Kochi’s Yosakoi Festival held from August 9 to August 12 each year has won the grand prize award of best Hometown Event 2020.

The Furusato Event Awards (Hometown Event Awards) are organized across the country and aim to promote the creation, development and revitalize events in Japan whilst supporting unique and diverse communities. The award began in 1996, and recognizes outstanding unique events that show individuality of regions across Japan.

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Kochi’s Yosakoi Festival

The Yosakoi Festival, held in Kochi City each August, began in 1954 to aid the country out of recession, pray for health and prosperity of citizens and to promote the area's shopping districts during the summer.

750 dancers and 21 organizations took part in the festival’s first ever event, however, the festival continues to grow every year, with around 18,000 dancers and 200 different companies now participating from both inside and outside of the prefecture. The high number of participants from across Japan makes the Yosakoi Festival an extremely important event of cultural exchange.

The festival has revitalized the local community, bringing together local residents, neighborhood organisations and companies, who all work together in a unified manner to organise the event.

This year, the award was given to the Yosakoi Festival not only for it’s influence across Japan, but for throughout the world, as well as its contribution to both regional promotion and connections in Japan and overseas.