The Yosakoi Festival is a raucous local development of Japan’s traditional and sedate Bon Odori summer dance. Groups of dancers in elaborate costumes holding clackers called naruko dance vigorously down the main street of Kōchi city to the sound of music blaring from the back of small trucks. There’s a competitive element, with judges awarding medals for the best performance.

In Kōchi city, the Kōchi Yosakoi Information Exchange Center serves as a museum of the festival. Its website describes it thus:

The Yosakoi Festival was born in Tosa, the land of the free. We introduce its basic rules, the unknown story of its birth, and the personality and achievements of its creator, Eisaku Takemasa.

The museum has several sections. One introduces the six major elements of the Yosakoi Festival: costumes, dance, music, local carts, naruko, and medals. There’s a map of the various locations where dances are performed, with charming diorama boxes produced by Kaiyōdō. Posters of past Yosakoi festivals are displayed in chronological order, and you can see how the festival has evolved over the years. There’s a room where you can dress up in Yosakoi costumes and take selfies, and there’s even a small cinema where you can watch footage of the festival.

Even if you can’t see the festival itself, this little museum is an enjoyable way to experience the openness and vitality of Kōchi.