警備から踊り手へ　高知県警が51年ぶりによさこい祭りで舞う　「この地へ～」にのせた制服姿に期待 (25/08/07 19:30)

Actual performance (August 10th):    • 【よさこい2025】高知県警が「この地へ～」51年ぶりに踊る   The Yosakoi Festival kicks off on the 9th. This time, we followed the practice of the Kochi Prefectural Police, who will be performing at the venue for the first time in nearly half a century. The Yosakoi Festival enlivens Kochi's summer. While the graceful dancers are the "flowers of the festival," we must not forget the police officers who provide security. In 2025, the police, who support Yosakoi behind the scenes, will also shine on the front stage. On July 11th, one month before the main event, the first joint practice was held at the Nankoku City Police Academy. Approximately 60 dancers, mainly young police officers and police staff, participated. Among them were first-year students who enrolled at the police academy in April 2025. The opportunity to participate in Yosakoi was an invitation from the promotion association that organizes the Yosakoi Festival. Assistant Chief Hamada Koji, Police Affairs Division, Prefectural Police Headquarters: "Even though we provide security every year, it's not widely known that the police are there, so (the Yosakoi Festival Promotion Association) suggested that we use this time to promote the police." Since participating in Yosakoi was such a big deal, Hamada decided to promote the event through dance rather than just a simple parade. This marks the first time in 51 years, since 1974, that police officers will dance at the Yosakoi Festival. Assistant Chief Hamada Koji: "First of all, smile. Don't make small movements, move with all your might." Many of the participants were new to Yosakoi, and they practiced in advance, watching choreography videos. They danced to "Kono Chi e," a song by GReeeeN (now GRe4N BOYZ), a familiar song from the group dance. This was their first time practicing the choreography for the entire song. Should I start moving from the left? Or the right? I'm still not confident. It takes 4 minutes and 30 seconds of constantly moving my arms and legs, while my mind is constantly working. I'm out of breath and sweat pours out of my body after finishing. Participant from Prefectural Police Headquarters: "My feet keep getting tangled, and it's quite a long dance, so it's physically exhausting." Participant from Kochi Higashi Police Station: "This is my first time doing Yosakoi. It's tough. It's tough, but it's still fun, so it motivates me." Speaking of the prefectural police, I remember the video of the "Everyone's Yosakoi Project." In 2020, when the Yosakoi Festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, uniformed officers danced Yosakoi amidst the fraught atmosphere. Many Kochi residents were inspired by the video of active-duty police officers participating in the dance. Anticipation is building for a live performance in uniform in 2025. The second joint practice took place on August 1st, less than 10 days before the actual performance. Assistant Section Chief Hamada Koushi: "Please make sure you hit with your left, hit in front, hit with your right, and hit below. If you dance half-heartedly, it will look really awkward." First, they check the fine details of the movements using the rattles. After that, they practice the whole thing over and over again, letting the dance sink into their bodies. Their expressions are still a little stiff, but their rattle movements are starting to look polished. The participating staff are preparing for the actual performance. Participant from Nankoku Police Station: "This will be a very different initiative from regular police activities, so I hope they will see the freshness of that aspect." Participant from Kochi Higashi Police Station: "My parents haven't seen me in uniform yet, so I'd like to show them both my uniform and my dance." Hamada Koji, Assistant Chief, Police Affairs Division, Prefectural Police Headquarters: "Through the yosakoi dance, I hope people will realize that police officers are close to everyone. Also, while people may have an image of police officers as being "scary" or "stiff," I hope they will see that today's police are different, and that they participate in yosakoi dances like this and develop a positive image of them as kind people." The dance performance is scheduled to begin around 12:50 PM on the 10th at the intersection west of the Otesuji Headquarters Competition Hall.