Main Festival
The grounds of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple will be the center of Kagurazaka, storytelling performances going back to the Edo period; at the same time, you can enjoy all kinds of events, live music performances, traditional parlor games with geisha ladies in “Kenban”, a stamp-collection taking you on a sentimental journey back in time, and classical performing arts in Akagi-jinja Shrine’s Kagura performance hall. In essence, the “Kagurazaka Street Stage O-edo Tour 2016” will again transform the whole neighborhood to a stage and visitors can experience how in Kagurazaka tradition meets modern age and how the people are one with their land.
Kagurazaka Rakuza – Lecture Field
Long time ago, the lecture field that was created within the shrines and temples used to be a place to promote various information. We will be creating a lecture field-like stage inside of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple. There will be young Japanese story-telling professionals sharing stories and other traditional story-related performances. The stories will be either accompanied by a biwa lute or told in the joururi ballad style (Gidayuu-Bushi, Shinnai-Bushi) as they paint a vivid image of the town’s beauty.
Date
November 13 (Sun), 2016: around 11:30 – 16:30
Place
Special stage at Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple
Admission
Free
Performers
Story-telling: Sanryoku Kanda, Ginya Tanabe + Koto (flute)
Biwa Duo: Yukihiro Gotou & Yuuko Mizushima
Gidayu-Bushi: Kyounosuke Takemoto & Kazu Tsuruzawa
Performing Arts Tour and Street Live Performances in Kagurazaka
There will be three places that will be set up on the streets in Kagurazaka where you can enjoy a variety of traditional performing arts while strolling through the district. Guests from different generations will be able to enjoy the event as they see performers who inherit the Edo Period tradition and groups that embrace the fusion of tradition and modernity.
Date
November 13 (Sun), 2016: around 12:30-16:30
Place
In front of “Shimakin”, “Yamashita Shikki Shop”, and “Park Luxe Kagurazaka Pocket Park”
Admission
Free
Programs
In front of Shimakin : Tsugaru-Shamisen performance, Hougaku Hayashi, Shou, Hichiriki, Ryuuteki
In front of Yamashita Shikki Shop : Wadaiko Japanese Drums, Shakuhachi Flute, Edo Dai Kagura music, Tsugaru-shamisen group, flute
In front of Park Luxe Kagurazaka Pocket Park: Koto, Bamboo Flute, Puppet play, Kokyuu Japanese Fiddle, and others
Street Performance in Kagurazaka / Shinnai Nagashi Performance
The living national treasure, Tsuruga Wakasanojou who lives in Kagurazaka will perform with his group as they walk through the streets of Kagurazaka.
Date
November 13 (Sun) 2016: around 12:30 – 13:00, 16:00 – 16:30
*There will be performances on both days.
Place
On the streets in Kagurazaka (Starting from Jinai Park)
Street Performance in Kagurazaka / Jouhana Hikiyama Festival
In Johana of Toyama’s Nanto City (Toyama prefecture), a traditional festival (designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property) called “Hikiyama Matsuri” is being held for 300 years. In the floats featured in this festival are groups playing flutes and shamisen; their music called “iori-uta” comes from the Edo period and is specific to the Johana area.
Date
November 13 (Sun) 2016: around 12:00 – 12:40, 13:10 – 13:50, 14:20 – 15:00
Place
On the streets in Kagurazaka (Starting from Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple)
Experiencing Ozashiki Asobi (Traditional Japanese Parlor Games)
Ozashiki-asobi is the name of the traditional parlor games with Geisha Ladies in Japan. This entertainment offers a good opportunity for foreign visitors to enjoy and experience Japanese traditional performing arts in a casual manner. After enjoying songs, shamisen, and dancing of Kagurazaka’s Geisha and Maiko, guests will be able to experience “ozashiki game,” that are usually exclusive to guests who visit the restaurants Geisha and Maiko work for. The venue will be at the Kenban (the administration office and training place for Geisha Ladies), where Geisha and Maiko train themselves, which is usually closed to the public.
Date
November 13 (Sun), 2016: Two performances at 13:00-14:00 and 14:30-15:30
Place
Kenban (the administration office and training place for Geisha Ladies)
Admission
¥2,500
-Reservations are required (Up to 40 persons per performance)
-Brochures in English and consecutive interpretation are available on the day.
-For tickets, contact “Confetti.” http://confetti-web.com/en/
*Toll-free number: 0120-240-540
*Operators are available 10:00-18:00 on weekdays (Japanese Only)
*Tickets will start selling from October 3rd (Mon) 10:00 –
Tickets sold out.
Performers
Geisha Ladies of Kagurazaka
Evening Live Music Performance at Akagi-jinja Shrine Kagura Hall
Akagi-jinja Shrine has been a landmark since Edo Period and is famous for a place you can enjoy beautiful sunset. At its modern and beautiful kagura hall, there will be a live musical performance of a genre tinted by elements of classic Japanese music (nagauta etc.). As the event’s finale, artists who performed at other places will also be gathering and will conclude the festival as the guests, staff, and artists become one.
Date
November 13 (Sun), 2016: around 17:00 – 18:00
Place
Kagura Hall in Akagi-jinja Shrine
Admission
Free
Performers
Maruichi Senoh Group (Edo Dai Kagura music), Isojiro Yoshimura and his Group (Nagauta), Wakajishi Group (Hougaku Hayashi)
Kagurazaka Time Slip (Stamp Rally & Historical Tours)
There will be a stamp rally that will lead you to seven historical places from Edo, Meiji, and Taisho Period. There will also be eight historical spots that will have special “historical guides” that are experts in Kagurazaka’s history. A tenugui towel specially made for this occasion will be given to guests who collected all seven stamps.
Date
November 13 (Sun), 2016: 11:30-16:00
*Guests can exchange their stamps with prizes until 16:30. Prizes are limited.
Place
Throughout Kagurazaka, 7 stamp spots
8 historical spots with guides
Admission
Free (A map with a stamp sheet will be distributed at each spot)
Performers and Programs
Japan’s Street Performers, Street Performance Association (Jigoku-Gokuraku Picture Telling, Nankin tamasudare, and others)
*There will be an English map and English translations at each spot.
