Over 1,000 performers dressed in the Japanese kimono danced to traditional music in western Japan's Tokushima on Monday night, kicking off the annual Awa Odori festival. /VCG Photo

More than 1 million people are expected to join the four-day extravaganza, one of Japan's most famous summer dance festivals. /VCG Photo

Dancers paraded along the streets, dancing to lively tunes of chimes, drums and flutes. /VCG Photo

The festival originates from a Japanese Buddhist custom which honors the spirits of ancestors, Japan Today reports. /VCG Photo