Late
Aug

Kōenji Awa Odori Festival

★ Staff recommendation
5:00pm – 8:00pm
Free

Taking place outdoors on the closed-off streets of Kōenji, this summer festival is back in full for 2023.

What happens?

The Kōenji Awa Odori Festival fills two days with shedloads of dancing. While a surprisingly high number of events at this time of year take place during the scorching daytime heat, this festival is a bit more sensible with festivities kicking off during the cool of evening. Organizers tout 10,000 dancers and musicians and an expected 1 million people turning up to watch.

Schedule

Everything starts just as the sun is setting at 5 p.m. and the procession finishes promptly at 8 p.m. – on both days.

How to get there

The procession of dancers takes place along the wide road that runs to the south of JR Kōenji Station, with two distinct performance zones – one next to the JR station and another located closer to Shin-Kōenji Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line.

Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.

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