Highlights
- Otesuji main arena, two sessions a day: daytime ~13:15 and evening ~17:45
- 2026 general seats ¥1,000–¥3,000 per session; group/parasol tables ¥15,000–¥50,000
- General advance sale opens Jun 29, 2026 10:00 via Ticket Pia / Lawson / eplus
Background & story
Yosakoi began in 1954 in Kochi as a postwar revival event; dancers hold naruko wooden clappers and blend traditional moves with modern music, and the style later spread nationwide (Sapporo's YOSAKOI Soran started in 1992).
Kochi's Yosakoi Festival (Aug 9–12, 2026) is the high-energy summer matsuri where some 18,000 dancers, holding wooden naruko clappers, parade through the city in nearly 200 teams. The streets are free to watch — but for a guaranteed, head-on view of the best teams at the main arena, you buy a paid grandstand seat (yuryo sajiki-seki) at the Otesuji competition site. This page is the verified 2026 how-to-buy. For the buying logic across festivals see how to buy summer-matsuri grandstand seats; for another festival's seats see Awa Odori 2026 grandstand tickets.
2026 dates (the 73rd Yosakoi Festival)
- *Aug 9 (Sun) — Eve Festival (zenyasai): evening dance at Central Park plus the 76th Kochi City Fireworks* over the Kagami River (~19:45–21:00).
- *Aug 10 (Mon) & Aug 11 (Tue, holiday) — Main Competition (honsai):* teams perform across multiple arenas, including Otesuji.
- *Aug 12 (Wed) — National Competition + After-Festival (goyasai):* the all-Japan final at Otesuji / Obiyamachi / Kochi Castle.
The Otesuji main arena & seat prices (2026)
The Otesuji main competition arena runs along Otesuji street in front of Kochi Castle, in two daily sessions: daytime ~13:15–17:15 and evening ~17:45–21:30. Paid seats are advance-sale only; prices are per session:
| Seat | Daytime | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| General B / A | ¥1,000 / ¥2,000 | ¥2,000 / ¥3,000 |
| Wheelchair B / A | ¥500 / ¥1,000 | ¥1,000 / ¥1,500 |
| Parasol sheet (4-person table) | ¥15,000 | ¥25,000 (through-ticket) |
| Group area (4-person table) | ¥30,000 | ¥50,000 (through-ticket) |
Note: the Aug 11 evening general seats are already sold out for 2026, and some sessions sell quickly — buy early.
2026 sale schedule (verified)
- Travel-agency lottery: Apr 9–21, 2026 — closed.
- Travel-agency first-come: May 1 – Jun 22, 2026 — closed.
- General public advance sale: opens Jun 29 (Mon), 2026, 10:00 — this is the round to target now.
- Same-day tickets: only if advance inventory remains, from the on-site box office.
Tickets are non-refundable except on heavy-rain cancellation.
How to buy
Seats route through nationwide ticketing agents — register an account in advance:
- Ticket Pia (Seven-Eleven pickup) — w.pia.jp/t/yosakoi
- Lawson Ticket (L-code 62022) — l-tike.com
- eplus (FamilyMart) — eplus.jp/yosakoi-kouchi
Pick up and pay at the convenience-store kiosk with your reservation number; a per-ticket handling fee is added on top.
Getting to Kochi
- Nearest: ~15-min walk south from JR Kochi Station; or by Tosaden tram to Hasuike-machi-dori stop, then ~8 min on foot.
- From Osaka: highway bus to Kochi, ~5h from ~¥5,000 one-way; or Shinkansen to Okayama + limited express Nanpu, ~5h total.
- From Tokyo: the easy option is Haneda → Kochi Ryoma Airport (~1h25m flight), then ~25 min by connector bus to JR Kochi Station; or Shinkansen + Nanpu via Okayama, ~6h.
Inbound tip
The general advance sale opens Jun 29 at 10:00 and is first-come — register a Ticket Pia/Lawson account days ahead and buy the moment it opens, as evening and holiday sessions sell out fastest. Carry cash for stalls and convenience-store pickup.
Official seats & schedule: welcome-kochi.jp/yosakoi/sajikiseki.html. Always confirm the current prices and on-sale window on the official page before paying — Yosakoi updates them each year.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- The Otesuji arena is ~15 min on foot south of JR Kochi Station, or ~8 min from the Hasuike-machi-dori tram stop. From Tokyo: Haneda → Kochi Ryoma Airport (~1h25m) + ~25 min connector bus. From Osaka: highway bus ~5h, or Shinkansen to Okayama + limited express Nanpu ~5h. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- Paid grandstand seats ¥1,000–¥3,000 per session (group/parasol tables ¥15,000–¥50,000). Smaller venues in Japan are often cash-first — carry some yen (cards/IC not guaranteed).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, music fans, groups of friends
Good to know
The general advance sale opens Jun 29 at 10:00 and is first-come — register a Ticket Pia/Lawson account days ahead; evening and holiday sessions sell out fastest.
Getting there
Otesuji Main Competition Arena, central Kochi City — Otesuji, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture (in front of Kochi Castle)