Every August, Kochi city changes. The quiet streets fill with music, color and thousands of dancers. This is Yosakoi, and it is the biggest event of the year in Kochi. If your cruise ship calls at the Kochi cruise port in early August, you may arrive on one of the most exciting days of the whole year in this city.

This summer I guided two different groups during the festival, one on August 10 and one on August 12. Both days were completely different, and both were unforgettable. Here is what a Yosakoi shore excursion in Kochi really looks like.

What Is Yosakoi?

Yosakoi started in Kochi in 1954. After the war, the city wanted something happy to lift people up. A local group took the old folk song “Yosakoi Bushi” and turned it into a street dance. Today more than 200 teams and about 18,000 dancers join every year, and the style has spread to over 200 cities across Japan. But Kochi is where it began, and Kochi is still the real thing.

There are two rules for every team. First, the dancers must move forward while they dance. Second, they must hold naruko, small wooden clappers, in both hands. Everything else is free. That is why you will see a team in traditional kimono, then a team in bright modern costumes, then a team dancing to rock music, all in the same hour.

The energy is hard to describe. When a team passes in front of you, the dancers are smiling, shouting and giving everything they have. One of my guests said he had never seen anything like it, and I think that is the honest reaction of almost every first time visitor.

When the Festival Happens

Yosakoi runs for four days every August. August 9 is the eve festival with fireworks. August 10 and 11 are the two main days, when the whole city center becomes a stage. August 12 is the national competition and the closing parade, where the best teams dance again.

For cruise ship passengers this is useful to know. If your ship calls on the 10th or the 11th, you will see the festival at its biggest. If you arrive on the 12th, you will see the highest level of dancing, because only the winning teams perform. There is no bad day.

Seven Years Inside a Yosakoi Team

I do not only watch this festival. For seven years I was the person in charge of a company team here in Kochi, and our team received an award three times.

Being part of a team is a year round job. In winter we chose the song and asked a choreographer to make the dance. In spring the costumes were designed and ordered, and the lead truck was decorated. The lead truck, called jikatasha, carries the speakers and the singer, and it drives slowly in front of the dancers. Every team has one, and for many teams it is the most expensive part of the whole year.

Then came practice. From around April we practiced in the evenings after work, in parking lots and gyms, again and again. One Yosakoi song is about four and a half minutes long, and on a festival day a team performs it many times, moving from one venue to the next across the city from morning until night. Some of our members were young office staff, some were in their sixties. Getting everyone to move as one group was the hardest part, and also the best part.

So when I stand with my guests and watch a team pass, I am not only looking at the costumes. I am seeing the months behind that performance. I also know how tired those dancers are by the afternoon, because they have already danced at several places that day. And they still smile at the next venue. That is the part that always moves me.

A small tip from the inside. Watch the flag bearer at the front of each team. The flags are very large and heavy, and the wind makes them hard to control. It is usually the team leader or one of the main members who carries it, so the flag is a kind of face of the team. It is impressive to see up close, and most visitors do not know to look for it.

The Yosakoi Museum: Understanding Before You Watch

I always take my guests to the Yosakoi Museum first, and there is a reason for that. Watching the festival is fun. Watching it after you understand it is much better.

Inside, you can learn the story of how the festival started, see costumes from different teams, and hold the naruko yourself. There is also a photo corner where you can wear a happi coat, and a small space where you can try the basic steps. My guests always laugh at this part, and it makes the real dancing later feel personal.

The naruko have a nice story too. They were first used by farmers to scare birds away from the rice fields. Someone had the idea to put them in the dancers hands, and now they are the sound of the whole festival. Every dancer has a favorite pair, and after seven years I still have mine at home.

Chikurinji Temple: Where the Song Comes From

The museum sits at the foot of Mount Godaisan, and just above it is Chikurinji Temple. This is temple number 31 on the Shikoku pilgrimage, and it is one of my favorite places in Kochi at any time of year.

In summer the temple hangs hundreds of glass wind chimes along the walkway. When the wind moves, the sound is everywhere. It is a small thing, but people always stop walking when they hear it.

There is also a connection to the festival here. The old Yosakoi song tells the story of a young monk from this temple who was seen buying a hairpin for a woman. It was a scandal at the time, and people sang about it. Hundreds of years later, that little piece of gossip became the song that a whole city dances to. I love telling this story at the temple, because the same names come back again later in the day.

The five story pagoda and the moss garden are the two things most people photograph. Even on a hot August day, the garden stays cool and green under the trees.

Harimaya Bridge: The Rest of the Story

Back in the city center is Harimaya Bridge, a short red bridge that is famous all over Japan. This is the exact place where the monk bought the hairpin. Many visitors say the bridge is smaller than they expected, and that is true. But when you already know the story from the temple, it becomes one of the best photo stops of the day.

Lunch: Seared Bonito, the Taste of Kochi

You cannot visit Kochi without eating katsuo no tataki, seared bonito. The fish is cooked over a straw fire for only a few seconds, so the outside is smoky and the inside is still raw. Kochi people eat it with salt, garlic and a little ponzu sauce.

A small tip. Many visitors are nervous about raw fish, but seared bonito is very different from sashimi. It is warm on the outside and quite mild. I have had many guests who said no at first and then finished the whole plate.

Kochi Castle and the Festival Stage

Kochi Castle is one of only twelve original castles left in Japan. The main tower and the palace were both built in the 1700s and never rebuilt, so you are walking on real wood and real stone.

During the festival there is a dance stage right below the castle. Standing there and watching teams perform with a 300 year old castle behind them is something you can only do on these few days of the year.

The dancers are also very friendly. Between performances they are happy to stop and take photos with visitors, and they seem genuinely glad that people came from so far away to see them. I know that feeling well from my own years on a team.

Practical Tips for Festival Days

A few honest notes, because festival days are not a normal day in Kochi.

• It is hot. Early August in Kochi is around 33 degrees Celsius with high humidity. Bring a hat, and drink more water than you think you need.
• Expect to walk more than usual. Many central streets are closed for the dancing, so we park further away and walk in. On my August 10 tour we were on foot much more than a normal day.
• Take breaks in the shade. The shopping arcade is covered, and there are cafes along the route where you can sit and still watch the teams pass.
• The arcade is a great viewing spot. The roof gives you shade, the sound echoes, and the dancers pass very close to you.
• Watch from the side of the street, not the middle. The teams move forward, so if you stand in one good place they will come to you.

One more thing. Shopping is easy here. The arcade next to the festival route has local sweets, Tosa knives, yuzu products and small souvenir shops, so you can rest, shop and watch dancers all in the same street.

Perfect for Cruise Ship Passengers

Arriving in Kochi by cruise ship? This tour is designed with cruise passengers in mind. We will pick you up directly from the Kochi cruise terminal and ensure you are back to your ship with plenty of time to spare.

Flexible timing options:

• 4-hour express tour (perfect for short port calls)
• 6-hour highlights tour (our most popular option)
• 8-hour comprehensive experience

All tours include comfortable private transportation and a guarantee to return you to the port on time.

Experience Yosakoi on Our Kochi Highlights Tour

If your ship visits during the festival, I will build the day around it. We keep the museum, the temple and the castle, and I plan the timing so you are in the right place when the best teams are dancing. Outside of August you still get the same route, just without the crowds.

• Licensed local guide, born and raised in Kochi, with seven years inside a Yosakoi team
• Private tour from cruise port, just your group
• Chikurinji Temple, Yosakoi Museum, Harimaya Bridge, Kochi Castle and a local lunch
• Photos taken during the day and sent to you afterwards as a gift
• Always back at the ship before all aboard time

Book the Kochi Highlights Tour →