Yosakoi Explained

What is Yosakoi? The Yosakoi Festival is held every year for four days from August 9th to the 12th in Kochi City. On the 9th, the Yosakoi Eve Festival and the Fireworks Festival are held. On the 10th and 11th the Yosakoi Dance Festival is held. On the 12th, the Closing Festival is held.    The first day, the 9th, from 6:30 P.M. to 10:00 P.M., the Yosakoi Eve Festival is held in Kochi's Chuo Koen ("Central Park"). Also, on the same day, from 7:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., the fireworks festival is held along the banks of the Kagami River which flows through the center of Kochi City. The 10th & 11th are the main dancing days with teams competing in various venues throughout the city.    Also, from 7:00 P.M. to 9:50 P.M. on 12th, the Closing Festival will be held in Kochi's Chuo Koen. When did Yosakoi begin? The Yosakoi Festival (and the Fireworks Festival along the banks of the Kagami River) began in August 1954 as a promotional event organized by the members of Kochi's Chamber of Commerce. Back then, there were only 21 dancing teams with a total of 750 people participating. Now, more than 10,000 people participate! What does Yosakoi mean? Yosakoi means "come at night" or "come tonight."