Yosakoi Soran Festival

The YOSAKOI Soran Festival, held every early June in Sapporo, Hokkaido, is one of the largest festivals in all of Hokkaido. It began in 1992 when a single university student, deeply moved by the Yosakoi Festival of Kochi, set out to create a festival of the same vibrant energy in Hokkaido. The first event drew just 10 teams and around 1,000 participants, but it grew explosively within a few years. Today it features roughly 270 teams and some 27,000 dancers from across Japan and abroad, drawing crowds of around two million spectators.

The festival's defining characteristic is the fusion of Kochi's "Yosakoi" with Hokkaido's traditional folk song "Soran Bushi." In addition to the Yosakoi tradition of dancing while holding naruko clappers, a new rule was added: a phrase of "Soran Bushi" must be woven somewhere into each team's music. Originally a work song of the herring fishery, the powerful melody of Soran Bushi, fused with contemporary dance, generates a uniquely exhilarating atmosphere.

At the main venue in Odori Park and along parade routes through the city's main avenues, each team performs group dances led by a sound truck, waving enormous flags. With vividly colored costumes, tightly synchronized choreography, and dynamic staging that incorporates elements of street dance, the performances continue to evolve year after year.

Set against the fresh early-summer streets of Sapporo, the YOSAKOI Soran Festival showcases passionate dancing led largely by young people. As a celebration that blends tradition with modernity, and the cultures of Honshu and Hokkaido, it stands as a symbol of the festivals of a new era.