Journeys in Japan: 5x29

Gujo-hachiman: Dancing in the City of Water

Gujo-hachiman, a city defined by water, is located upstream on the Nagara River and at a junction where 3 rivers converge. This rural city is at its busiest in summer – the season of the Gujo Odori, which is a Bon Odori dance festival that has been registered as an important intangible folk-cultural property and lasts for roughly 30 days. The climax of the Gujo Odori is the Tetsuya Odori when people dance through the night until dawn for over 4 days. Gujo-hachiman is also known for its beautiful townscape that retains old waterways. Our traveler, reporter Akane Nakajima, learns Gujo Odori dances and explores a traditional life blessed with water.