Sendai Michinoku YOSAKOI Festival

Founded in 1998 under the slogan "Tohoku (Michinoku) Is One," the Sendai Michinoku YOSAKOI Festival is one of Tohoku’s major YOSAKOI celebrations. Drawing on the traditions of the Kochi Yosakoi Festival and the YOSAKOI Soran Festival, teams perform creative dance routines with naruko clappers in hand, incorporating regional folk songs.

Beyond carrying on tradition, each team puts its own spin on the music, costumes, and choreography, making the variety of performances a highlight. Regional folk songs blend with contemporary music and dance, offering a chance to compare each team’s approach.

Venues are set up throughout central Sendai, including Kotodai Park, with parade-style performances along Jozenji-dori Avenue. Walk between venues in the city center to watch the teams’ energetic performances up close. At each venue, applause, rhythmic clapping, and cheers from the audience spur on the dancers, filling the entire space with excitement.

With the streets of Sendai as its stage, this autumn festival brings together dancers from across Tohoku for a wide variety of performances, energized by the enthusiasm of the crowds.