YOSAKOI Soran Festival　Watch Passion Ignite at Sapporo

Held in early June

The traditional Yosakoi dance has its humble origins in Japan’s southern prefecture of Kochi, but it wasn’t until 1992 that the dance was paired with the Hokkaido folk song “Soran Bushi” and things really started to heat up. The Yosakoi Soran Festival in Sapporo sees 270 teams, about 30,000 people, in attendance every June. These teams come from all across Japan, and the world, to gather in Sapporo and fill the streets with a massive dance competition. Participants dress in vibrant costumes and makeup, performing so powerfully and passionately that they could bring any onlooker to tears. During the festival, the streets on either side of Odori Park are closed off to cars so that teams can dance their way to victory. A large stage sits at the center of the park and hosts the competition’s finals where dancers lay it all on the line for a shot at being champions.