- 2023.07.19
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Information and tips for the Yosakoi Festival
We’re less than a month away from the Yosakoi Festival and the excitement is really building here in Kochi City! Whether you are joining us this year or have never heard of this festival, here’s a quick breakdown
What is the Yosakoi Festival?
It’s a four-day annual festival that typically attracts over 20,000 dancers from Japan and across the world! Originally beginning in 1954 to help boost people’s morale during the postwar depression, the Yosakoi Festival continues to bring people immense hope and joy nearly 70 years later through energetic dance, diverse music, and vibrant costumes!
Where and when?
The festival will happen in Kochi City from August 9th to 12th. Performances on the 9th are taking place at Central Park, teams will dance across 17 different venues on the 10th and 11th, and finally, 4 venues will set the stage on the 12th. Check out the map of the venues here: http://www.cciweb.or.jp/kochi/yosakoiweb/stage/
Do I need to buy tickets?
Only if you want to book a seat to guarantee a good view of the dance performances in one of the main venues. However, most areas are standing only, so you can watch yosakoi teams dance around the city for free! But if you’re interested, you can purchase seats here: https://welcome-kochi.jp/yosakoi/sajikiseki.html
How should I prepare for the festival?
If you have some time, I recommend visiting the Kochi Yosakoi Information Exchange Center (free admission) where you can learn the dances, try on some colorful costumes, and even make your own wooden naruko clappers to bring on festival day!
Tips
If you want to avoid peak crowds, I recommend heading out to the venues early and catching some of the morning performances! Check out the daily schedule here: http://www.cciweb.or.jp/kochi/yosakoiweb/schedule/
The summer heat can get quite intense during the day so remember to take breaks, drink lots of water, put on sunscreen, wear a hat, use a UV protection umbrella, etc. There are also plenty of evening performances, so you don’t have to push yourself to stay out all day!
Learn more about the Yosakoi Festival: https://visitkochijapan.com/en/highlights/yosakoi
What is the Yosakoi Festival?
It’s a four-day annual festival that typically attracts over 20,000 dancers from Japan and across the world! Originally beginning in 1954 to help boost people’s morale during the postwar depression, the Yosakoi Festival continues to bring people immense hope and joy nearly 70 years later through energetic dance, diverse music, and vibrant costumes!
Where and when?
The festival will happen in Kochi City from August 9th to 12th. Performances on the 9th are taking place at Central Park, teams will dance across 17 different venues on the 10th and 11th, and finally, 4 venues will set the stage on the 12th. Check out the map of the venues here: http://www.cciweb.or.jp/kochi/yosakoiweb/stage/
Do I need to buy tickets?
Only if you want to book a seat to guarantee a good view of the dance performances in one of the main venues. However, most areas are standing only, so you can watch yosakoi teams dance around the city for free! But if you’re interested, you can purchase seats here: https://welcome-kochi.jp/yosakoi/sajikiseki.html
How should I prepare for the festival?
If you have some time, I recommend visiting the Kochi Yosakoi Information Exchange Center (free admission) where you can learn the dances, try on some colorful costumes, and even make your own wooden naruko clappers to bring on festival day!
Tips
If you want to avoid peak crowds, I recommend heading out to the venues early and catching some of the morning performances! Check out the daily schedule here: http://www.cciweb.or.jp/kochi/yosakoiweb/schedule/
The summer heat can get quite intense during the day so remember to take breaks, drink lots of water, put on sunscreen, wear a hat, use a UV protection umbrella, etc. There are also plenty of evening performances, so you don’t have to push yourself to stay out all day!
Learn more about the Yosakoi Festival: https://visitkochijapan.com/en/highlights/yosakoi
