YOSAKOI LONDONTEMUZU
Amateur Japanese Dance Group
Who are we?
Yosakoi London was founded and established in 2016 by a group of individuals who have lived in Japan and danced with local Yosakoi teams during their stay. Between them they have performed at various festivals including the Yosakoi Festival in Kōchi and Yosakoi Soran Festival in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
After returning home they wanted to continue dancing and introduce Yosakoi to the UK, and thus Yosakoi London was born. The group has steadily attracted more members and has performed as the team “Temuzu” at various Japan-related cultural events around the country and in Europe.
In September 2016: Yosakoi London Temuzu became a member of the Yosakoi European Network (YEN) which is comprised of various teams across Europe.
Temuzu as our team name
The team name “Temuzu” (天夢手) is a nod to London’s iconic landmark the River Thames which flows through the heart of the city in which we are based. The kanji characters are chosen phonetically but also for their meanings 天(heaven) 夢(dream) 手(skilful).
The Phoenix as our logo
The phoenix, a mythical bird which is said to rise again from the ashes after it dies, has long been associated with the City of London. Throughout history London has suffered much destruction from fires, the most devastating being the Great Fire of London in 1666. However, the city has always resurrected itself from the ashes and thus the phoenix came to be considered as a symbol of the city and can be seen at various landmarks, including St Paul's Cathedral. As well as being a symbol of London, the mythical bird is also associated with the concepts of endurance, eternal life and purity which lend themselves well to our team, our passion for dance and dreams of spreading Yosakoi throughout the UK!
