Kochi Yosakoi Matsuri 2026: Shikoku’s High-Energy Dance Festival

Shikoku · KochiDance

Around 18,000 dancers with clappers and choreographed floats fill central Kochi in the festival that launched the nationwide yosakoi craze.

Overview

The Yosakoi Matsuri, born in Kochi in 1954, is the original of the fast, freewheeling dance style now copied across Japan. During the main days, roughly 200 teams and about 18,000 dancers perform at some 16 venues around central Kochi City, watched by around a million spectators. Teams mix traditional naruko hand clappers with modern music, bold costumes and rolling sound trucks for a joyously high-energy show.

When & Where

9–12 August 2026: an eve festival on 9 August, the main festival on 10–11 August, and a national competition and closing festival on 12 August. Venues cluster around central Kochi City.

Getting There

Kochi City is reached by air to Kochi Ryoma Airport, or by the JR Dosan Line across Shikoku. The festival venues are central and walkable, linked by Kochi’s tram (Tosaden) network; the Obiyamachi arcade and Otesuji are focal points.

What to Expect

Teams parade and dance along set courses and stages, each with its own choreography, costumes and float. The naruko clappers are the one unifying rule; everything else, from enka to rock, is fair game. Evenings bring the biggest crowds and the most polished performances.

Tickets & Access

Watching the street and stage performances is free and needs no ticket. Reserved seating is sold for some premium venues on the main days for those who want a guaranteed close-up view.

Access and Map

Source: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
Image: Photo: 工房 やまもも / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (license)