Dec 04, 2019 at 04:24 am

#2 - What exactly are naruko?

Update posted by Daniel Rolandi

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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.


You can find these special 高知家 (kou-chi-ke, meaning "Kochi Family") naruko in Kochi! (Source: Daniel Rolandi)

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.


Gotta collect 'em all, naruko! Gotta clack 'em all, naruko! This is our dear leader Emiko Tanaka's naruko collection. (Source: Emiko Tanaka)

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!

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!


I have seen both ways of holding the naruko. I think the first one is more common. (Source: Daniel Rolandi)

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

- Daniel Rolandi


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