Hot weather, end of exam.  Yeah! How do you feel?  Wanna to go for the summer vocations?   In fact, there are some summer activities in Shikoku.  Let’s have a dancing summer time together~

1.  The Yosakoi celebration in Kochi

Students, with the colorful dressing, dance with the folk music, which is knocked by the wooden musical instruments.  More then 100 million participations join this celebration since there will be a competition for choosing the winner to get the award.  Not difficult to discover the engagement of themselves by using the whole-body languages to show how their passion to the celebration. 

As there are no restrictions for the nationality, foreigners can join this competition too~

The teenagers are enjoying their performances happily.  It really looks like you are joining in a summer carnival~

2.  The Awa Dance Festival in Tokushima

If the dancing of the Yosakoi celebration cannot satisfy you, you may join another activity, the Awa Dance Festival.  To celebrate for the establishment of Tokushima, various of the industries will dance for the celebration, such as, schools, aviation…it’s such a great time to understand how their joyful for the festival with the neat screaming, dancing and powerful music, such as, Taiko, Shamisen…

Little girls also come out to join and dance together, inheriting the traditional culture spirit of the Tokushima~

Wearing the colorful and traditional Awa Dancing costumes, such an awesome summer time~

Tips:  The dancing performance has been separated into 2 parts: The later part will be shown indoor.  If you are not familiar with the dancing, you can ask the performers as they are willing to teach you~

3.  Dogo Onsen Art Festival

The hotspring of Matsuyama has already been well-known as it is one the three largest hot spring in Japanese.  Thus, the popular animation “Spirited Away” get the ideas here.  The recommendation for the summer time would be the Art Festival.  More than 20 artists are invited to create different arts display for showing the history of Dogo Onsen.  While walking down the street, you can also learn the hot spring culture of Matsuyama.

The lighted colorful doors and winter with the unique pictures fills up the whole building with lives but keep the mystery of the ancient. 

That picture is for describing the working place “Oil House” of Chihiro Ogino from the animation~

Walking through this art corridor, you will discover the nostalgic rickshaws, feel like returning to the Edo era~

This design is decorated with the lanterns bring different colors to the street.

Tips:  Visit there as soon as possible.  Otherwise, it will close.