Text by MOOK Scenic Spots House | Photos by Kochi Prefecture, Japan
The energetic and passionate Kochi YOSAKOI Festival, with a history of 65 years, is held annually from August 9 to 12. Each year, up to 20,000 dancers gather in the city's 16 performance venues for a tour of performances.
The festival’s dynamic charm attracts around 1.1 million domestic and international visitors every year. This year, 207 teams will participate, with performers from Hanshin Department Store Group taking part in the 10th’s main event and national competition. A student dance team from Hsinchu County will also join the main event.
In addition to the August YOSAKOI Festival, you can also enjoy performances by 20–30 teams at the following events.
November: Ryoma Christmas Festival
March: Tosa’s “Okyaku” (Banquet)http://www.tosa-okyaku.com(Japanese only)
Teams from the Kochi YOSAKOI Festival also perform at major events in Taiwan. The scheduled appearances through March next year are as follows. The Taiwan Lantern Festival will mark the team’s seventh consecutive participation in 2019.
October: International Drum Art Festival (Hsinchu County)
February: 2019 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Pingtung
【Info】
2018 YOSAKOI Festival Schedule
August 9 (Thu): Preliminary Festival
August 10 (Fri) – August 11 (Sat): Main Festival
August 12 (Sun): National Competition, Closing Festival
Official Website (Japanese only):http://cciweb.or.jp/kochi/yosakoiweb
YOSAKOI Festival Information Website (English):http://yosakoi-nippon.jp