Japanese performers to join 25 dance teams from across Malaysia at two-day event
GEORGE Town’s historic Esplanade is set to come alive with movement, music and community spirit during the Penang Yosakoi Parade 2026.
It will be the event’s most ambitious edition yet – blending its iconic mass street dancing with cosplay, live concerts, food and environmental outreach.
Previously held over a single night, the dance festival will now span over two days – June 27 and 28 – with activities starting at 5pm and noon, respectively.
Organising chairman Emi Yamazaki said the parade’s offerings had evolved throughout its 11 years in Penang.
While Yosakoi remained the central attraction, the broader vision was introducing more Japanese cultural activities with a distinct local flavour, she said.
This year, highlights include the World Cosplay Summit Malaysia’s Asia Invitational Exhibition Showcase, which will see regional cosplayers show off their finest outfits.
Anime fans will love the Coscon Vocaloid Music Dance Party Concert with celebrity guests like DJ Ocha, DJ Kuro and Karasuya Sabou, a well-known Vocaloid producer and performer from Japan.
There will also be a charity food fair and the launch of the Blue Santa sustainability programme.
The latter, which originated in Japan, encourages people to practise waste segregation in their daily lives and participate in community-based clean-ups to help the environment.
“This year is special as it’s essentially five events in one – all inspired by Japan but uniquely Penang,” said Yamazaki, who is president of the Pink Hibiscus Club – the event’s main organiser.
She said the Yosakoi Parade, with about 1,300 dancers combined, would take place on the first night.
It will feature 25 teams mainly from Johor, Perak, Kedah and Penang.
“We have a record number of Penang teams with seven or eight taking part,” she said.
Just like last year, there will also be an international dimension to the proceedings.
Two visiting Yosakoi teams from Japan are joining the show.
Back by popular demand is the award-winning Ioriwa Tokiwa Yosakoi Team from Nagoya, fresh from winning the Kochi Yosakoi National Competition – the birthplace of Yosakoi – in 2025.
There is also a children’s team from Japan.
Ioriwa Tokiwa will also collaborate with local performers to debut Glanz International, a new Malaysia-Japan joint dance ensemble.
“They will present a special performance titled ‘Pleasure’ that reflects the event’s unique spirit of collaboration,” she said.
“We have participants from all corners of Malaysia, from students to working adults and even a 58-year-old mother.”
This spirit of participation extends to event visitors as well.
One of this year’s key attractions will be the introduction of Grand Soul – a new mass dance session that will take place several times throughout the event.
“Rather than simply watching the parade from the sidelines, members of the public will be invited to join in,” she said.
“Through it, everyone gets to feel the energy and spirit of Yosakoi.”
This inclusive nature of Yosakoi is one of the main reasons why the festival has resonated so strongly with Malaysians over the years, said Yamazaki.
“We don’t create a very high bar for entry. The idea is for everybody to join in.
“Even those with two left feet can participate and enjoy it,” she said.
The event’s return to the Esplanade last year – after being held at Persiaran Karpal Singh for several years – also strengthened that sense of accessibility and togetherness.
The breezy seaside field allows families and friends to have a picnic and enjoy the performances in a relaxed setting evoking the atmosphere of outdoor festivals in Japan.
For dancers, the shorter parade route also makes participation more enjoyable and less physically demanding.
For Yamazaki, the most heartening aspect is the parade’s ability to bring people together, regardless of age, background or dance experience.
“When hundreds or thousands dance together, one thing becomes apparent – cultural exchange is most meaningful when everyone is invited to take part.”
A fireworks display will cap off the parade.
Visit www.penangyosakoiparade.com for event details.
New ambassadors
While the parade and accompanying activities will be the main draw, the festival has begun generating excitement through a series of lead-up activities.
Among them is the Miss Yosakoi Penang 2026 pageant where contestants vied for the honour of becoming the festival’s new public faces.
Over several rounds, they spoke of their appreciation for Japanese culture and flaunted one of its most timeless traditions – the kimono.
With flowing fabrics, precise folds and intricate patterns, the garments turned each hopeful into a picture of grace and dignity.
The final attracted a large crowd at Gurney Plaza on May 17 as part of a three-day Amazing Japan exhibition.
Wan Nurthaqifah Kaisyah Ghazali, 18, was named the new Miss Yosakoi Penang.
She said she was relishing the challenge of promoting the event and its spirit of cultural exchange.
“I’m shocked but delighted. I was only aiming for one of the minor titles as it was my first time trying anything like this.
“I’ll do my best to represent the parade.
“Teamwork and friendship are integral to Yosakoi and I’m looking forward to being a part of the family,” the vocational college student.
Pastry chef Chrissy Tang, 26, clinched the Miss Kino Kimono subsidiary title while Ooi Jia Ying, 23, who is currently taking a gap year, emerged as Miss Solrise Yosakoi.
High school student Olivia Foo Hui Xuan, 16, and crafter Belle Ch’ng Jing Jing, 22, were named Miss Congeniality and Miss Canon Yosakoi, respectively.
As is tradition, the winners will head up the Yosakoi Parade on the actual day and go around taking photos with visitors.
They will be joined by former Miss Yosakoi Penang winners as well, including Rian Chong (2025), Jessie Lim (2024) and Nathalie Hong (2020).
Threads of tradition
Yamazaki said the organising team worked alongside professional kimono dressers flown in from Hokkaido to select suitable pieces for the pageant finalists.
“We chose colours popular among locals in Malaysia and also motifs that matched the contestants’ personalities and physiques,” she said.
“Different production techniques give each piece a distinct character, not to mention influencing the final costs.”
Kimono craftsmanship is steeped in tradition. Techniques like shibori (a meticulous tie-dye process that produces distinct patterns) and yuzen (a refined hand-painting method that allows for elaborate, colourful scenes) were refined over centuries and make each garment a wearable piece of art.
Yamazaki said quality ones could cost anywhere from RM5,000 to RM30,000 each.
It takes skilled artisans several months to a year to custom tailor a single piece.
Completing the look is the obi, a broad decorative sash or belt that not only secures the garment but also adds another layer of artistry and symbolism.
It also imbues the wearer with a certain aura.
Tang said donning a kimono during the event made her feel graceful, elegant and confident.
“The way I walked, sat or moved became much more gentle and refined,” she said.
“It felt like I was carrying myself differently.”
Wan Nurthaqifah said her studies in fashion design meant that traditional costumes, kimonos included, were naturally an area of interest.
“I’ve been fascinated by Japanese culture since young, particularly the way the people dress and present themselves.
“Kimonos make one look modest and dignified. It resonates with my own cultural values,” Wan Nurthaqifah said.
Yamazaki said the garment naturally encouraged one to be graceful and poised with its design encouraging measured, elegant movements.
“And when you realise how expensive some kimonos can be, especially the heritage pieces, you would want to appreciate and do them justice,” she said.
She said the garment’s intricate and elaborate production and dressing techniques also reflected the quest for perfection inherent in many Japanese art forms.
“As a kimono wearer myself, what it represents is striving for perfection.
“It’s a path of self-improvement one has to go through.
“The process can take years but brings satisfaction once you master it,” she said.
The Miss Yosakoi Penang 2026 pageant also featured an accompanying Kimono Queen segment for senior women.
The overall crown went to banker, lawyer and consultant Chan Ee Lin, 58, whose maternal grandmother is Japanese.
“Kimonos are a wearable art form,” said Chan.
“Every motif has a meaning. Wearing one today connected me with my family.”
Finishing second and third respectively were airline cabin crew trainer Nurha Aisha Abdul Ghani, 35, and Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) resident Caroline Quinn, 63.
“Traditional costumes are the best representation of culture. Wearing one transports you to that place or country,” said Nurha Aisha.
Quinn added, “So much attention goes into a kimono.
“I felt like a living sculpture and hoped I had represented the garment honourably.”
Cultural exchange joy
Consul-General of Japan in Penang Shinya Machida is heartened by the warm friendship shared between the people of Japan and Penang.
This bond transcends official government or business dealings, flourishing at the grassroots level through a shared appreciation of culture, cuisine and everyday experiences.
“Cultural exchange is a two-way process.
“It reminds us that diversity can be a source of strength.
“The future is created by the younger generation.
“Many event visitors might one day visit, study or work in Japan and become bridges that connect our societies,” he said.
Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid said events like the Yosakoi Parade or even the Bon Odori, happening on July 18, were more than just festivals.
“They are platforms that bring our communities closer.
“In a world that feels increasingly divided, they remind us that humanity has the capacity to come together over our mutual love for things like art, culture, food and more.
“Penang has always been a melting pot of cultures and such occasions underscore our diversity,” she added.
