Yosakoi Festival: The Free and Powerful Dance Festival That Kochi is Proud of

Yosakoi Festival: Kochi's Summer Festival Full of Freedom and Vitality

The "Yosakoi Festival" held in Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture, from August 9–12 every year is a relatively new festival that began in 1954. Based on "Yosakoi Naruko Dance," it is characterized by a style where teams compete with their own choreography, costumes, and production, known nationwide as one of Shikoku's Three Great Festivals.

Yosakoi Rules

Yosakoi rules are simple: ① Using the "Yosakoi Naruko Dance" melody as a base, ② All dancers holding "naruko" (wood instruments like castanets), ③ Moving forward. With just these three rules, everything else is free. Costumes, music, and choreography are left to each team's ingenuity.

National Spread

The spirit of yosakoi has spread nationwide, with "yosakoi-style" festivals being born throughout the country including Hokkaido's "YOSAKOI Soran Festival" and Nagoya's "Domatsuri." As participatory festivals, citizens, companies, schools, and others actively participate.

Yosakoi Venues and Viewing

"Kyoen-jo" (competition venues) are set up throughout Kochi city, with paid seats and free viewing areas. Evening performances are particularly fantastical, with the brilliance of lighting and costumes captivating spectators.

Access

Accessible from JR Kochi Station on foot or by streetcar. Early hotel reservations during the festival period are essential.

Practical Information for the Festival (2026)

• Dates: Sunday 9 August 2026, eve festival / Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 August (public holiday), the main days / Wednesday 12 August, closing festival and the 73rd national Yosakoi competition
• 9 August, eve festival: the Tosa student Yosakoi competition (Kochi Castle) 11:00-15:00 / the safety prayer ceremony and eve festival (Toyo Denka Central Park) 17:00-21:30 / the Kochi City summer fireworks display (the banks of the Kagami River) 19:45-21:00
• 10 and 11 August, the main days: 16 venues around Kochi City. The Otesuji main competition venue runs 13:15-17:15 in the afternoon and 17:45-21:30 in the evening. Obiyamachi 11:00-22:00, Toyo Denka Central Park 11:30-22:00; Kamimachi, Masugata, Manma, Atago, Saiembajo, Umenotsuji, Harimayabashi, Kochi Station front, Kyomachi, Hata and Kochi Castle 12:30-21:30; Kochi University 11:00-14:00; Yanagimachi 17:30-21:30 (on the 11th, local teams only). The Asahi dance venue did not run in 2026
• 12 August, closing festival and national competition: opening ceremony of the national competition (Kochi Castle) 12:30-13:00 / the national Yosakoi competition (Toyo Denka Central Park) 13:00-18:00 / Kochi Castle, Otesuji and Obiyamachi 13:15-22:00 / the award ceremony and closing festival (Toyo Denka Central Park) 18:30-22:00
• Sajiki seating at the Otesuji venue (organised by the Kochi City Tourism Association; covers the main days on 10 and 11 August and the national competition on the 12th)
• General seats (all reserved, bench seating, about 60 cm of width per person): afternoon B seats 1,000 yen / A seats 2,000 yen; evening B seats 2,000 yen / A seats 3,000 yen
• Wheelchair area (free space inside a tent): afternoon B 500 yen / A 1,000 yen; evening B 1,000 yen / A 1,500 yen
• Parasol seats (a table with a parasol, seating four) 15,000 yen per session or 25,000 yen for a through ticket; group areas 30,000 yen per session or 50,000 yen for a through ticket
• General sales open at 10:00 on 29 June (Ticket Pia / Seven-Eleven, P-codes 661-173, 661-174 and 661-175 / Lawson Ticket, L-code 62022 / e-plus). Free for children aged three and under. All seats are sold in advance, and same-day tickets are released only if any remain
• Paid seating at the Toyo Denka Central Park venue (for the eve festival on 9 August and the closing festival on the 12th) goes on sale at 10:00 on 5 July through Lawson Ticket
• In wet weather: the festival goes ahead in light rain, but the sajiki seats have no roof. You cannot watch while holding an umbrella, so bring a rain poncho. There are no refunds except when a performance is cancelled outright because of heavy rain or similar
• Heat precautions and rules: among the general seats at the Otesuji main venue, the side towards Otemae High School has no shade netting above it and gets extremely hot during the day. Bring a hat, plenty of water and sun protection. Smoking, pets, drones, and photography with selfie sticks or tripods are prohibited inside the venues. At the Kyomachi dance venue, visitors are asked not to stop in front of the apartment buildings or where cones have been placed, and to watch from the south side

Note: parking, which food stalls will open, temporary toilets and the 2026 traffic restriction map are not published officially (the restriction map on the official website is marked as the 2025 version).

(Source: Yosakoi Festival Promotion Association official website; Kochi City Tourism Association)

📚 Sources

The Yosakoi Festival introduced in this article, its start in 1954, the basic rule of dancing with naruko clappers in hand, teams dancing through the competition and performance venues in the city, and the jikatasha lead vehicle that guides each team are organized based on festival information published by Kochi City, the Kochi City tourism association and the Yosakoi Festival Promotion Association, and information from the prefectural tourism and convention association. Descriptions such as music based on the Tosa folk song Yosakoi-bushi also draw on public information. Because the schedule, venues and access may change by year, please confirm official information before you visit.

Visitor Checklist

• Time estimate: A few hours to enjoy a favorite team at one venue, or a full day to tour multiple venues for the full experience.
• What to prepare: As a midsummer outdoor event, frequent hydration and heat measures such as a hat are essential. Wear comfortable shoes to tour several venues.
• Best timing: It is held every year from August 9 to 12. The eve festival, fireworks, main days and after-festival bustle day after day, and the whole town turns Yosakoi-colored.
• Suggested route: From JR Kochi Station, tour the performance venues on foot or by tram and enjoy your favorite teams performances up close. Combine with Kochi Castle and Hirome Market to savor the Tosa summer.