Edomachi-Taito Entertainment Festival Closing Event Report

Taito Ward Asakusa Public Hall

Since the opening in August 2018, "Edomachi-Taito Entertainment Festival" which has delivered a variety of entertainment and traditional culture, including traditional arts from the Edo period through various events. A closing event was held on Saturday, February 16, 2019.

The theme of the closing event – From Edo to Tokyo "The lively crowd of Edo living now" ~ . It was divided into the first part and the second part, and Taito Ward boasts a wide variety of performing arts that got together and was performed together. This time, I wrote about the first part so we will tell about it.

The bustle of Asakusa 6-ku

Before the opening of the first part, there was an announcement of the performers of the closing event at "Asakusa 6-ku" known as a sacred place for entertainment.

What appeared before the Asakusa entertainment hall was the 5th district of the Edo Fire Brigade Memorial Association, a general association formed to convey the tradition of "fire fighting" that was born as a fire brigade in the Edo period to future generations. Demonstrated powerful Edo's woodworking and clasping .

Wood carving
Wing swing

The next thing that appeared was a glittering Oiran (japanese old style courtesan). It is Mr. Kotaro Ryu who acts as a mass actor. From the Asakusa 6-ku street to the closing event venue · Asakusa public hall the procession of Oiran was entertained by many passers-by.

Closing event Part 1

Star's hand type honorific ceremony
Taito Ward, popular entertainment mecca, gave hands and signs from 1979 (Showa 54) as a "star" in front of the Asakusa public hall in order to honor the accomplishments of entertainers who contributed to the promotion of popular performing arts, It is set up in the "Plaza". This year, a honorary ceremony was held for six people with hand shapes installed.


Former Takarazuka boys top star and actress Amami Yuki "I am from Taito Ward, but it is a feeling of lack of ability to put a hand on this place that I have been familiar with since my childhood, my mother is also very pleased I was able to do filial piety.I would like to continue to do my best to make Taito Ward lively. "


Singer / Mr. Otsuki Miyako "I came to the singer for the first time in 55 years, but now I am happiest the most.We would like to select the hand of the star this time and I hope that you will have a wonderful Japanese popular song from tomorrow I think that you got a fight when delivering it, thanks to everyone who listens to the song. Thank you very much. "


Kabuki actor Nakamura Kankuro "I am very pleased to be able to enter among the great seniors who have left the hands of the star up to now. Among those seniors are two grandparents, my father and my aunt as well This Asakusa public hall is a New Year Asakusa Kabuki which is said to be a gateway for young Kabuki actors.I also appeared in this place for many years from the age of 18. From now on I would like to be a good actor to love and love people in Asakusa. "


Kankuro's younger brother Nakamura Shichinosuke "I have been indebted to this Asakusa public hall since I was 16. Although there are so many customers today, only about five customers in my first performance There was no one, I will beat up from the ground in this place, I am very pleased that you have chosen to be a star's hand like this. "


Although Azuma Takahiro of the talent was also elected, attendance to the festival ceremony did not come true, Tomohiro Higashi Tomohiro as a younger brother attended on behalf of Mr. Takahiro Mr. Tomohiro was read aloud. "My father, Azuma hachiro also leaves hand shapes 38 years ago from now, there is a memory that I felt even more greatly to my father who I respected as a junior high school student at that time, my father is 49 years old At the time I left his hands, I am also 49 years old, I was able to leave my hands in the same year, I will continue to devote myself to ashamed of this honor from now on. "


Unfortunately, Takagawa Yumi, an actress, was absent from the awards ceremony, and the managing director of the office that he belonged to was read by his comments. "We have selected it as a hand type at the end of Heisei and it is full of appreciation.The entertainment life has also entered in the 46th year, so we will continue to devote ourselves with new feelings encouraging you to choose this time."

Kabuki dance "Tongue-picking Sanjo"
Nakamura Kankuro is succeeding Nakamura Kanzaburo who is the founder of Edo Kabuki, Nakamura Kankuro performed Sanjo, and Shichinosuke was playing a thousand years. The venue was crowded with a comical movement of Sanjo.

Edo TaiKagura music
The origins of tTaikagura are the &quot Sangaku " transmitted to the shrine in the Heian era. It was developed as an acrobatics in the Edo period and gained popularity. Okinaya Wasuke and Okinaya Kohana will show off his umbrella, etc., and the crowd gets a lot of fun with skillful technique.

Rcitation “Thirteen nights”
A Story tellar Kumazawa Nansui that appeared on a dark stage. Moistly and sometimes intensely, She talked about Higuchi Ichiyo's "Thirteen nights ". Higuchi Ichiyo is a writer who is familiar with this place, such as writing masterpiece "Takekurabe " set in Ryusen, Taito-ku.

Historical narrative "Shinmon Tatsugoro "
From Edo to the Meiji / Taisho era, Historical narrative which was a representative of people's entertainment. Kanda Kurenai told the lifetime of Shinmon Tatsugoro who was active as a firefight in Edo in Edo. It was the first time she ever tells this story. The audience was fascinated by the delightful enthusiasm that was full of presence, and it was drawn into the world of the Historical narrative.

Kappore dance
"Kappore" is a dance spreading all over the country by the petitioner afterwards, based on "Sumiyoshi dance" dedicated to Sumiyoshi Shrine in Osaka in hopes of rich a good harvest and becoming called by this name in the Edo period. Sakura gawa iri hune shachu venue was excited with the dance that matched the "Kappore" calling by the company .


"Edomachi-Taito Entertainment Festival", which has grown up in Taito-ku with performing arts and traditional culture for about half a year, has closed the curtain here. Even in the closing event, we offered a wide variety of performances not caught in the genre to the audience, and it was a great success as a "festival where you can enjoy the power of the shoulder" that anyone can participate.


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