派手な色使い封印しモチーフは「鶴」のみ　大賞奪還へ原点回帰の「とらっくよさこい」新衣装 (26/07/13 19:29)

With less than a month to go until the midsummer festival, the Yosakoi Festival, the 2026 costumes for "Torakku Yosakoi (Chifure)," a group that captivates audiences with their beautiful formations and sense of unity, have been unveiled. In 2025, Torakku Yosakoi (Chifure) narrowly missed out on their fourth consecutive Yosakoi Grand Prize. Torakku is known for its breathtaking formations and flamboyant costumes. In 2025, they depicted a praying mantis on the front and a butterfly on the back, evoking the image of a "powerful woman." In 2024, they featured a "rabbit" on the front and a "wolf" on the back, captivating fans with their vibrant colors and the story behind the two characters. What will their costumes look like in 2026, as they burn with the desire to reclaim the Yosakoi Grand Prize? [July 10th, 7 PM, Kochi City Health and Welfare Center] Sisters participating (older sister): "We narrowly missed the grand prize in 2025, so I hope we can choose an impactful costume that will allow us to reclaim the grand prize." Sisters participating (younger sister): "The lyrics mention cranes and turtles, so I'm guessing there will be a crane." Dancer (5th time): "I'm excited because I think the arm angles we need to be conscious of will be different from 2025, and the style of the choreography will be different too." As the dancers' expectations rose, it was finally time for the announcement. Shuichi Kameya, Director: "Here's the costume for 2026! Enjoy yourselves, Tsubasa, Yocchore!" For 2026, the flamboyant colors of the past will be abandoned, and the costume will have a calm impression based on white and black. The only animal motif will be the "crane." The theme for 2026 is "Enjoy yourselves, Tsubasa, Yocchore." The costumes symbolize each individual spreading the wings of their soul and striving to reach even greater heights in their dance. The costumes were designed by Nishiki Takeda, a designer from Tosashimizu City. She was approached by Shuichi Kameya, the general manager and also from Tosashimizu, and designed the costumes for the first time in 2026. Designer Nishiki Takeda: "The theme is to transform each dancer into a crane. The colors used are the red of the red-crowned crane's head, and everything else is solid black. I hope people will see the costumes under the sunlight with its silvery gradation, and under the nighttime lights." The three colors red, white, and black are said to accentuate feminine beauty, and the "wings" represent the strength of human life. There are even more details to consider. Designer Nishiki Takeda: "The black tabi socks feature a hand-painted pattern of water splashing from a crane's feet, created by our staff. 'Returning to our roots' is also a theme, and we've incorporated the aspect of handmade Yosakoi dance." The fabric features a feather pattern, but if you look closely, you can also see turtle motifs. A returning participant (from Ehime Prefecture) for the 10th year: "The design is completely different. Up until now, the front and back had different characters or designs, but this time it's a single character, a 'crane,' with a mizuhiki (decorative cord) design for the first time. It's beautiful. We all want to spread our wings. We want to spread our wings!" Dancer: "I felt that the costume embodied the crane. The 'crane' theme was a pleasant surprise; I'm very happy with the new costume." Kouhei Kawamura, Representative of Torakku Yosakoi (Chifure): "This is another new challenge in 2026, so we want to aim for the top once again, enjoy the Yosakoi festival with the audience, and create a new Yosakoi landscape." Torakku Yosakoi (Chifure), burning with the desire to reclaim the Yosakoi Grand Prize, will create a whirlwind of excitement in Kochi's castle town with 150 cranes. Incidentally, costume designer Takeda Nishiki apparently drew this design in just two days. Initially, there was a proposal to feature two characters on the front and back, but since the theme for 2026 was "returning to our roots," the motif was decided to be limited to just the crane. With less than a month until the performance, Torakku will begin practicing in costume in addition to their dance rehearsals.