[gallery]

The 54th Annual Koenji Awa Dance Festival, sponsored in part by Yomiura Shimbun and the NPO Awa Odori Assocation, wrapped up festivities in Tokyo on the 29th with performances by over 4,300 dancers.� Though the sweltering days of summer continue in Japan, a reported 1.2 million spectators (Awa Odori Association) packed the streets of Nerima Ward's Koenji neighborhood to jockey for a view of the traditional dances, while lucky residents of the area enjoyed an aerial view from their balconies.

The Awa Dance Festival is a Japanese tradition with roots in Shikoku, one of the four main islands of Japan.� It's part of the annual Obon festivities honoring the spirits of the dead, and the dance is a lively mixture of performers in brightly colored yukata, traditional instruments, and a song known as "Awa Yoshikono".

Tokyo's Koenji festival was first held in the mid-fifties and is the second largest in Japan.� More than 150 dance groups, including 26 official Awa Odori Association groups, performed their unique renditions of the dance and song along eight different streets in the Koenji neighborhood.� The Awa Odori Matsuri continues to be one of Tokyo three largest end-of-summer festivals.

Sources: Yomiura Shimbun, Koenji Awa Odori Matsuri Association