Awa Odori, Japan's signature summer dance festival, opens with 600 dancers

TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Awa Odori, one of Japan's signature summer dance festivals, opened Tuesday in Tokushima Prefecture, where about 600 performers from leading local troupes staged a joint show at a hall.

The opening day featured three performances. In one of them, dancers came down from the stage into the audience area, drawing enthusiastic applause and cheers from spectators who watched the powerful moves up close.