10,000 participants join biggest ever Awa Odori circle dance at World Expo in Osaka
The Tokushima Prefectural Government, which is taking part in the Expo as a member of the Union of Kansai Governments, staged the event under the "World Dance Day" theme.
The dancers, divided into nine groups, showcased their Awa Odori performances on stage in turns. Visitors were captivated by their dynamic and graceful moves synchronized to "Zomeki-bayashi" music played with Japanese flutes, drums and other instruments.
During the finale on the night of May 3, all the dancers gathered at the Expo Arena "Matsuri," an outdoor venue which holds 16,000 people, to attempt the largest circle dance in history. As they expanded the circle by involving the audience, it ultimately formed a single large ring, symbolizing the Expo's iconic wooden structure, the "Grand Ring." According to the Tokushima Prefectural Government, the number of participants in the dance eventually grew to 10,000.
Minoru Yamada, 71, from the Awa Odori Promotion Association, who also performed at the World Expo in Osaka back in 1970, reflected, "Dance needs no words. Watching it expand and become one big circle was amazing."
(Japanese original by Yoshihiro Yamamoto, Tokushima Bureau)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SoraNews24
2 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Immerse yourself in all things Heisei era at the Neo Heisei Retro exhibition now open in Shibuya
'I didn't choose the Heisei retro life–the Heisei retro life chose me.' While modern Japan primarily uses the Gregorian calendar for most things, a complementary system of Japanese era names known nengo is also in use. These era names correspond to the reign of each emperor, with each year within an era receiving its own number as well. For instance, 2025 can also be referred to as Reiwa 7, as it's the seventh year since Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne on May 1, 2019. The three most recent Japanese eras are the Reiwa era (2019-present), the Heisei era (1989-2019), and the Showa era (1926-1989). A concept called 'Showa retro' has been around for a while, referring to an appreciation for the nostalgic artifacts, music, lifestyles, and other cultural embodiments of the Showa era. In more recent years, however, the term 'Heisei retro' has also begun popping up for a similar appreciation of all things Heisei. ▼ As a millennial whose formative years were spent in the Heisei era, I was equal parts delighted and shocked to start seeing displays like this collection of Heisei-era music hits popping up in stores (are the things I like really old enough to be considered 'retro' now??). © SoraNews24 For anyone who's feeling like taking a little stroll down the Heisei-era lane, there's no better place to visit than the special Neo Heisei Retro Exhibition currently running from July 24 to August 31 at the Seibu Shibuya Store in Tokyo's Shibuya district, a fitting location as the mecca of youth culture and trends back in the Heisei day. The exhibition is the brainchild of one Mero Yamashita, a Heisei-era enthusiast and self-appointed guardian of all things Heisei. ▼ Mero Yamashita was born in 1981 and spent his formative years in the onset of the Heisei era. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NEO平成レトロ展 (@neoheisei_retro) The exhibition's opening day was attended by official ambassadors and musical unit Chi⭐︎Q. The duo, composed of Ippei Kyuma and Mamoru Daichi, debuted as 'psychic idols' on April 1, 1989, the official first day of the Heisei era. They enjoyed a ribbon-cutting ceremony and playing around with some of the 300 Heisei-era items on display. Diving more into the contents of the event, the exhibition is comprised of nine different sections centered on common themes. The walls are also decorated with 'neo Heisei retro' designs–illustrations meant to evoke the feeling of Heisei from a modern Reiwa lens–which are befitting of the exhibition's main slogan: 'Towards a 'Heisei' that's nostalgic but new somewhere in your memories.' For instance, there are areas dedicated to digital cameras and the garakei mobile flip-phones that were unique to Japan at the time. You can even hold one of the phones in your hand and see if your muscle memory takes over. Other featured gadgets include pagers, music players, and transparent goods that were all the rage back then. The entertainment section is sure to be a big hit by bringing you right back to the hottest gaming systems, CDs, and toys (like Tamagotchi!) of the time. There's even a section devoted to Heisei fashion trends such as kogyaru style and more. Contemporary fashion magazines are also on display. Finally, some of the more interactive elements of the exhibition include a quiz area to test your knowledge on whether something is from the Heisei era or the Showa era, as well as a community journal where you can share your favorite Heisei memories with others. Of course, in true Japanese exhibition fashion, there's also event-exclusive merchandise for purchase, including goods like stickers with common Heisei-era slang and buzzwords. Tickets for the Neo Heisei Retro Exhibition cost 1,800 yen (US$12.12) for general admission and can be purchased at Lawson Ticket or TBS Tickets in advance. On weekends and other days expected to have high traffic, tickets may be valid on a timed-entry system at the start of every hour. For more on how some brands such as Sanrio has also leaned into the Heisei era, check out this piece as well. Exhibition information Neo Heisei Retro Exhibition / NEO平成レトロ展 Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Udagawa-cho 21-1, Seibu Shibuya Store, A Building, 2nd floor event space 東京都渋谷区宇田川町 21-1 西武渋谷店 A館2F イベントスペース Duration: July 24-August 31, 2025 Open: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (last entry at 7:30 p.m.) Website Source: Shibuya Keizai Shimbun Images: SoraNews24, PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
3 hours ago
Nearly 40% of Japan's Main Leisure Facilities Increase Entrance Fees
Japan Data Inflation means that the cost of a day out in Japan is rising at many amusement parks, theme parks, aquariums, and zoos. A Blow to Summer Vacation Plans A survey conducted by Teikoku Databank found that 71 of Japan's 190 major leisure facilities, or 37.4%, raised their admission fees in 2025. These facilities include amusement parks, theme parks, aquariums, and zoos. Almost twice as many facilities increased their fees compared to 2024. Notably, 51 of the 100 theme or amusement parks surveyed raised their entrance fees. The highest fee charged in 2025 for an entrance ticket or unlimited 'free pass' was ¥11,900 for the one-day studio pass at Universal Studios Japan. The average admission fee charged at leisure facilities rose year on year by 4.2% in 2025, to ¥1,695. The average price for the popular free pass commonly offered at amusement or theme parks, which includes both admission and unlimited rides, increased year on year by 5.4%, to ¥4,846 While many facilities have kept their standard entrance fee unchanged, an increasing number are introducing a variable pricing system, charging peak-season rates during Golden Week or the summer vacation, as well as special pricing for weekends and holidays. With these changes, the average price for a free pass is nearing ¥5,000. A representative of Teikoku Databank noted: 'As electricity and labor costs rise, it seems likely that the trend toward increasing admission fees will continue next year, including the use of peak-season pricing to ease congestion. Data Sources Report on prices of major leisure facilities (Japanese) from Teikoku Databank. (Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)
Tokyo Weekender
5 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Kioi Seido: Tokyo's Enigmatic ‘Building with No Purpose'
Five years ago, the acclaimed architect Hiroshi Naito was met with an unusual request: He was asked to design a five-story structure in the middle of Tokyo with no specific purpose. The RINRI Institute of Ethics, a private social education organization, gave him free reign, proposing that the building's function will be decided according to its design. Thus, Kioi Seido, also known as 'the building with no purpose,' was brought to life. Well, not entirely free reign. According to a statement by Naito that was distributed at the exhibition, 'My client's only order was that I think about the Jomon [period]' — a prehistoric era of Japanese history that stretched from around 13,000 to 400 BCE, known for its mysterious clay figurines, knotted-rope pottery and an aesthetic that feels both ancient and strangely abstract. 'I think what they wanted was something that was not bound by capitalism or current common sense, but something that would stir emotions,' he continues. The resulting structure is understated, yet otherworldly — a synthesis of warm and cool tones, earthy and industrial textures, which combine to create an atmosphere at once familiar and disorienting. Today, Kioi Seido stands by a small intersection in the heart of Chiyoda City. A quietly extraordinary sanctuary, it may escape your notice at first glance. It's not typically open to public viewing, but for a limited time only — until September 30, to be exact — a special exhibition will allow visitors to enter the building for the first time in two years. It's not just a rare chance to see the hypnotic beauty of its interior firsthand; the exhibition also showcases 40 years' worth of diaries and sketches by Naito himself. List of Contents: A Crack in the Extraordinary The Modern Pantheon About Hiroshi Naito More Information Related Posts A Crack in the Extraordinary 'When you find yourself in this mysterious space, with the first floor deeply reminiscent of the ancient Jomon period and the second floor and above extending into the future, you will forget the routine of everyday life and feel a 'crack in the extraordinary,' says Toshiaki Maruyama, Chairman of the RINRI Institute of Ethics. Although it's not immediately obvious from the outside, Kioi Seido's concrete cube form is supported by four polygonal pillars. They cocoon an installation on the ground floor, which features 18,800 glass pieces laid in a ring formation, each representing someone lost or missing in the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. The charcoal-colored tiles that coat the space all vary in sheen and shape, many of them repurposed from tiles originally used in Shimane Prefecture's Kametani kiln. Requiem for the Great East Japan Earthquake From the second floor upward, warm cedar planks, exposed concrete and beams form a four-story atrium, shrouded in light and shadow. Nine craters on the ceiling form sky lights that feel at once futuristic and timeless, each tapering upward in a slight curve. As you climb up each story and walk around, every angle offers a new perspective. The Modern Pantheon Ascending Kioi Seido's staircases is a peaceful, comforting experience, but also strangely hypnotic — it feels as though you're suspended in time and space, divorced from the external world. Naito was drawn to the Pantheon in Rome, the only Roman building to remain practically intact for centuries. He endeavored to create something immortal and innately magnetic. 'Neither the purpose nor the function of [the Pantheon] is well understood,' reads Naito's statement. 'If the question was to be purposeless, I wanted to build a modern Pantheon.' In conceptualizing Kioi Seido, Naito engaged with questions of tradition and modernity posed by architect Seiichi Shirai. In his hugely influential essay 'The Jomon Style' (1956), Shirai uses the raw, unmediated aesthetic sensibility of Jomon period objects as a vehicle to argue that architects must look beyond easily recognizable stylistic elements, and focus on the 'inner potential' — the underlying spirit — of forms. 'I believe [Shirai's inquiry] was an alarm bell to a society that was striving for rapid modernization,' Naito remarks. 'Seventy years have passed since then, and I took the question posed this time as the same one.' Naito is likely referencing what's known as the 'Jomon–Yayoi dichotomy,' a concept that gained traction among Japanese architects in the postwar period. Sparked by a broader national conversation about identity and tradition, the debate centered on whether Japanese architecture should draw inspiration from the raw, expressive forms of the Jomon period or the more refined, orderly aesthetics of the Yayoi era. Using raw concrete, a material used since ancient times, and glass, a highly precise and refined industrial product, Naito symbolically melds the elements of tradition and modernity into a harmonious whole. While the building's complexity and beauty alone is reason enough to visit, the exhibition of Naito's meticulous notes, sketches and diaries offers a fascinating glimpse into his mind. From the second floor up, you can browse 40 years worth of his plans, inspirations and thoughts. On the floor of the atrium is an installation named the 'Mandala of Words,' showcasing fragments from Naito's writings. Mandala of Words About Hiroshi Naito Born in 1950 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Hiroshi Naito is one of Japan's most acclaimed and visionary architects. Upon earning a bachelor's and master's degree in architecture from Waseda University, he worked under architect Fernando Higueras in Madrid and under architect Kiyonori Kikutake in Tokyo. Naito established his own firm, Naito Architect & Associates in 1981, and was a professor at the University of Tokyo from 2001 to 2011, when he became professor emeritus. His major architectural works include the Toba Sea-Folk Museum (1992), the Shimane Arts Center (2005) and the Kusunagi Sports Complex Gymnasium (2015). Naito's creations emphasize the harmony between the built environment and its natural surroundings, with a focus on technical durability and sustainability. Often balancing wooden and concrete textures, his gently minimalistic works evoke warmth and humility. More Information Exhibition Title: 'Architect Hiroshi Naito – Anything and Everything: Diaries and Sketches of Thoughts in Kioi Seido' Dates & Hours: July 1 – September 30, 2025 Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays (excluding holidays and closure dates: Aug 12, 14, 16 & Sep 23), from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (last entry 3:30 p.m.) Admission: Free, no reservation required Address: Kioi Seido, Ethics Research Institute 3-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (10 min from JR Yotsuya / 5–6 min from nearby subway stations) Notes: – No parking or luggage storage – No high heels allowed inside – Restrooms located on the first floor – Photography is allowed, without tripods – Please refrain from taking photos of the notebook exhibits, talking loudly, eating or drinking Related Posts The Most Beautiful Libraries in Japan Awaji Island: Where Stunning Nature Meets World-Class Architecture Kenzo Tange: Japan's Most Influential Architect | Spotlight The Architecture of Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest
