Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話 ニュースディスカッション教材
The Shikoku town of Tokushima is creating a new committee to plan and fund the iconic Awa Odori,
bringing back its festivities after two years of COVID-19 uncertainties.
Summer festivals and Awa Odori are often thought of in tandem, especially in the Shikoku town of
Tokushima, which boasts one of the most famous festivals featuring the traditional Japanese
dancing. The warm nights of the season invite the colorful footwork and graceful hands of trained
experts
and townspeople, alike. Yet, the talents that go into production have been threatened by the impact of
COVID-19, which shut down many festivals over the past two years.
One town is fighting back. Tokushima, located on the eastern corner of Shikoku Island, created an
executive committee specifically “for the future of Awa Odori.”
The new organization, set up by Tokushima City and the local business community, is solely focused on
supporting the festival. The first meeting, held April 8, discussed the scale of the town’s 2022
festivities,
the likely costs and sources for its income, and the COVID-19 situation.
The city announced in February that it will hold the 2022 Awa Odori Dance Festival outdoors from August
12 to 15, during the Buddhist obon festival for honoring the dead. Barring any large-scale explosion in
the
number of infections, the city confirmed that it would set up two areas for viewing the event, one paid
and
the other free.
The seating capacity would be held to about 60% of capacity. Tickets sales for seats, part of the
fundraising, will open from late June.
The city tourism association had run the festival activities including Tokushima’s Awa Odori festival,
for
years. However, the association went bankrupt after its large cumulative deficit became public, and a
private consortium has been in charge of its operation since 2019.
Moreover, the consortium and the business group involved in the festival had clashed over who should
shoulder the financial burden caused by the cancellation of the festival for two years due to the
pandemic.
This prompted Mayor Sawako Naito to dissolve the group and set up a new one.
Since 2020 the city has been the sole sponsor of the 3-day shortened version of the event.
徳島市と地元経済界などでつくる阿波おどりの新たな主催団体「阿波おどり未来へつなぐ実行委員会」が８日、発足
した。市内で初会合を開き、新型コロナウイルスの感染状況に応じた今夏の開催規模や収支計画などを議論した。
市は今年の阿波おどりを、コロナ禍前と同様の８月１２～１５日に屋外で開催する方針を２月に示している。初会合で
は、大規模な感染拡大が生じていない場合に、有料と無料の観覧場所を２カ所ずつ設けて座席の収容率を約６０％
に抑えるなどの対策を講じることを確認した。観覧席のチケット販売は６月以降になる見通し。
徳島市の阿波おどりは、長く市観光協会が運営していたが、多額の累積赤字が発覚し破産。令和元年から民間の共
同事業体が運営を担った。コロナ禍の影響で中止となった令和２年分の資金負担をめぐり、内藤佐和子市長が委員
長を務めた実行委（解散）と事業体が対立。３日間に短縮して開かれた昨年は、暫定的に市が主催した。