Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori Dance 南越谷阿波踊り
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My YouTube video of the 2023 Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori dance festival.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Koshigaya Community Center.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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During the 2.5-hour performance, numerous Awa Odori dance troupes performed colorfully to live music.
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MInami-Koshigaya Awa Odori Dance, indoor performance. 南越谷阿波踊り
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Anybody could take pictures, but flash was not allowed.
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Shadow dancing
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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.
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So you can see that they are wearing different costumes.
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This joint session of Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori dance troupes was the best performance of all, I thought.
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The final performance was by a troupe from Tokushima.
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Niji (Rainbow) was the name of the troupe.
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The hall is emptied as people waiting to see Part 2 were waiting outside.
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Next to the community center was this small outdoor stage.
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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.
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At 5:10 pm, the Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori started at all the main venues outdoors.
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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。
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The press photographers were such a problem at Minami-Koshigaya Chuo-dori road that I left after 10 min.
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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
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It was just a small stage with seats for the audience.
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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.
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Minami-Koshigaya Chuo-dori road's starting point.
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Donations for the festival.
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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.
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Nishiguchi Ekimae-dori, starting point for the dancers.
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Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori on Nishiguchi Ekimae-dori. This road was also quite short, only a few hundred meters.
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Less crowded than the other side.
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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
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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.
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Nishiguchi Minami-dori
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I liked this road because we could take front and center photos of the dancers.
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Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori, Saitama Prefecture.
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Foinally, I moved to another venue across the road called Higashiguchi Minami-dori road.
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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.
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This venue was very loose, no press photographers, and the kids wander about as they pleased.
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Aoishin-ren, what I was waiting for. They are one of the best Awa Odori troupes in the world.
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Everyone in this group have glowing faces, very vivacious.
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Their dancing and music are so good.
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I love watching them. I got them on video as well.
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They are so good. Obviously, very well-trained and they must have practiced a lot.
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Aoishin-ren is based in Koenji, Tokyo, and one of the leading troupes during the Koenji Awa Odori.
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Aoi means hollyhock.
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Aoishin-ren musicians.
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For the finale, they had a joint parade of dancers from various troupes.
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