If you haven’t experienced participating in a Japanese festival, you’re missing out on a fantastic opportunity to truly immerse yourself in Japanese culture. Festivals are vital community activities all across the country, from Hokkaido in the north all the way to Kyushu and Okinawa in the south. Some festivals are hundreds or even a thousand years old, while others have only been established in recent years, celebrating everything from harvests and fishing hauls to the spiritual return of one’s ancestors from the afterlife.

Although its origins trace back less than 20 years, the Yosakoi Soran festival enjoys a unique and widespread popularity that has spread all across the country. Yosakoi Soran originated in 1991, when a student from Hokkaido encountered the local Yosakoi festival while visiting Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. Literally meaning ‘come (yo) at (sa) night (koi)’ in the local dialect, Yosakoi itself only began as a means of appealing for economic growth soon after the Second World War. Originally associated with the traditional dances of the summertime Bon-Odori (‘Bon Dance’), Yosakoi has since been adapted to include more dynamic and contemporary styles of music and movement.

The visiting student was so moved by what he’d seen in Kochi that he decided to re-create the experience in Hokkaido. The next year, roughly 1000 students got together and, by incorporating the rhythmic sounds of Hokkaido’s traditional Soran music with the dynamic dance of Yosakoi, Yosakoi Soran was born. In less than 20 years, the annual festival in Sapporo has grown to be the largest in Japan, hosting over 300 teams with more than 50,000 dancers and 1 million visitors each year.

A song commonly associated with Yosakoi Soran is Soran Bushi, a traditional fisherman’s chant sung while hauling in herring from the waters of Hokkaido. Updated, high-tempo versions of Soran Bushi are now popular across the country, the accompanying dance incorporating deep-kneed poses evoking the hauling-in of fishing nets, while arms cast back over the shoulder represent herring being thrown into baskets. Elementary and junior high school students often learn Soran Bushi at school—they may be more than happy to show you how it’s done!

Yosakoi Soran festivals are held throughout the year, and may be found almost anywhere in Japan. Small villages might host a few teams of dancers as an element of a broader annual festival, while large cities may hold festivals exclusively dedicated to Yosakoi Soran. Many of the festivals include competitions, with teams presenting original dances combining Soran music with the use of traditional Yosakoi naruko clappers (paddle-shaped castanets). Casual bystanders can often participate by joining the sou-odori (‘mass-dance’) numbers, which typically occur throughout the day or at the end of each day’s dancing.

Sapporo’s Yosakoi Soran Festival is held every June, while Sendai’s Michinoku Yosakoi Soran, Japan’s third-largest Yosakoi Soran festival, is held in October. In Ibaraki Prefecture, the annual Hitachi-no-kuni Yosakoi Festival is held in the town of Daigo on the last weekend of May, this year May 22-23. 2010 marked the 7th year of the Daigo festival, and it drew as many as 80 teams and upwards of 2000 dancers. More than anything, Yosakoi Soran festivals are about building a sense of community and having fun—and whether you’re a local resident or a visitor from overseas, experiencing one is a great way to do both!

In addition to being a photographer, Josh Fields is an ALT and Head Teacher in Daigo, Ibaraki.