Traditional Performing Arts Festival 'Kagurazaka Machi Butai Oedo Meguri 2026' to be Held

The Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) and the NPO Iki na Machizukuri Club will hold the "Kagurazaka Machi Butai Oedo Meguri 2026" in the Kagurazaka area on May 16 (Sat) and 17 (Sun), 2026 (Reiwa 8).

Kagurazaka is a town that combines Edo atmosphere with the vibe of Paris, blending tradition and modernity. This event is a festival of traditional performing arts where you can experience the skills of performers active on the front lines, from up-and-coming young artists to veteran masters, set on the streets and shrine/temple grounds of this town. For this 14th edition, we will deliver a special time that allows you to encounter traditional performing arts and inspires you to want to know more about them.

The entire town transforms into a stage, including Kagurazaka's main street, the grounds of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji and Akagi Shrine, and the Noh theater. The performances unfolding there include storytelling arts such as Kodan, Rokyoku, and Gidayu-bushi, as well as performances on traditional instruments like the Koto, Shamisen, and Shakuhachi. In one of the programs, "Geinou Michishirube" (Guide to Performing Arts), we answer the desire to "know more" by comparing the "differences in expression by schools" in Noh and Japanese traditional dance. Furthermore, the fusion of contemporary dance with Hayashi music such as flutes and drums...