The opening event of Edo Machi Taito Arts Festival

Takenodai Plaza of Ueno Onshi Park (Fountain plaza)

The birthplace of public performance · Taito Ward. In this district I wish for the further development of entertainment and culture which has been cultivated by my predecessors from Saturday, August 4, 2018, Saturday, February 16, 2019 (Saturday), “Edo Machi Taito Arts Festival” is held.

Honorary advisor is Takeshi Kitano who has started his carrer in Taito.

This festival is divided into two parts-the summer part and winter part and a variety of programs are held in each parts.

This time, I came to celebrate the opening of the entertainment festival and interviewed the opening event which took place on Saturday, August 4, so we will deliver that state.

Mikiyo & Putyarin feat. Toraichiro Kuruma

This event started at 16 o’clock. The day is still high and the temperature is 34 degrees, but people gather around the stage.

A singer-song writer Mikiyo from Asakusa, whose glittering kimono is eye-catching.

Toraichiro Kuruma. It looks exactly like Tora-san from the movie “It’s tough being a man” .

Puttarinn who plays a pantomime according to the song ‘I want to be a big tree’. While being humorous, he performed with plenty of emotions looked somewhat melancholy.

Singing guide

These guides usually sing songs from showa-era on the bus while take customers around Tokyo. Today they appeard on the stage and sang! sang!!

Everyone moved the body according to the music ‘YOUNG MAN’.

Piyo Piyo Revolution

Later days have fallen so much that I can feel the coolness. The way to stop your feet in front of the stage starts to increase further.

Piyo Piyo Revolution is a theater company that embodies a powerful live style theater that combines songs, dance and play, as if you can enjoy a story as if you were watching a music live.

Today challenged the attempt to build a play based on the keywords recruited from the customer on the spot. I am excited about what kind of story I am watching. As if it was really a music live, it was a play that involves customers and develops.

Asakusa Yasugi Yamato Ichiza

Yasugi is a folk song of Shimane prefecture familiar with scoops but it became a big boom in Asakusa and Osaka during Taisho era.

Taito ward headman Yukuo Hattori and the parliamentary chair of Taito-ku Junnosuke Kono

Yukuo Hattori, Taito ward headman said ;This year 150 years renamed from Edo to Tokyo.The first year of the Edo Renaissance, I would like to widely tell culture unique to Taito-ku, which is rich in taste and richness with various attempts.

Junnosuke Kono, the parliamentary chair of Taito-ku, said ;Taito-ku is the birthplace of popular entertainment and culture.There have been many entertainers and cultural people who have been born in this area.In order to further develop as a cultural center, We held a festival for the entertainment this time, I want to raise up not only in Ueno but in Asakusa, Yanaka etc. throughout Taito Ward.

Special Guests (Ms. Kayoko Kishimoto, Mr. Al Kitagou)

At the end of the today’S event it supposed to air the movie ‘Kikujiro’, whichi is directed by this “Edo Machi Taito Arts Festival” ‘s Honorary advisor Takeshi Kitano.

Actress Kayoko Kishimoto who played Kikujiro’s wife in the movie and Al Kitago who served as Takeshi Kitano’s assistant for many years have appeared.

‘Kikujiro’ is a road movie where a boy who is separated from his mother and a middle-aged man Kikujiro (played by Takeshi Kitano) go on a journey to search for his mother. As Taito Ward / Asakusa was the departure place of the trip, the screening at the opening event was decided.

This movie was released in 1999 and was told in comparison with’HANA-BI’, which won the Golden Lion award at the Venice International Film Festival in 1997.

Ms. Kishimoto says;’HANA-BI’ has a lot of violence expressions and Kitano’s scary aspect is out, but in ‘Kikujiro’, we can see Kitano’s gentle part, weak part .

Asakusa is the place where Takeshi started taking a step as an entertainer, and this movie is the only one that Asakusa is the stage in Kitano’s work. ‘Kikujiro’ is the name of Kitano’s father, and in this movie Kikujiro’s wife has something in common with Kitano’s mother Saki. From these episodes, I felt that this work is a memorable work for Kitano.

Screening is starting when the expectation of the customer for the movie has reached the climax with numerous other storytelling. Enjoy the movie while hitting the night wind in the spacious outdoors, today’s event is over.


A variety of programs will be held in the fields of entertainment, movies, and theater in various places in Taito Ward, “Edo Machi Taito Arts Festival” started on August 4 (Saturday). Since most of them can participate for free, feel free to look into them. For details, please see the official website below.

Edo Macho Town Douai Art Festival Outline

Society Saturday, August 4, 2018 – Saturday, February 16, 2019

Official website http://www.taitogeirakusai.com/en/