These are usually based upon traditional Japanese folk wear, but here again, the ingenuity of the dance teams in coming up with variations is impressive. Colorful and dynamic, these costumes are a treat for the eye. Dancing Unlike many other dance festivals, Yosakoi dance teams make their own choreography. The only rule is that the dancers must carry the naruko , a wooden noisemaker, the original purpose of which was to keep birds out of planted fields. Dancers begin training about one month prior to the festival and local parks and riversides are filled with dancers in training.
Some teams take all comers, others are more serious and selective.
Some teams are composed of children, which steal the show. Some are company teams that have a real cross-section of ages participating.