Awa Odori (阿波おどり)
Time: August 12-15
Location: Tokushima

The festival is the most renowned among Japan's numerous dance festivals held during the mid-August Obon season. Awa was the previous name for Tokushima Prefecture, and Odori means dance. Thousands of spectators and dancers converge on Tokushima to witness this centuries-old "Fool's Dance." The nickname originates from the lyrics of a popular dance song: "Fools dance and fools watch, if both are fools, you might as well dance."