Toshusai – Awaodori Beauties

Here’s a few photos I took in last year’s big Awaodori dance festival in Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa district. This is the Toshusai (東洲斎), a wonderfully photogenic team that have grown to 61 members in less than the five years of its existence. They have a very clean white and blue uniform with a kabuki theater pattern that really stands out with the black and red details of their dress. A very stylish dance team! Only a few months left now until the proper start of the Awaodori season.

Kyoudou Murasakiren – Shimokitazawa Awaodori

Winter is tough for us Awaodori lovers, there’s not a festival in sight, no drums to be heard, no cries of “Yatto yatto!” to announce the arrival of the Awaodori dancers. Here’s a team that I caught for the second time that year, here in the Shimokitazwa Awaodori festival, in Tokyo’s Setagaya ward. This team looks brand new but is in fact one of the old kids on the block, formed in 1973 to promote the shops at Nodai Street (農大通り), here they are performing to promote another shopping street not that far away from their home turf! The Kyoudou Murasakiren (経堂むらさき連) is really good fun to watch and I caught them right in the best spot to snap their photos. Enjoy!

More Shinoburen – Shimokitazawa Awaodori

More pictures of the wonderful Shinoburen (しのぶ連 or 忍連) at last months Shimokitazawa Awaodori festival in Tokyo’s Setagaya ward. Can’t get enough of this group and their superbly timed dancing. They really work hard to make the most use of the long stretch of road in their dances with some more intricate maneuvers. Enjoy!

Shinoburen – Shimokitazawa

At the annual Awaodori festival in Shimokitazawa the Shinoburen (しのぶ連 or 忍連) did a great performance as usual. For some reason I always end up with pretty decent shots of this group’s performance. They have some excellent drummers and a wide range of talented dancers and I guess they are one of the most famous Awaodori groups out of Suginami ward in central Tokyo.I took these with my Nikon D700 and 50mm prime lens combination. More photos to come this week of this excellent group! Enjoy!