This is the Awa odori, a dance with a proud 400-year tradition from Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku . The largest performance of the dance takes place at the Awa Odori Festival, held in Tokushima City over four days from August 12 until August 15. The festival features a total of 100,000 dancers and draws more than one million spectators. The main attractions are the different costumes and dance in different styles . In the Awa odori, men and women in the parade wear different costumes and also dance in different styles. Men wear ahappi, a light and loose-fitting cotton coat, and perform a stronger, more dynamic dance. Women wear a yukata,a summer kimono made of light cotton, and amigasa, a hat made of woven rush grass, and dance in a more stylish way. The men's dance involves bending over a bit with legs slightly bowed, raising the hands a little above the forehead, and lightly waving the wrists up and down. The women turn the palms inward and gracefully move the wrists. Even if you don't know how to do the dance, you can easily go to a few lessons and then join in a pick-up dance group (niwaka-ren). You can wear whatever type of clothes you like, and it doesn't cost a thing! Access Two and a half hours from Osaka by highway bus. There is also a convenient one-hour flight from Tokyo. The dance location is located quite near Tokushima Station. To participate in the niwaka-ren, just go to the plaza in front of the Tokushima City Municipal Building or other designated area. Be sure to check beforehand for the appropriate time and location.