Tuesday, August 13, 2024 Tokushima is revamping the Awa Odori Festival, tackling accommodation shortages to better accommodate the influx of tourists this summer. A city in Shikoku, one of the country’s four main islands, is seeking to liven up its Awa Odori dance festival amid the inbound tourism boom partly by addressing a shortage of accommodation. The vibrant summer festival in Tokushima attracts over a million spectators annually, but its economic impact has been limited due to a lack of available lodging, which hinders visitors from staying overnight.
The Awa Odori festival, which began on Sunday and runs through Thursday, is being held under heightened caution following Japan’s first-ever advisory for a potential major earthquake in the Nankai Trough, along the Pacific coast. Organizers have implemented measures to guide the public on evacuation procedures in case of a significant quake. Last year, the festival faced backlash over premium seating.
Tickets for elevated seats priced at 200,000 yen per person, aimed primarily at affluent international tourists, were found to breach building standards regulations, resulting in refunds. Festival-goers often stay in Takamatsu, located in the neighboring Kagawa Prefecture, where hotel options are more plentiful, according to local officials. To address the accommodation gap, the prefectural government has introduced a subsidy program to encourage the development of four-star hotels.
With Japan anticipating a record 35 mil.