The Harajuku Super Yosakoi—or the “Harajuku Omotesando Genki Matsuri Super Yosakoi Festival”, to give it its full name—is one of the biggest events on the Tokyo calendar. The Yosakoi Festival originated in Kochi Prefecture in 1954 as a way to reinvigorate the region, which was suffering economic hardship in the wake of the war. The dance of the festival is particularly unique—energetic and loud, with dancers holding a wooden bird rattle (naruko) in both hands. Over the years, the festival has spread throughout the country, and since 2001, Harajuku and Omotesando have hosted Tokyo’s version.
The event runs from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturday and 10:00 AM until 5:30 PM on Sunday, with over 5,000 dancers forming 100 teams to dance along Omotesando Dori (which will be blocked to traffic for the event). There will also be performances in the Yoyogi Park events area and on a special stage set up at the entrance to Meiji Jingu. All told, close to 1 million visitors are expected to attend the festival over the course of the weekend.
