Mid
Aug

Shimokitazawa Awa Odori Festival

6:30pm – 8:30pm
Free

Shimokitazawa’s Ichibanchō shopping district comes to life in mid-August as the local Awa Odori festival parades through the streets.

What is Awa Odori?

Awa Odori is a traditional dance festival made up of many groups of choreographed dancers. It’s a chance to see participants donning traditional Obon outfits, singing, chanting, and dancing throughout the neighborhood — a summertime classic!

What happens?

On each night of the festival, 12 to 13 teams will parade along the route. The festival features teams from all over Tokyo, but expect big cheers for the local Shimokitazawa teams. There is also a solid contingent of teams from Kōenji — venue for the hugely popular Kōenji Awaodori Festival, which usually happens on the weekend following this festival.

Suggested Activity
Get Tickets To the Samurai Restaurant in Shinjuku (Up to 30% Off)
Experience one of the craziest, most colorful places in Tokyo — the all-new Samurai Restaurant, from the creators of the Robot Restaurant. Get your tickets and sit back for a wild show of lasers, lights, samurai, dancers and other uniquely Japanese weirdness.

In addition to the parades on Saturday and Sunday, there is a pre-event on the Friday called “Awa Night” with food and drink stalls filling the streets of the Ichibanchō shopping street.

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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