平良博義

Hiroyoshi Taira

In the Awa Odori dance, zomeki refers to the buzz that fills the streets before the festival, as well as the revelry of dancers.

In January 2024, I learned there would be a funeral for Yukihiro Iwanami, head of Tokyo Tensusui-ren in Koenji. Tokyo Tensusui-ren is one of my favorite dance groups, and I wanted to attend to express gratitude for his years of dedication to Koenji Awa Odori. At the same time, I felt compelled to document Awa Odori as something deeply connected to life and death, and was granted permission to photograph the funeral.

Watching the dancers send him off with spirited movement, tears came to my eyes. The instruments echoing through the temple and the dancers’ calls of “Yattosa” seemed to speak to their late leader. I felt Awa Odori forges bonds that transcend blood ties. From that day on, I resolved to photograph Awa Odori as my own work. That August, I visited festivals in Tokushima and Koenji.

In Tokushima’s Tsuda district, during Obon, people light farewell fires to console spirits, dancing and playing music. Harusame Yanagimachi, leader of the Shinmachibashi Yoiyoi Bayashi group, died in May that year. The remaining members carried on his spirit, dancing and making sounds with the audience on Shinmachibashi Bridge.

No one’s death is in vain. It is etched in the hearts of those who remain and, in time, transformed into dance and sound. The long history of Awa Odori holds emotions passed down through generations, creating the fervor that envelops the town. That is zomeki.