Awa Odori Kaikan, Tokushima

Shibuya246 · 2 October 2010 · 10 photos

A city street with palm trees and green hills behind — Palm trees and Mt Bizan behind the city.

On my Shikoku trip in October 2010 I spent a morning in Tokushima, the home of Awa Odori, one of Japan's biggest summer dance festivals. If you are not there in August, the Awa Odori Kaikan at the foot of Mt Bizan is the next best thing: it has a hall with live dance shows every day, a small museum, and the bottom station of the ropeway up the mountain.

A wide road and footbridge in central Tokushima — Central Tokushima.

Wooden shelters with curved roofs in a plaza — Shelters shaped like the straw hats worn by the dancers.

A plaza with palm trees and wooden shelters — The plaza in front of the station.

Dancers in white with blue headbands performing on stage — A live Awa Odori show in the hall.

A display of Awa Odori posters and decorations — Posters from past festivals.

A small display case with pottery — Local crafts on display.

A shop display with dolls and Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes — Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes, a local speciality, in the souvenir shop.

Bronze statues of Awa Odori dancers on top of a red postbox — Awa Odori dancers on top of a postbox.

From here I took the ropeway up to the top of Mt Bizan for the view over the city.

I took these photos in October 2010 and only got round to posting them in 2026.

Visiting today · Tokushima, Shikoku

Visiting Awa Odori Kaikan, Tokushima today

Checked October 2026 · next check January 2027

Added by Shibuya246, separate from the original post above. Facts are checked every quarter against the sources below. Check opening times and prices before you go.

What it is: A hall at the foot of Mt Bizan dedicated to Awa Odori, Tokushima's famous summer dance festival. It has a performance hall (2F), the Awa Odori Museum (3F), and the Bizan Ropeway station (5F).
Shows: Live Awa Odori performances at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 (about 40 minutes each), plus an evening show at 20:00 (about 50 minutes).
Hours: Museum 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:45). Bizan Ropeway 9:00–17:30, until 21:00 April–October.
Closed: The 2nd Wednesday of June, September, December and February, and 28 December–1 January. Check the official site for current admission prices.
Best time: The real festival fills the city streets in mid-August every year.

Best time