TOSHIMA STREET FES 2026 to Be Held in November! Crowdfunding Project Using the Hometown Tax System Also Launched!

Toshima Ward, in co-hosting with the TOSHIMA STREET FES Executive Committee, will hold the urban culture festival 'TOSHIMA STREET FES 2026' from November 1 (Sunday) to November 3 (Tuesday, national holiday) in the Ikebukuro area, centered around the Ikebukuro West Exit Park Global Ring.

The 4th Annual 'TOSHIMA STREET FES'

This event is a multifaceted festival crossing diverse street cultures such as music, dance, art, urban sports, and food. Initiated in fiscal year Reiwa 5 through the initiative of MoveX Co., Ltd., it brought together the ward and numerous companies participating in Team Toshima※1, forming a major public-private collaboration project. Last year, the event attracted approximately 75,000 visitors over three days—the highest number to date—generating significant buzz as an experiential festival that turned the entire Ikebukuro district into a 'playground'.

In its fourth year, the 2026 edition will feature urban sports experience events accessible to beginners and children, top-level breakdance battles to determine Japan's best, and dance collaboration programs with schools and local community groups, all enhanced by the support of Team Toshima participating companies.

Launch of Crowdfunding Campaign for Donations

Additionally, aiming to nurture street culture not as a temporary event but as a new local culture contributing to the growth of children and youth, a crowdfunding campaign utilizing the hometown tax system has been launched today, July 15 (Wednesday). The campaign aims to raise 2 million yen by September 15 (Tuesday). The funds collected will be used to expand opportunities for children and youth in the ward to encounter street culture and challenge themselves in creative expression.

Comment from a Ward Official

Regarding the event, a ward official commented: 'While Toshima Ward has the smallest per-capita park area among Tokyo's 23 wards※2, this festival allows people to play freely and discover new cultures and sports without needing large spaces or facilities. Through this crowdfunding initiative, we hope to create spaces where children and youth can take their first steps, and cultivate a culture where the entire community supports such endeavors.'

※1 Team Toshima: A consortium for improving Toshima Ward through collaboration among industry, government, and academia

※2 Tokyo Metropolitan Park Area and Population Ratio by Municipality (as of April 1, Reiwa 7)

Event Overview: TOSHIMA STREET FES 2026

Dates: November 1 (Sun) – November 3 (Tue, holiday), 2026

Venues: Ikebukuro West Exit Park Global Ring, Naka-Ikebukuro Park, and others

Admission: Free (some paid content available)

Organizers: TOSHIMA STREET FES Executive Committee / Co-hosts: Toshima Ward, Team Toshima

Official Website: https://ts-fes.com/

About Furusato Choice GCF® (Government Crowdfunding®)

Project Name: 'The Power to Express Becomes Toshima Ward's Culture: Support Project for TOSHIMA STREET FES 2026'

Donation Period: July 15 (Wed), Reiwa 8 – September 15 (Tue), Reiwa 8

Target Amount: 2 million yen

Eligibility: Individuals (residents inside and outside the ward welcome)

※Donors will be recognized as partners supporting the creation of Toshima Ward's new culture through name listings on activity reports, the official website, lanterns, etc. (No return gifts provided).

Furusato Choice GCF® Website: https://www.furusato-tax.jp/gcf/5433?utm_source=tokyoto_toshimaku&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=lgmk_13116

Reasons and Background for Project Implementation

In Toshima Ward, a hub for diverse cultures, street culture—including dance, rap, graffiti, and urban sports—is beginning to emerge as a new cultural seed.

Rather than treating street culture as a fleeting event or niche activity, we aim to nurture it as a local culture that contributes to the growth of children and youth. TOSHIMA STREET FES is the flagship initiative symbolizing this vision.

Last year, a four-month program teaching rap, graffiti, and dance was conducted at Nishi-Ikebukuro Junior High School. Students experienced writing their own raps, moving their bodies with peers, and expressing their names and thoughts through graffiti.

We aim to expand such opportunities for creative expression from Ikebukuro to children and youth across the ward, embedding street culture throughout the community. To nurture this momentum as a new cultural movement in the ward, we are launching this crowdfunding campaign.

Use of Donated Funds

The donated funds will be used by the ward through TSFes to broaden opportunities for local children and youth to engage with street culture and challenge themselves in creative expression, including:

Implementation of experiential programs for children and students within the ward

Collaborative experiential programs with schools and local communities to introduce street culture

Creating platforms for students and youth to express themselves

Establishing venues where students, young artists, and local performers from inside and outside the ward can showcase their creative work

Building collaboration among schools, communities, businesses, and government

Preparation, coordination, and execution of collaborative programs involving artists, schools, communities, businesses, government, and attendees working together

※The press release PDF can be downloaded here:

d165139-74-495eaf8169d99cef910bf7b0d05cb988.pdf