KOKUYOSA is built around five goals:
- Cultural — Share Yosakoi naruko dance in North America and deepen appreciation for Japanese culture, the way salsa and samba have become part of everyday life around the world.
- Regional — Support tourism and community in Lethbridge and Calgary, and grow into one of the region’s largest cultural-exchange events.
- Yosakoi in Canada — Host North America’s first Yosakoi festival and give teams across the continent a reason to connect and learn the dance’s history.
- Japanese community — Strengthen ties among Japanese and Nikkei communities across North America and create a place to share, support, and stay connected.
- Going global — Help a once-local Japanese tradition become a worldwide one that builds community across borders.
Theme song — “Kaede (奏楓)”
KOKUYOSA’s theme song, “Kaede (奏楓),” was created in 2024 by an international Yosakoi team with dancers from more than 20 countries, as a thank-you to Canada and to Yosakoi culture. (Kaede means “maple” — fitting for both Canada and the Kaede Cultural Society.)