Here you can see the wooden clappers which are a common part of the yosakoi (Photo: Laura Welch)

Michinoku Yosakoi 2024

Beauty, color and energetic spectacle!

Laura Welch   - 1 min read
Venue : Kotodai park When : Early Oct 2024

Yosakoi is a modern form of traditional Japanese dance, which began in 1954. Festivals are held all over Japan, with Sendai's Michinoku Yosakoi being the third largest. At the festival, the number of dancers, their age and gender vary widely, as do the costumes and music they dance to. It's an exciting and beautiful spectacle, which takes place every October. They choose a weekend closest to the 10th (statistically the date most likely to have good weather). The first festival took place in 1998 and it has been going strong ever since.

You can see performances around the city, with a concentration of groups around Kotodai-koen (Kotodai Park), and the parade on Jozenji-dori (Jozenji Avenue).

Laura Welch

Laura Welch @laura.welch

One of my favourite things about Japan is the wonderful variety of food, and I love to share what I find. When I'm not eating, you might find me singing karaoke or walking around hoping to make new discoveries!