Yosakoi was started in Kochi in 1954 to help shore up the ailing economy and to encourage local citizens. It then spread not only throughout Japan, but also throughout the whole world. In Kochi City, where Yosakoi originated, the festival is held every year at 17 different venues for four days starting on the evening of August 9th, which is the Pre-Festival Show. Approximately 190 teams totaling almost 20,000 dancers participate in the main part of the festival on August 10th and 11th. Each team presents a creative and energetic dance, and their unique costumes, music, and choreography envelop the whole city in the Yosakoi Festival. On the 12th, the Post-Festival Show and the Yosakoi National Contest are held. Please visit Kochi and experience this festival, where the sound of wooden clappers resounds throughout the city.
Yosakoi
| 【Pre-Festival Show】 | Date: August 9 Venue: Chuo Koen ("Central Park") |
| 【Main Festival】 | Date: August 10 and 11 Venues: There are many sites for competition and performance around Kochi City, including Otesuji |
| 【Post-Festival Show/Yosakoi National Contest】 | Date: August 12 Venues: Otesuji, Chuo Koen, Obiyamachi Arcade, and Kochi Castle |
Kochi Yosakoi Museum
Once you enter, be sure to head left to the “Yosakoi Circle” first. Here you can learn about the basics and history of the festival. Afterward, pass through the “Yosakoi Tunnel” to the “Yosakoi Square.” In the theater and hands-on corner, you can experience the joys of the Yosakoi festival yourself.
| 【Access】 | 5 minutes by tram from Kochi Station. Get off at Harimayabashi, and walk for 5 minutes. |
