The Nakama Yosakoi Dance Team will perform the Irodori Dance inspired by the fable "The Peacock and the Crow" at the Harajuku Omotesandou Super Yosakoi Genki Matsuri Festival on August 26 and 27.

The Vietnamese Nakama Yosakoi Dance Troupe will perform in Tokyo, Japan on August 26 and 27. Photo: Nakama Yosakoi

This is also the only Vietnamese Yosakoi dance team to participate in this once-a-year lively festival in Tokyo.

The cultural event aims to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973 to 2023).

Phan Tien Dung, representative of the dance team, said the Vietnamese fable with profound meaning will be conveyed in a new way through the Japanese dance language.

"It is hoped to bring positive energy to the public, especially in the context that both Vietnam and Japan are trying to overcome the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic," he added.

The Vietnamese fairy tale "The Peacock and the Crow" teaches children patience and condemns greed. Out of impatience and gluttony, the crow jumped into the bottle of black ink by itself, dyeing its white plumage dark instead of colorful feathers.

"Through the dance, our perspective is that black is also a beautiful color. Everyone should learn to love themselves and appreciate what they have," Dung said.

The performance is expected to bring a joyful, optimistic and positive energy to the audience. Photo: Nakama Yosakoi

Under the auspices of the UNESCO Information Center, the Vietnam Union of UNESCO Associations, the Nakama Yosakoi Dance Team was established in 2013 to create a playground for Japanese Yosakoi enthusiasts in Vietnam and to deepen people-to-people diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The "Harajuku Omotesando Genki Matsuri Super Yosakoi Festival" is one of the largest in the Tokyo calendar.

The Yosakoi Festival originated in 1954 in Kochi Prefecture to revitalize the region devastated by World War II. The dance at the festival is particularly unique - energetic and loud, with dancers holding a bird rattle (naruko) in both hands. Over the years, the festival has spread throughout the country, and since 2001, Harajuku/Omotesando has hosted the Tokyo version.

This year's event will take place on August 26 and 27, with over 5,000 dancers from 100 teams performing on six stages around the Harajuku Omotesandou area of Tokyo, Japan.