Yosakoi hits 10: Penang streets come alive with high-energy dance, Japanese idols and a fireworks finale

GEORGE TOWN, June 20 — The Penang Yosakoi Parade will be celebrating its 10th edition this year, featuring 30 participating teams and a Japanese idol concert at the Esplanade.

After three years of holding the Japanese dance festival at Karpal Singh Drive, the parade will once again be held at the Esplanade on June 21.

Pink Hibiscus Club president and Penang Yosakoi Parade founder Emi Yamazaki said the Yosakoi Parade was first introduced in Penang in 2013.

“It started small, with only three participating teams from Penang, Perak and Kedah,” she told Malay Mail when contacted.

The annual event grew exponentially, and despite a two-year break during the pandemic, it continued to attract more participants.

This year, Yamazaki said 26 teams will be participating in the parade to compete for the National Yosakoi Championship, which is only open to Malaysian teams.

She added that the parade received a record number of participants from Penang, Perak, Perlis, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Pahang.

“There will be four international teams, from Japan, Singapore and Thailand, participating in the festival this year,” she said.

This year will also mark the inaugural presentation of the Penang International Yosakoi Award to a winning team.

The Penang Yosakoi Parade in 2023. This year, the parade received a record number of participants from across Malaysia.— Picture via Facebook/Penang Yosakoi Parade

She said the award will be given based not only on the team’s performance, but also on what they have been doing to promote Yosakoi and the concept behind their performance.

Groups will have to submit their concepts, ideas, objectives, and progress reports to be considered for the award before the parade.

She said only selected teams, based on their submissions, will be considered and have their performances judged for the award.

“This award is open to all teams, local and international, to recognise their contribution to the world of Yosakoi,” she said.

She said Yosakoi is more than just a parade showcasing dances by teams but an outlet for the youth to showcase their creativity.

“Each team will be able to showcase their ideas fusing Japanese and local cultures,” she said.

For the first time, there will be a free Japanese idol concert after the parade, starting at around 11pm.

Yamazaki said Japanese idols such as Wanmimi and Miura Ayme will be performing in the two-hour concert.

The festival will culminate in a light and fireworks show at the end of the night.