9 Events in Shikoku That You Shouldn't Miss

Brightly colored costumes and amazing feats of dance: The Yosakoi Festival sees dozen of troupes and hundreds of dancers take to the street with floats and fanfare to features traditional moves alongside more modern scores in a high-energy show. Dancers use the traditional 'naruko' clappers (a wooden hand instrument), and include a part of the original "Yosakoi Naruko" song in their routines, which take months to design and learn. Squads can be up to 150 members large, and the dances; often choreographed by locals; are performed over and over again on the street in parade style-- wearing only tabi socks! Yosakoi is always a visual feast.

The fireworks of the "Ommaku" festival held every summer in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, paint the night in various colors. The name of this festival comes from the word "Ommaku," which means something like "extremely," "fully" or "with total invovlement" in the local dialect, and comes from a desire to have people enjoy the festival to their heart's content. Approximately 9,000 fireworks, such as shaku dama (large shell fireworks), star mines and trick fireworks are launched to the accompaniment of music. The grand finale concludes with the consecutive launch of 100 shaka dama shells, which has become a famously intense highlight. The night sky will be completely filled with large and magestically blooming shapes.

Ehime Prefecture's largest fireworks festival is held annually on August 3rd and 4th in Ozu, a place sometimes called "the little Kyoto of Iyo." Approximately 4,000 fireworks are launched over the span of two days. The "Ozu River Matsuri Fireworks" offer their own unique charm in the form of massive echoes that can be experienced thanks to a low western basin surrounded by mountains. Niagara fireworks that fall in a cascade of light over a backdrop of Ozu Castle provide an exciting display that is surely worth seeing at least once. Taking a pleasure cruise also allows spectators to witness cormorant fishing on the Hiji River-one of Japan's three largest cormorant fishing events-which is held during the same time.

The "Sanuki Takamatsu Matsuri" is known as one of the four largest festivals in Shikoku. This festival colors the mid-summer nights in grand style, and is held primarily in Central Park, Sunport Takamatsu and on Chuo Street, with events such as live comedy, yukata contests, karaoke championships and mass dance with nearly 60 groups participating. "Dondon Takamatsu," one of the festival's main events, boasts a fireworks display that eminates from main area of Sunport Takamatsu, regarded as among the largest displays in Shikoku. A magnificent performance of light and sound is produced according to an annual theme, as approximately 10,000 fireworks are set off.

This fireworks display is held before the Naruto Awa Odori Festival, the largest event in the city of Naruto. About 10,000 fireworks are set off from the Muya River floodplains near the Naruto City Cultural Center, making for a magnificent display. The lack of tall buildings near the venue means a splendidly unobstructed view of the fireworks from a wide area along the river. A paid viewing area with a comfortable vantage point right next to the fireworks is also available. The show is very popular, attracting attendees from both inside and outside the prefecture.

This fireworks show marks the start of the Yosakoi Matsuri, which is held on August 9 each year. The banks of the Kagami River become impromptu seats for the show, and 4,000 complex and creative fireworks go up. These include a thrilling "waterfall" firework that is 650m long and sparkles over the water. The Midori no Hiroba along the banks of the river acts as a free seating site, with tarps spread out. There is also a standing room only area where no tickets are required.

The finale to the final day of Naruto City's summer festival, this fireworks show features 2,000 glorious fireworks, delighting packed crowds and bringing the celebratory mood of the festival to a fever pitch. Ushiki Castle Park also features an awa-odori traditional dance event, so whether you want to enjoy dancing or see the colorful fireworks light up the night sky, the festival promises a wonderful time for all.

This fireworks festival is the grand finale to the Komatsusima Minato Matsuri, held every year in Komatsu, Tokushima in late July. About 2,000 colorful fireworks light up the night sky during the show, including starmines, shaku-dama fireworks, and special fireworks that spell out messages. A variety of popular events are also held, such as the eisa and awa-odori folk dances, an evening of folk songs, and tours of a destroyer from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Komatsushima Air Base.