Japanese dancers promote local charm to lure Shanghai tourists

A tourism promotion event of Tokushima Prefecture, on the southwestern island of Shikoku in Japan, was held in Changning district over the weekend, featuring traditional local performances and cultural exchange activities to lure Shanghai tourists.

Performers from Tokushima brought Awa Odori, a traditional Japanese dance of the prefecture, with a history dating to 400 years ago to Shanghai residents. 

Awa is the former name of Tokushima Prefecture, while Odori means dance.

The Awa Odori festival is held in the prefecture in mid-August every year, attracting tens of thousands of tourists. During the festival, locals perform the Japanese traditional dance in regional costumes, accompanied by strings, drums, and singing.

Indigo dye products of the prefecture were also displayed during the event. Indigo dyeing and drawing are some of the typical activities of Tokushima.