Sign Falls on Dancer at Yosakoi Festival; Sudden Gust of Wind Believed to Be Cause

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:36 JST, August 11, 2025

A dancer suffered minor injuries after being hit by a falling sign on a stage at the Yosakoi Festival in Kochi on Sunday, the festival organizer said.

According to the organizers, seven signs that had been set up on the festival stage fell on Sunday morning, with one hitting a woman in her 20s on the left shoulder. A sudden gust of wind is believed to have caused the sign to fall.

The festival continued on Monday, and dance performances were held with all the signs on the stage removed.

According to the Kochi Regional Meteorological Observatory, a strong wind advisory was issued in the city at the time of the accident.