ward Office Tsutsuji, Tokyo Kosei Nenkin Hospital, Shinjuku Hakui (all Shinjuku), Horikiri Ayame (Katsushika), Kita no Gomon (Chiyoda), Edo Iki (Edogawa), Shin Iki (Bunkyo), Meguro Ginza (Meguro), Komazawa Hospital Rehab (Setagaya), Daikon (Nerima), and many from Koenji (Suginami)—Tengu, Asuka, Edo Kabuki, Iroha, Kikusui-kai Kikusui, Shiruhaa, Iki, Hyottoko—as well as Hamamatsu City (Shizuoka), Joshu Takasaki Dodesuke (Gunma), Hozuki (Saitama), Sono no Kaze (Chiba), and even the creative dance troupe "Hosen" based on Awa odori. The numbers were staggering.
Real Awa odori is performed on flat ground such as main streets
but here the slope continues uphill from Kagurazaka-shita on Sotobori-dori—a grueling physical performance, I am told.
The most Awa-like photo is at right, though a bit blurred. Still, doesn't it convey the steamy atmosphere? Dark, crowded, hot, and no smartphone yet... excuses, perhaps, but I did my best under bad conditions.