Naruko are an essential prop in yosakoi dance. Dancers hold one of these wooden clappers in each hand and during the dance they are used to make 'clack' sounds in time with the music.

The traditional design has a red body with black-yellow-black stripes on the three loose clapping tines on both sides of the naruko (called bachi). More stylized naruko can have various colors, bachi on only one face (called kata naruko), or even more intricate designs including logos burned onto its side.

It is said that historically naruko were used to scare away crows and other pests from rice fields. If used correctly, they can make quite a loud noise -- it scares away my roommate's cat easily!

Ito Yosakoi (San Francisco)

There are various ways to hold a naruko. However you hold them, you'll need to hold tight so you don't drop them in the middle of the dance! When that happens, dancers usually pretend nothing happened, keep smiling and carry on with the dance!

In Kochi, there are many shops that sell naruko in various design! Where I live (California, USA), you can find naruko in DAISO, a Japanese chain store. You should check out your nearest Japanese store -- you might find some!

- Daniel