YOSAKOI Soran Festival, Hokkaido

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Mixed “Yosakoi Festival” and Hokkaido folk song “Soran Bushi”

“YOSAKOI Soran Festival” is a feature of Sapporo in early summer. The dancers wearing “Naruko” (musical instrument), dressed in unique costumes, are enchanted by the dynamic performance. It is a big event that attracts about 2 million people every year. The festival is held in more than a dozen venues in the city, and there are many participating teams. For the first time, you will be wondering where and what to look for.
The YOSAKOI Soran Festival was created and planned by local Hokkaido students. The students were impressed by the power seen in Kochi Prefecture, the home of the “Yosakoi Festival”, and thought that they wanted to hold such an event in Sapporo. Then, in 1992, “YOSAKOI Soran Festival” was held, which mixes “Yosakoi Festival” and Hokkaido folk song “Soran Bushi”.

The first festival started with 10 teams. Since then, the number of participating teams has increased with each repetition, and in recent years it has grown to a major event involving 300 teams.

At the YOSAKOI Soran Festival, teams and tourists from all over Japan are now available because they can be enjoyed regardless of age, gender or hometown. Recently, overseas teams have also participated.
The festival is held in early June every year. The maximum temperature in Sapporo in June is around 20 degrees a year. The weather is good enough for long-sleeved clothes or short-sleeved clothes if sunny. However, it is a good idea to have your own jacket, as it can get cold in the evenings or when there is no sunshine.

“Odori Park” is a large park that extends about 1.5 km east and west from the center of Sapporo.

Charms and Highlights of “YOSAKOI Soran Festival”

Hokkaido’s early summer tradition

“YOSAKOI Soran Festival” to be held in Hokkaido Sapporo City in early June every year. It is a famous festival nationwide as a scene of early summer of Hokkaido. A lot of tourists visit from all over the country trying to see the great dance. That number is over 2 million people a year. It is a big event of early summer that represents Japan precisely.
This festival is held in Sapporo City, Hokkaido every June. Set in various parts of the city centering on Odori Park Street which is the main street of Sapporo, the dancers are moving in accordance with the melody of “Soran Bushi” (traditional work song of Hokkaido herring fishery workers), the town is enthusiastic.
Team gathered from all over the country will perform, but there are only two rules.
Having “Naruko” (musical instrument) in hand
Put the phrase of the “Soran Bushi” into the song
All other dances, songs and costumes can be decided freely by the team.

At “YOSAKOI Soran Festival” you can enjoy parade and stage style performances. At the parade venue of Odori Park Street, you can see a parade that will take place over 500 meters in length. Also, at “Odori Park 8-chome venue”, it is an open stage that takes full advantage of the atmosphere of the park full of greenery. The stage surrounded by refreshing fresh green under the blue sky is a symbol of “YOSAKOI Soran Festival” set in Hokkaido. The performance that is unfolded at this stage gives a different impression from the parade. You can also see a hot competition of the semifinal final at this “8-chome venue”.
It is not only Japan domestically participating in the performance, recently there are even participants from overseas.

The audiences of 2 million from inside and outside the country

Speaking of the symbol of the early summer of Sapporo, it is “YOSAKOI Soran Festival”. The performances full of the dynamism gain popularity, and it is a big event gathering the audiences of 2 million from inside and outside the country every year.
YOSAKOI Soran Festival which greets the 25th year in 2016. Although the history is unexpectedly short, the popularity is circulated not only in Hokkaido but also the whole country and overseas, now.

The origin is the “YOSAKOI Festival” of Kochi

YOSAKOI Soran Festival was born in 1992, and has its origin in the “YOSAKOI Festival” of Kochi, with the mix of “Naruko” (wooden percussion instrument) of Yosakoi Festival and Soran Bushi (A Folk Tune Interjected as a Refrain of Soran) of Hokkaido.

Gain popularity as new Japanese culture

In recent years the participants from the foreign countries increase, too, it gains popularity as new Japanese culture.
As for the huge big catch flag, the drum performance and the gorgeous clothes, you will be under the spell of the force of the dance performance once you see it.

Sapporo is wrapped in heat

It is performed in 20 places in Sapporo-shi, and the whole town of Sapporo is wrapped in heat. Including the team of a university and the local government in Hokkaido, the all over the country and overseas of approximately 300 teams perform a dance which is full of the individuality.

The vivid clothes and make are one of the highlight.

You can see the dance from along a street and a seat of the stage in Odori Park of the main site.
There is also “Waodori Square” which can perform adventitious player participation and a booth which can taste the noted product of national every place. Other than energetic arrangement of a dance, the vivid clothes and make are one of the highlight.

Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)

Name:	YOSAKOI Soran Festival
Adresse:	Odorinishi 8-chome Sapporo Chuo-ku, Hokkaido 060-0042 Japan
Access:	Sapporo Municipal Subway Tozai-sen Line “Nishi11-chomei-eki Station” (3 minutes walk)
Tel:	(+81) 11-231-4351 (YOSAKOI Soran Festival Organizing Committee)
Price / Charge:	Free There are also seats for a fee.
Official site:	http://www.yosakoi-soran.jp/