Cart
0
0円
Getting There
Getting to Kochi from Tokyo: Low cost carriers operate from Narita Airport and both ANA and JAL have flights from Haneda to Kochi Airport.
From Tokyo Station: Take a Shinkansen Bullet Train as far as Okayama. The Limited Express Nanpu Service from Okayama to Kochi takes about 2 hours 40 minutes.
The Yosakoi Festival is performed at 16 venues throughout Kochi City; 9 of which are for dance competitions and 7 of which are just for fun.
There is a lot of activity right at Kochi Station too.
History of the Festival
Much like another famous festival on the island of Shikoku, Awa Odori, the Yosakoi Festival has origins in the summer o-bon dances found in many areas of Japan. These o-bon dances are connected to old Buddhist traditions.
The first official festival was held in the 1950s. This is quite recent compared to other dance-related events in Japan. It explains to some extent the great mix of contemporary and traditional styles that the troupes include in their moves.
The first festival was put on in an effort to boost the regional economy during a time of recession and has brought joy and enthusiasm to the city of Kochi ever since then.