Yosakoi is a form of dance style originated in the city of Kochi, Shikoku Prefecture in 1954 as a modern rendition of Awa Odori, the traditional summer dance that has been explained in another  Honolulu Festival article. This dance style has become so very popular with the young people of Japan.  In fact so popular that there are numerous dance schools and teams throughout Japan that perform at festivals, school events and competition. This creative and very energetic form of dancing combines traditional dance with modern music and movements. The term “yosakoi” means “Hurry and become night” in the dialect of Tosa province, what is now called Kochi Prefecture.

What attracts the young and old to perform in these yosakoi teams is the desire to be creative and energetic.  The costumes can also be wild and varied based on the theme of the dance troupe.
A common instrument used is the “naruko”, small wooden clappers that were originally used by the Kochi farmers to scare birds away from their rice crops.  Other props such as drums, flags and batons are also used by the modern dance teams of today.

The most famous Yosakoi Matsuri (festival) takes place each August in the city of Kochi. Over 10,000 dancers participate in this festival. Yosakoi Matsuri has spread to other places such as Harajuku in Tokyo, Sapporo in Hokkaido, Nagasaki in Kyushu and Surabaya, Indonesia.