Living & Working in Ishikawa, Japan
This year’s Noto Yosakoi Festival will take place on 4-5 June 2011 (Sat. and Sun.) on the streets of Wakura Onsen. Yosakoi is an high-style dance style that originated in Kochi prefecture in 1954 and employs the use of naruko, distinctive (typically) red, yellow, and black noise-makes. A combination of the traditional music and dance with modern elements, yosakoi is as fun to watch as it is to dance. And where better to watch a yosakoi competition than the picturesque streets of Wakura Onsen in the Festival Country of Noto (祭りの國能登)?
The opening of the 2010 festival. From the Noto Waccha! Blog (Noto Yosakoi)
New to yosakoi? Watch a video of the 2010 winning team, Noto-guni Wakuura Shichishi, (能登國涌浦七士; known among JETs as “Hot Man Team”) here. There are pictures of all the teams on the official website.
Ginny M. and I competed in the festival last year, and I was really touched at how happy the festival-goers were to see foreign dancers and the JET friends who came to watch us. Ginny has repatriated, but I will be dancing again this year. The event is a lot of fun, and I hope you’ll come watch all the exciting dances and see the creative costumes.
Looking for something fun and cheap to do this weekend? Head down to KZ City Hall for the Spring Dance Festival! Hirosaka Street, which runs in front of City Hall and eventually to Kenrokuen and the 21st Century Museum, will be flooded with dancers, singers, booths and plenty of festival foods all day long! A fun way to start off the warm season.
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