Each year, one of the last festivals of Saitama City’s ‘summer’ festivals is the Kita Urawa Awa Odori. Awa Odori, or Awa dance, a type of traditional dance. Groups of choreographed dancers wear traditional obon dance costumes, chanting and singing as they parade through the streets of Urawa. Awa Odori is typically associated with Obon, which is on in the summer month of August. But in Urawa this Awa Odori festival always falls in Autumn! Before the pandemic it was on around the middle of September. But since it started back up, after a hiatus during the pandemic, its been on later in September. In 2026, it is on – all things equal – Saturday September 26th.
Kita Urawa Awa Odori
Each year, Saitama City has dozens of festivals known collectively as the Saitama City Summer festivals. The festivals are further categorized in to regions. As such, Kita Urawa Awa Odori is one of the Urawa Festivals. It is often the last of not just the Urawa festivals, but of all summer festivals in Saitama City. But this year, for the first time ever, the popular Dolls Town Iwatsuki Festival, with a human dolls display, is on in October.
Apart from dance performances parading the streets, there is usually attractions for kids. For example, in previous years they could dress up in fire fighting outfits and / or meet mascots. There are usually musical performances too. Before the pandemic, the awa odori and children’s portable shrine generally started around 5 pm. However, since 2023 the festival now finishes at 5 pm!
They festival usually goes ahead if there is light rain, but there maybe changes to the schedule or even cancellation if there is heavy rain, a typhoon or other unforeseen circumstances.
The featured image (at the top of the post) is from the Saitama Tourism and International Relations Bureau (STIB).
Information
Event: Kita Urawa Awa Odori 第45回北浦和阿波おどり
Date: Saturday September 26th 2026
Time: from 1 pm to 5 pm
Cost: there is no admission fee
Venue: Happy Road Shopping Street, 〒330-0074 Saitama, Urawa Ward, Kitaurawa, 4 Chome−9−1 ネスト北浦和ステーションフロント. View on Google Maps.
Access
The festival is held on Happy Road Shopping Street, beside the West exit of Kita Urawa station, on the Musashino line, up to the Kita Urawa branch of Aeon. The street is pedestrianized for the festival. There is no official parking for the festival and it is advised that you come on foot, by bike or by train.
For more seasonal and weekend events in Saitama, please see the main events category.
Last update September 2026.
the dancers appear to be floating….