On Sunday, Emma and I headed over to Osakajokoen to check out Koiya Matsuri. The word Koiya means “Come” or “Join in” in Osaka dialect, the event is a huge dance competition held annually over two days in September, with teams from around the country coming to compete against one another.
The scale of the routines was incredible, hundreds of dancers on stage at any one time, elaborate setpieces and costume changes mid-performance. Spectators are encouraged to get into the spirit and dance along, simply watching was tiring enough for me!
There isn’t as much of a carnival feel as Tenjin Matsuri(the stage and performances are the focus here), but there were plenty of stalls on-site supplying food and drink so you can enjoy a Kirin or two and maybe see how you feel about joining in 🙂
[flickrset id=”72157631564443266″ thumbnail=”square” photos=”” overlay=”true” size=”large”]
Awesome!
It was really cool! What I would’ve given for a better camera though 🙂