Events

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Kagurazaka Street Stage O-edo Tour 2023 (Japanese Traditional Culture Festival)

Genre:
  • Japanese Traditional Art

Transforming the entire Kagurazaka neighborhood into a stage for a festival to enjoy Japan’s various traditional performing arts

Kagurazaka Street Stage O-edo Tour 2023 is a two-day event giving a large trans-generational audience an up-close opportunity to see, hear and experience Japan’s foremost traditional performing arts, combined with the charms of Kagurazaka where the flavor of old Edo still lingers.

*We will announce program changes and cancellations on the official website and social media platforms (Twitter/Facebook).

Programs : Saturday, May 20

●Kagurazaka Rakuza – Storytellers’ Theater
In the olden days, Storytellers’ Theaters were set up in the shrines and temples where people gathered, and also acted as a source of information and entertainment. A Storytellers’ Theater has now been recreated in the grounds of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple. We present traditional katarigei narrative arts including Biwa-gatari accompanied by Japanese lute, Joruri Gidayu-bushi musical narrative, and Rokyoku narrative singing as well as Kodan storytelling. Even people experiencing traditional performing arts for the first time will enjoy this accessible event with its easy-to-understand words and program.
Venue: Special stage at Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple
Date/ Time: Saturday, May 20 13:30- /15:30-
Performance: Kinkaku Takarai (“Kodan” storytelling), Rieko Fujitaka (“Chikuzen biwa” Five-stringed Japanese lute), Sanryoku Kanda (“Kodan” storytelling), Ichitaro Azumaya + Mitsu Azumaya (“Rokyoku” storytelling)

●“Kotohogi” Live Performance
Akagi-jinja Shrine is known as one of the “three shrines of Edo.” In the shrine’s Kaguraden building where kagura-mai is danced in dedication to the gods, we showcase performances of the shamisen music Nagauta and Kiyomoto-bushi, traditions which have been passed down with Kabuki, as well as the lively accompaniment of a Hayashi ensemble. Together with the people who gather in the grounds of the shrine, we pray for happiness and peace in the world with these performances of Japanese music.
Venue: Kaguraden Stage in Akagi-jinja Shrine
Date/Performance: Saturday, May 20
13:00- Yoshimura Isojiro Troupe (“Nagauta” music) × Wakajishikai (“Hogaku Hayashi” Japanese traditional percussion)
15:00- Kiyomoto Shigemidayu Troupe (“Kiyomoto-bushi” music) × Wakajishikai (“Hogaku Hayashi” Japanese traditional percussion)
Riseki Tobaya (Navigator)

●Traditional Performing Arts Past and Present
In days of old, “The Tale of the Heike” was passed down in narrative form by Biwa-hoshi “lute priests,” predominantly blind Biwa lute-playing monks. Young musicians bringing the endangered tradition of Heike biwa into the present will give a performance and an easy-to-understand talk to illustrate how these “lute priests” later became the professional performers of the Edo period. Kanze Kyukokai will perform the Noh play “Tsunemasa,” which is based on “The Tale of the Heike.”
Venue: Yarai Noh theater
Date/Performance: Saturday, May 20
14:00- From lute priests to the musicians of the Edo period/ The Heike Narrative Research Society (“Heike biwa” Four-stringed Japanese lute × Shamisen × “Sou” Japanese harp × “Kokyu” Japanese fiddle)
16:00- “The Tale of the Heike” as conveyed in Noh/ Kanze Kyukokai (Noh)
Cyril Coppini (Navigator)
*Numbered tickets will be given out at the venue from 90 minutes before each performance.

●Geisha / Traditional Performing Artists Live Performance
The banquet hall of a long-established restaurant will play host to a presentation of singing, Shamisen playing, and dancing by Geishas, a tradition unique to Kagurazaka, as well as “Ozashiki” parlor games that visitors will enjoy joining in with. Visitors will also be able to enjoy Rakugo comic storytelling, a long-popular form of entertainment for ordinary people, as well as the improvised art of paper-cutting based on themes and subjects supplied by the audience.
Venue: Shimakin (advance registration required)
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20 14:00-
Performance: Kagurazaka Geisha Ladies, Koenshi Ryutei (“Rakugo” storytelling), Hana Hayashiya (Peper Cutting Act)
*Advance registration (registration from 10:00, Friday 28 April)

●Street Performance – Shinnai-Nagashi
Wander off into the cobblestone side streets and as if by chance, you will be greeted by the sound of shamisen played by roving musicians. A stylish Shinnai-Nagashi troupe led by Kagurazaka resident Tsuruga Wakasanojo, the head of the Shinnai school and a living national treasure, will be performing its traditional shinnai-nagashi Shamisen music around the cobblestone side streets. Lend your ear to the fleeting, melancholy tones.
Venue: The streets of Kagurazaka (starting from Jinai Park)
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20 16:00- / 19:00-
Performance: Tsuruga Wakasanojo Shamisen troupe (“Shinnai-bushi” music)

●Street Performance – Johana Hikiyama Festival [Iori Uta]
Edo-Hauta songs passed down to Johana in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture have been sung for 300 years as “Iori-Uta” folk songs at the local Johana Hikiyama Festival, surviving as a unique form of culture. Now Iori-Uta is coming home to Edo. A young group of performers from Johana will parade through the back alleys of Kagurazaka accompanied by shamisen, flute, and singing, evoking the atmosphere of the Hikiyama Festival.
Venue: Streets of Kagurazaka (starting from Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple)
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20 17:30-
Performance: Hotetsu Kai (Johana folk performing art of Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture)

●Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple – Evening Concert
Set in the main hall of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple, bathed in the light of lanterns, this event offers the virtuosity of Tezuma Japanese-style magic, the reunion of Edo-Hauta and Iori-Uta, a tradition passed down in the folk singing of Johana in Toyama, and a collaborative performance between the different cultures of Hogaku Hayashi and contemporary dance.This program enables visitors to enjoy Kagurazaka’s night-time scene, the birthplace of numerous strands in a rich and complex culture.
Venue: Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple Grounds
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20 19:00 –
Performance: Taiju Fujiyama (“Tezuma” Japanese traditional magic), Maruhide Honjo x Hideeiji Honjo (“Edo-Hauta” music), Hotetsu Kai (Johana folk performing art of Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture), Wakazishikai (“Hogaku Hayashi” Japanese traditional percussion) x Madmoiselle Cinema (Contemporary dance)
Cyril Coppini (Navigator)
*Numbered tickets will be given out at the venue from 90 minutes before each performance.

●Let’s play! Japanese musical instruments
Under user-friendly instruction, learn how to hold two of Japan’s most popular traditional instruments, the Koto and Shamisen, as well as the Kokyu, and how to get sounds from them. Children and adults are welcome to attend.
Venue: Akagi-jinja Shrine Gallery
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20 13:00 – (registration on the day)

●Kids’ Square
The whole family can enjoy traditional toys and games such as Koma spinning tops and the ball and cup-like Kendama, as well as wooden building blocks under the sky.
Venue: Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple Grounds
Date/Time: Saturday, May 20 13:00 –

Programs : Sunday, May 21

●Kagurazaka Rakuza – Storytellers’ Theater
In the olden days, Storytellers’ Theaters were set up in the shrines and temples where people gathered, and also acted as a source of information and entertainment. A Storytellers’ Theater has now been recreated in the grounds of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple. We present traditional katarigei narrative arts including Biwa-gatari accompanied by Japanese lute, Joruri Gidayu-bushi musical narrative, and Rokyoku narrative singing as well as Kodan storytelling. Even people experiencing traditional performing arts for the first time will enjoy this accessible event with its easy-to-understand words and program.
Venue: Special stage at Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple
Date/ Time: Sunday, May 21 12:00- / 15:00-
Performance: Performance: Matsumaro Kanda (“Kodan” storytelling), Akiko Kubota (“Satsuma biwa” Four or five-stringed Japanese lute), Ginya Tanabe(“Kodan” storytelling), Takemoto Kyonosuke × Kazu Tsuruzawa (“Gidayu-bushi” music)

●Street Performance – Shinnai-Nagashi
Wander off into the cobblestone side streets and as if by chance, you will be greeted by the sound of Shamisen played by roving musicians. A stylish Shinnai-Nagashi troupe led by Kagurazaka resident Tsuruga Wakasanojo, the head of the Shinnai school and a living national treasure, will be performing its traditional Shinnai-Nagashi Shamisen music around the cobblestone side streets. Lend your ear to the fleeting, melancholy tones.
Venue: The streets of Kagurazaka (starting from Jinai Park)
Date/Time: Sunday May 21 13:00- / 15:00-
Performance: Tsuruga Wakasanojo shamisen troupe (“Shinnai-bushi” music)

●Street Performance – Johana Hikiyama Festival [Iori Uta]
Edo hauta songs passed down to Johana in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture have been sung for 300 years as “Iori-Uta” folk songs at the local Johana Hikiyama Festival, surviving as a unique form of culture. Now Iori-Uta is coming home to Edo. A young group of performers from Johana will parade through the back alleys of Kagurazaka accompanied by Shamisen, flute, and singing, evoking the atmosphere of the Hikiyama Festival.
Venue: Streets of Kagurazaka (starting from Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple)
Date/Time: Sunday, May 21 12:00- / 14:00-
Performance: Hotetsu Kai (Johana folk performing art of Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture)

●Kids’ Square
The whole family can enjoy traditional toys and games such as Koma spinning tops and the ball and cup-like Kendama, as well as wooden building blocks under the sky. On Sunday 21, there will be demonstrations of street performances such as old-style kamishibai (Picture cards shows), and Edo ito ayatsuri ningyo (The Edo marionette group).
Venue: Shirogane Park
Date/ Performance: Sunday, May 21 13:00-
13:30- Shibuya Gagekidan (Picture cards shows)
15:00- Mitsuru Kamijo (The Edo marionette group)

●Performing Arts Tour and Street Live Performances in Kagurazaka
You will encounter an array of traditional performances redolent of old Edo at two performing locations set up in Kagurazaka-dori Street. The program offers breath-taking acrobatic skills and fascinating music to entertain visitors of all ages in multi-genre performances that convey the delights of traditional performing arts.
Venue: Kagurazaka-dori Street
Date/ Performance: Sunday, May 21
Shimakin
13:30- OHAYASHI PROJECT (“Hogaku Hayashi” Japanese traditional percussion × Saxophone × Accordion × Sousaphone)
15:00- Naoyuki MANABE GAGAKU Ensemble (“Sho” Japanese mouth organ + “Hichiriki” Japanese oboe + “Fue” Japanese flute)
16:30- Seshami Street Boys (Tsugaru shamisen performance)
Kagurazaka-ue intersection
13:30- Mitsuru Kamijo (The Edo marionette group)
15:00- HAN’NYA TEIKOKU (“Shakuhachi” Banboo flute)
16:30- KiKi (Tsugaru shamisen) × Keita Kanazashi (“Taiko“ Japanese drum)

●Deities Enjoyment Live Performance
Offerings of cross-genre musical collaborations between traditional Japanese instruments and various instruments from around the world. A mixture of traditional music arrangements and original pieces will be performed in the fresh green grounds of Akagi-jinja Shrine. Audiences will be captivated by the exquisite harmonies of string instruments.
Venue: Akagi-jinja Shrine Grounds
Date/Performance: Sunday, May 21
14:00- HOGAKU 2.0 (Guitar × “Sou” Japanese harp × Shamisen)
15:30- Cross – cultural strings (“Kokyu” Japanese fiddle × “Erhu” Chinese fiddle × “Gadulka” Bulgarian fiddle × Cello × Percussion)

●Evening Live Music Performances at Akagi-jinja Shrine
A sophisticated offering of quintessential traditional music performed against the backdrop of the evening sky. Beginning with Edo – Daikagura, the concert features a contemporary piece played with exceptional skill on the Sho, a woodwind instrument used in Gagaku court music, as well as an enthusiastic performance of well-known pieces traditionally played in accompaniment to Kabuki and Nihon Buyo dance and given by musicians at the forefront of Tokiwazu-bushi and Hogaku Hayashi music. This program will close the two-day festival.
Venue: Kaguraden Stage in Akagi-jinja Shrine
Date/Time: Sunday, May 21 17:30-
Performance: Maruichi Senoh Troupe (“Edo-Daikagura” Japanese traditional juggling and lion dance)/ Naoyuki Manabe (“Sho” Japanese mouth organ)/Tokiwazu Waeidayu Troupe (“Tokiwazu-bushi” music) x Tosha Chiho Troupe (“Hogaku Hayashi” Japanese traditional percussion)
Cyril Coppini (Navigator)

●Kagurazaka Time Slip Stamp Rally / History Guides
Collect your stamp rally map and you’re set to start exploring Kagurazaka’s alleys on foot. Participants who have collected all 6 stamps from the 6 historical spots they have walked around will receive a souvenir gift at Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple. You can learn more about the city from knowledgeable local guides who will be there to welcome you at different historical spots along the way.
Date/Time: Sunday, May 21 12:00 – 16:00
Stamp-spot: Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple (Souvenir gift exchange), Kosho-ji Temple, Enpuku-ji Temple, Shirogane Park, Jinai Park, Karukozaka-ue
History Guides: Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple (Souvenir gift exchange), Kosho-ji Temple, Enpuku-ji Temple, Shirogane Park, Jinai Park, Karukozaka-ue, Geisha-shinmichi
*Stamps can be exchanged for souvenir gifts until 16:30 (quantities are limited)

Video program

Following on from last year, festival ambassador Robert Campbell, a scholar of Japanese literature who has a deep knowledge of traditional culture and is a familiar face on TV, will introduce the appeal of the Kagurazaka Street Stage O-edo Tour (Japanese Traditional Culture Festival) and traditional performing arts. Visitors can enjoy watching koto music, kodan storytelling, and nagauta music with Noh artist Yoshimasa Kanze at Yarai Noh Theater in Kagurazaka. We will talk about Kagurazaka and traditional performing arts at a round-table discussion to include performers. Video footage of the event will be streamed on the Kagurazaka Street Stage O-edo Tour’s official YouTube channel.

Ambassador: Robert Campbell (scholar of Japanese literature/specially appointed Professor, Waseda University)
Performer: Yoshimasa Kanze (Kanze School Shite-kata Noh performer)
1st talk: “Soukyoku” Shintaro Okamura +Ai Okamura (Ikuta School Koto music performers)
2nd talk: “Kodan” Orine Kanda (Kodan)
3rd talk: “Nagauta” Riseki Tobaya, others (Nagauta)

*Please note event details are subject to change.

Admission

Free (some program require advance registration)
*Please see the official website for the detail about registration.

Contact

“Kagurazaka Street Stage O-edo Tour” executive Office (c/o Koten Kukan Co,Ltd)
TEL: 03-5478-8265 (Weekday 10:00 – 18:00)

Venues

Kagurazaka area (Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple, Akagi-jinja Shrine, Yarai Noh Theater, Shimakin, Shirogane Park, the streets around Kagurazaka-dori Street, historic sites, and others)

Flyer

Credit

Organized by
Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), NPO Ikimachi Club
Supported by and in cooperation with
Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Co-organized by
Shinjuku City
Supported by
Shinjuku Convention & Visitors Bureau
Cooperated by
Tokyo Kagurazaka Association, Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple, Akagi-jinja Shrine, Kanze Kyukoukai Yarai Noh Theater, Natsume Soseki Memorial Museum, Ikimachi Co., Kagurazaka Avenue Association, Shimakin, Session House, THEGLEE, SEION Kagurazaka Branch, Hatsudai wellness lab, MORI NO TSUMIKI HIROBA, Edo Tokyo Guide Group, Kosho-ji Temple, Enpuku-ji Temple, KPMG AZSA LLC, Dai-Ichi Kangyo Credit Cooperative (Kagurazaka Branch), Kumagai Gumi, EPS Holdings, Inc., Tokyo University of Science, Long Run Planning, OFFICE YAMAGUCHI, Southern Company, Mind