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The Mainichi
3 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
The Mainichi
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Dancers light up west Japan city with vibrant costumes, music during 72nd Yosakoi Festival
KOCHI -- The 72nd edition of Kochi Prefecture's largest summer event, the Yosakoi Festival, began in this western Japan city on Aug. 10, with around 18,000 dancers from 188 teams based within the prefecture and elsewhere participating. This is an increase of four teams and about 1,000 dancers compared to last year. The main event takes place over two days, ending on Aug. 11. Participants dressed in vibrant costumes dance energetically while holding "naruko" clappers at 16 designated performance venues across the city. The festival was launched in 1954, led by volunteers including members of the Kochi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, aiming to cheer up citizens and dispel the economic gloom due to the postwar recession. With hopes that it will grow into a long-lasting event like the traditional Awa Odori dance festival in neighboring Tokushima Prefecture, the Yosakoi Festival has grown into a major event from a modest beginning with just 750 dancers. Now, as the origin of Yosakoi-related events that have spread nationwide, the festival attracts many tourists from both Japan and overseas. Participants are free to choose their own costumes and music. The only requirements are that they carry "naruko" clappers and that the phrase "Yosakoi naruko odori" appears somewhere in their music. Performers began to dance at each venue from 11 a.m. on Aug. 10. Dancers in colorful outfits appeared with bright smiles, led by "jikatasha" parade trucks blasting music, drawing cheers from the spectators. Despite the unfortunate rainy weather, a local resident watching at a venue located in a shopping street applauded the dancers. She said, "Summer in Kochi Prefecture wouldn't be the same without Yosakoi. I hope the festival continues forever." A national Yosakoi competition will be held on Aug. 12.
