4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: 18,000 dancers join Yosakoi Festival in Kochi
KOCHI -- The 72nd Yosakoi Festival began on Aug. 10 in Kochi. About 18,000 dancers from 188 teams joined. This is four more teams and about 1,000 more dancers than last year. The main event lasted over two days and ended on Aug. 11.
Dancers in bright costumes danced with "naruko" clappers at 16 places in the city. They can choose their own costumes and music. The only rules are to carry naruko and to include the words "Yosakoi naruko odori" in the music.
The festival started in 1954. Volunteers, including people from the Kochi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made it to cheer people up during hard times after World War II. It began with 750 dancers. Now it is a big event and many tourists come from Japan and other countries.
On Aug. 10, the dancing started at 11 a.m. Dancers smiled and moved to music from "jikatasha" parade trucks. People watched and cheered, even in the rain. A local woman said, "Summer in Kochi Prefecture wouldn't be the same without Yosakoi. I hope the festival continues forever."
(Japanese original by Satoshi Kobayashi, Kochi Bureau)
Vocabulary
Yosakoi: a dance festival that started in the city of Kochi
naruko: small wooden clappers held in the hands
