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SAPPORO — Wearing colorful costumes but no masks, dancers raised the heat at Odori Park in Chuo Ward, Sapporo, on Wednesday as the first day of the Yosakoi Soran Festival began. Last year, the area between the dancers and the audience was separated by sheets to guard against droplets to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. However, this year, the partitions were removed and the dancers performed on the stage without masks for the first time in four years. “I’m glad that I could experience Japanese tradition through the dances. The costumes are pretty, too,” said a 23-year-old tourist from France. The festival will be held through Sunday, during which about 240 teams will perform their dances.
