The Edo Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival is about to begin! Announcement of the “Pre-Event”

The Edo-Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival is about to begin! Announcement of the “Pre-Event” ​
Geidankyo Press release: October 17, 2025 To Members of the Press The Edo Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival is about to begin! Announcement of the “Pre-Event” Rediscover the charm of traditional performing arts and take on the challenge of the future: “The Flowering Edo Traditional Performing Arts Festival! Let’s Begin!” & “Gagaku in the Sky”
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The “Tokyo Citizens’ Arts Festival,” which has always brightened up Tokyo’s New Year, has been significantly revamped and will be hosting a new event this year: the “Edo Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival.” With the participation and cooperation of many traditional performing arts organizations, the content has been further enhanced. In addition, prior to the main festival, pre-events will be held in the central hall of Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store and on the main deck of Tokyo Tower, showcasing the charm of traditional performing arts. □The Flowering Edo Traditional Performing Arts Festival has begun! Date and time: October 24th (Friday), 25th (Saturday), 26th (Sunday), 2025 Venue: Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Main Building 1st Floor Central Hall (in front of the Celestial Maiden Statue) Each day, the first performance starts at 13:00 / the second performance starts at 16:00 Each performance lasts approximately 40 minutes Ticket price: Free admission 24th: Edo Traditional Japanese Music and Dance (First and Second Performances: Same Content) 《Shinnai Nagashi and Joruri》 Vocals: Okamoto Miyanosuke / Shamisen: Tsuruga Tsuruga Jiro / High-pitched: Tsuruga Iseichiro Nagauta “Osatsuma” Vocals: Kazuhiko Nishigaki, Higashitone / Shamisen: Tomohisa Takahashi, and others Japanese Dance “Kimigayo Shochiku Bai” (Supervised by Tokuho Azuma) Dance: Kyoko Wakayagi Nagauta “Kanjincho” Vocals: Kazuhiko Nishigaki, Higashitone / Shamisen: Tomohisa Takahashi And more Speaker (both sessions): Seiji Kasai (Freelance Announcer) The world of Edo-period Japanese music, including Nagauta and Joruri, developed alongside Kabuki and Buyo. This program will introduce the richness of song, performance, and dance through a mix of live performances and talk, providing an easy-to-understand introduction. Come experience the profound depth of Japan’s traditional performing arts. 25th: Nohgaku, the charm and history passed down to the present day First
performance: Shimai “Tamanodan” Second Performance: Maibayashi “Takasago” Shimai, Maibayashi, and Narration: Takeda Munenori Interviewer: Nagao Ako (Freelance Announcer) Nohgaku developed as a ceremonial musical form under the patronage of the Edo Shogunate. Its timeless appeal, which lives on in the present day, will be unraveled through a talk and performance of Shimai and Maibayashi (a specific part of Noh dance). 26th: The History and Appeal of Kabuki First Session: “The History and Appeal of Kabuki” by Kyozo Nakamura and Seiji Kasai Part 2: “Kabuki and the Music of the Black Curtain” Tobaya San’emon Company / Kasai Seiji In this dialogue between kabuki actor Nakamura Kyozo and announcer Kasai Seiji, we explore the history and appeal of kabuki, which was led by the three Edo theaters. In the second part, we welcome Tobaya San’emon Company members to delve deeper into the appeal of the black curtain music that adds color to the stage. The world of kabuki is unraveled from the perspectives of both actors and musicians. Please take your time to enjoy its diverse charms.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/36123/39/36123-39-d37a52f596b30d25c4aaed3b589f9109-350×673.jpg Performers □Tokyo Tower Gagaku in the Sky Date and Time: Monday, November 24, 2025 (holiday) Venue: TOKYO TOWER Club333 (Tokyo Tower Main Deck 1F) First performance begins at 2:00 PM (doors open at 1:30 PM) / Second performance begins at 3:30 PM (doors open at 3:00 PM). Each performance lasts approximately 30 minutes. Ticket Price: Free admission (only the observation ticket to the main deck is required. No advance registration required.) Enjoy a gagaku performance (sho, hichiriki, and ryuteki) on the Tokyo Tower observation deck. A performance 100 meters above ground is truly “gagaku in the sky.” Enjoy the exquisite sounds of gagaku along with the expansive night view from Tokyo Tower. Those who wish can also participate in an instrument (ryuteki) experience. (Number of participants limited) Foreign language support available (English interpretation and MC)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/36123/39/36123-39-18d1055d0d0a22cc80c28ba7e9068e9d-410×227.jpg Performers □Edo Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival starts in January The Edo Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival kicks off with the Children’s Performing Arts Experience Plaza in Chofu, and features a lineup of noteworthy performances, including the Japanese Dance Association performance and Noh performance, both popular at previous Tokyo Metropolitan Arts Festivals. Other highlights include “Hiroshige’s One Hundred Famous Views of Edo,” performed by Koasa and Hidetaro through rakugo and eda songs, and “Rakugo x Classical Music: Rediscovering the Charm of Japanese Songs and Words,” a collaboration between rakugo performer Ryutei Ichiba and composer Kato Masanori. We have prepared a diverse program that is sure to be enjoyable even for those who find traditional performing arts intimidating. We look forward to seeing you there. Official website
https://edotokyo-dentogeinosai.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/36123/39/36123-39-a20703a71930351f71c9fbdf68866c57-1909×2700.jpg Edo-Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival Poster Organizers: Performance Organizers/Tokyo Metropolitan Government/Tokyo
Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture/Edo-Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival Executive Committee Subsidized by: Society for the Management of Compensation for Public Transmissions for Educational Purposes (SARTRAS) Sponsored by: Chuo City, Chuo City Board of Education, Chuo City Tourism Association Administrative Office: Japan Council of Performing Arts Organizations (Public Interest Incorporated Association) automatically, so please do not reply.