高知よさこい 祭り 旅行, 日本

Kochi Yosakoi Matsuri Festival Tour, Japan

Festival History:- Kochi Yosakoi Matsuri is one of the unique dance style that is originated in Japan and performance at festivals and events throughout the country. This festival was first held in 1954 in Kochi and the dancing style has spread throughout Japan. The costumes used by Yosakoi teams vary widely and one of the defining aspects in life and by choosing colors and materials which matches the costumes. The official Yosakoi dance is based on a song called “ Yosakoi Naruko Dancing” which was written by “Takemasa Eisaku.” The traditional Naruko has black and yellow beaters on wooden body along with elements of different local folk songs and worked through dance routines.

Festival celebration:- The Yosakoi Festival in Kochi is one of the Japan’s 10th largest festivals. Its held for more than 60 years as a summer pastime for the people in Kochi. It is one of the energetic and powerful festival and it attracts fans from across the country every year. Dancers carry the “Naruko” wooden clappers and gyrate their hips. The festival is from August 9 to August 12 every year. It can also be said that the atmosphere of the Yosakoi festival is electric and enthusiastic through the Kochi Yosakoi Information Exchange Center all the year around. The original competition and festival which gives the copyright on Yosakoi Naruko dancing to the public.

There are certain rules to be followed which are as follows:-

1. Participants must use the Naruko clappers in the dance.

2. Any kind of musical arrangement is acceptable, but the music must contain at least some of the part of Takemasa’s original through Yosakoi Naruko dancing who perform in the city’s central arcade every Sunday from May to July and in front of JR Kochi station every Sunday from August to December.

3. Teams are limited to 150 participants.

Also, one can get the lunch at festival starting point area and had ate at the Tosa Select Shop Tencosu Cafe as one can found the food outside the windows while you eat. The drinks and cakes served at the cafe is bought by the locally grown products.

The festival has 200 teams participation with huge gathering and the dance is an elaborate frenzy along side the heavily decorated local floats as they cruise through streets of town to unique rhythms of the Naruko a local hand instrument. In this way, it is a very lively festival and any person planning the itinerary to Japan should schedule the festival at the time of the festival.