Koenji Awa Odori 2024 Tokyo’s biggest summer dance festival
Koenji Awa Odori 2024 was a good family-oriented event. First, did you know it came from the island of Shikoku? Many places celebrate it now. It is the largest dance festival in Japan. I’ve been to it many times. Usually, I go on Saturday. But when I walked out the door this year, the clouds looked dark and ominous. They worried me so I didn’t go. I went on Sunday.
I’m glad I changed my mind. The rain came down in buckets later on Saturday night. The Awa Odori probably didn’t get wet, but getting home would have been a problem. That was when the downpour started.
Sunday was much better for Koenji Awa Odori 2024. It was cloudy, but there was no rain. Still, I decided to take a foldup umbrella in case. It wasn’t needed.
How big was Koenji Awa Odori 2024?
What can I say about this Awa Odori event? It’s big. About 10000 dancers in 161 groups participated. They were cheered on by over one million spectators. It’s Tokyo’s biggest dance festival.
The event was scheduled to start at 5 pm. I arrived at 3:30. Yes, that was early and made for a long wait. But I wanted to get to my initial shooting spot without struggling through a crowd.
With so many people there, traffic control was out in force. The Tokyo Police Department and private companies kept everything under control. I’ve been to Koenji Awa Odori at least ten times, and have never witnessed a problem with the flow of people. These guys are experts.
The event was about five kilometers in length. Performers move along a figure 8 around JR Koenji and Metro Shin-Koenji Stations. And every centimeter of the course will have a spectator sitting or standing on it.
Sunday night weather
One thing surprised me. The Awa Odori happens in summer. Most times I’ve been to this event, the temperatures have been scorching hot. Not in 2024. I felt cool breezes through the night.
Having said that, the dancers probably didn’t it. They danced a five-kilometer course for about three hours. And they did it on Saturday night too. They must use a huge amount of energy. Sweat pours down many dancers’ faces, but you can see everyone does their best. They work the crowd into a frenzy. The energy is palpable every year.
Koenji Awa Odori 2024 made me rethink cameras
I enjoyed the event a lot this year and got good images. But, it made me realize something about my camera. Well, I’ve known this problem for quite some time and it has been gnawing at my mind. Now I’m prepared to make a move.
I use a Fujifilm X-T3. It’s a great camera. But it has an ASP-C sensor, which is quite small. It’s not ideal for shooting in low-light situations like Koenji Awa Odori 2024. The amount of noise in the files needs much attention in post-processing. It’s a laborious problem.
When I got my first camera, I didn’t realize different sensors were available. I had never heard of APS-C or full-frame. It wasn’t an issue. Pentax looked good so I bought one. Clearly, it was a mistake in hindsight.
Furthermore, I had no idea I’d eventually do a lot of night or lowlight shoots. ASP-C sensors aren’t ideal for those. Full-frame is so much better. Those can be heavier and more expensive, but the image quality is so much better. You can use a much higher ISO with less penalty.
So I have decided to jump ship. I going to purchase a Canon full-frame camera when I can afford it. They and the lenses are expensive, but it will happen. If you would like to help, please consider supporting me through this link. It will be sad leaving Fujifilm as they make tremendous cameras, but they don’t make what I currently need.
Conclusion
Koenji Awa Odori 2024 was another successful Tokyo event. Everything went smoothly and I got some good images. The crowd was friendly and many families were there. If you love Japanese festivals, you should put this one on your bucket list. Now I’m already looking forward to getting my new camera. Hopefully, it’ll be here by the end of the year.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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External related links:
- Tokyo Koenji Awa Odori (official website)