新聞記事に見る戦後の阿波踊り : 戦後の阿波踊りを支えたもの

There exist many folk dances which have been inherited from one generation to another in Tokushima. More than 50 folk dances were recorded in the study undertaken in 1966. But many of them were not well-known even within the prefecture，let alone outside of the prefecture. Only the Awa Dance enjoys its fame as a dance representing the prefecture. In comparison with the other folk dance in Tokushima，the Awa Dance became popoular in the post-war-period. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the factors that led the Awa Dance to represent the prefecture.
The articles related to the Awa Dance that appeared in the Tokushima Newspaper from 1946 through 1955 were sorted into a chronological table covering administrative，economic and popular efforts to promote it. They were then examined togather with the references concerning the Awa Dance.
The results are summarized as the following:
1) Because of the paucity of sightseeing resources in the prefecture，the Awa Dance was chosen to appeal to people outside the prefecture. (The Awa dance was not really supported as a cultural event.)
2) In order to recruit many participants in dancing，the administrative and the economic bodies prepared championship flags，certificates of commendation，prize money，etc and held contents so that people good at dancing and fond of it could compete one another.
3) As a result，the dancing itself became refined and fit for appreciation，ultimately increasing the number of visitors.
4) Positive economic support was given from the administrative and the economic bodies making it possible not to depend upon donations from town associations and Buddhism parishes.
5) The development of the Awa dance，which now shows a great deal of variations，is not only due to the efforts of people dancing and supporting it but also due to the unique characteristics of the dancing itself，which are not found in other folk dances in Japan.