<Rediscover the charm of Japan!> Let's go see traditional performing arts (Part 1)

Recommended traditional performing arts for autumn 1

 
【 9/19 】
New Japanese Beauty - Kanagawa Classics 2016 in Odawara

A variety of traditional performing arts unfold with the soaring Odawara Castle as a backdrop
The Kanagawa Re-Classic Project is an initiative that utilizes traditional performing arts associated with Kanagawa Prefecture in a new way, re-disseminating them as cultural arts that live in the modern age. It is an initiative to convey the classical traditional performing arts of Kanagawa Prefecture to the present, rediscover their appeal and value, and pass them on to the future. This year, the fourth time the project is being held, it will be held in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture's proud castle town.
The venue is Odawara Castle (Odawara Castle Ruins Park Honmaru Square Special Stage), famous among history fans as an "impregnable and invincible castle." Selected as one of Japan's 100 most famous castles, Odawara Castle underwent major renovations and was reopened in May 2016. With the pure white castle tower towering over the castle as a backdrop, local traditional performing arts such as bonfire Noh and rakugo will be performed, as well as Odawara Bayashi and Hakone's Yutate Lion Dance.
 

Provided by: Odawara Digital Archive

A stage where you can feel the power of history and a breath of fresh air
The event will be divided into two parts and will be hosted by Robert Harris, a popular J-wave DJ.
 
Admission to the first part (doors open: 12:30/show starts: 13:00) is free.
*The event may be canceled in the event of rain.
Traditional performing arts with ties to Kanagawa Prefecture will be shown together, including the performing arts of the Enshu Iida Yamana Shrine Gion Festival (nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property), rakugo by local Odawara native Yanagiya Sanza, Odawara Bayashi (Odawara City Traditional Performing Arts Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property), Terayama Shrine Kashima Dance (Odawara City Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property), Hakone Yutateshishimai (Hakone Town Nationally Selected and Prefecturally Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property), and the Uirouri Kotoage Research Group.
Under the blue sky, you can enjoy the power of the forms that have been handed down for hundreds of years and the fresh air of the times that is blowing into them.
 
The second part (doors open from 18:00/show begins from 18:30) is limited to 1,000 paid seats (advance tickets 3,000 yen, same-day tickets 3,500 yen).
*In case of rain, Odawara Civic Hall will be used.
This is a full-scale performance by a splendid cast including Makigami Koichi/FOOD with Arzhan Suu, Hosho-ryu Takigi Noh (Kyogen "Bunzo" (Yamamoto Toujiro, Yamamoto Norihide), Noh "Yachi Soga" (Shite/Hosho Kazuhide, Juro/Tatsumi Manjiro)).
The stage, with the sky changing from dusk to night and Odawara Castle as the backdrop, is a fantastical and powerful performance that you won't find anywhere else. Even though it is a traditional performing art, it is not bound by existing concepts and is a performance that we hope the audience will feel with their own sensibilities.
 
Message from the performers

Part 2: From Koichi Makigami

"Japan has a history of accepting cultures different from its own, absorbing them and making them its own traditions. If you think about it that way, constantly taking on new challenges can itself be considered a traditional performing art. Since this is a "Re" (re-transmission) project, we too are trying something new using Odawara Cast Iron Wind Chimes to create a new tradition. Please pray for a favorable wind to blow (laughs)."
 

Koichi Makigami: Graduate of Kanagawa Prefectural Odawara High School. One of Japan's leading vocalists and producers. In addition to his activities as the leader of the band "Hikashu," he is also actively engaged in solo works and collaborations using vocal acoustics, the theremin, and the jaw harp.

The quartet, consisting of the duo "Arzhan Suu" consisting of Koichi Makigami and Masaharu Sato, and the duo "FOOD" consisting of British saxophonist Ian Ballamee, a master of improvisational jazz who skillfully uses electronics, and Norwegian drummer Thomas Stronen, is called "Ancient and Future."
 
Along with the performances of musicians who are challenging themselves to be at the forefront of music in Japan and the world, there will be a performance using Odawara's specialty "wind chimes." The collaboration between the music flowing from the instruments and the sounds created by the natural wind is the very essence of "ancient and future." What kind of performance will it be? There will be a number of stages, including a "co-performance with wind chimes," which Makiage, who is always taking on new challenges, will also be performing for the first time. Like an art installation, it looks like it will be a stage where the audience who listens to it can enjoy a new experience together.
 

A little detour: Nanohana

　

Utsuwa Nanohana is a gallery in Odawara. It is a gallery displaying ceramic, porcelain, lacquerware, and other items made by Wagashi Nanohana, a Japanese confectionery shop that has been in business since the Meiji era and is famous for its Tsuki no Usagi sweets. Inside the shop, there is a wide selection of tableware made by artists that exude individuality and warmth, selected with the discerning eye of the owner. This is a shop where you are sure to find your favorite tableware that will make your daily life much more comfortable.
 
The September exhibition is the Hosokawa Morimitsu Exhibition (guest: Kishino Tsuyoshi / sculpture). The exhibition features Hosokawa Morimitsu's pottery, which has a simple appearance but also a warm and comforting feel.
Exhibition period: Saturday, September 17th to Sunday, September 25th (closed on Wednesday, September 21st)
 
Address: 1-3-12 Minamimachi, Odawara City, 250-0013
TEL: 0465-24-7020
Business hours: 11:00-18:00
*Only open when special events are being held. *Exhibitions from October onwards can be found on the website.

Recommended traditional performing arts for autumn 2

[1st to 7th of every month] Add laughter to your life!
"Yokohama Nigiwai Yose" is a place that can be enjoyed by everyone from beginners to connoisseurs.
 

Even beginners can just drop in and enjoy the laughs.
 

Noge is a popular area for bar-hopping in Yokohama. Located in this bar district lined with restaurants, Yokohama Nigiwaiza is a theater that specializes in popular entertainment, including rakugo, manzai, magic, and acrobatics. This theater, where you can enjoy traditional arts in a relaxed atmosphere, is a perfect fit for the lively atmosphere of this town.
While even beginners can just drop in and enjoy a variety of laughs, Master Katsura Utamaru, who is also the director of the theater, says, "For a storyteller, the yose is a training hall. It's a place to hone your skills, and every day is a serious challenge." The audience's reactions hone the art, and the audience enjoys watching the polished performance. The yose is a place where the audience can fully receive the feelings that the storyteller has entrusted to the art.
 

Feel free to come and enjoy a vaudeville show from the 1st to the 7th! "Yokohama Nigiwai Vaudeville Show"
 

The Yokohama Nigiwai Yose is a very popular event at the Giwaiza. It is held from the 1st to the 7th of every month as a joint performance by the Rakugo Art Association and the Rakugo Association. The format where entertainers belonging to the two associations appear on the same stage on alternate days is unique to the Yokohama Nigiwaiza. It is a show that the residents of the prefecture feel is a waste if they don't experience.
There are manzai and magic tricks between the rakugo performances, so even beginners can enjoy it. Of course, it's also fun to go for a drink after the show. Why not take a walk to Noge and find some laughter that's part of your everyday life?
 

Continued in the second part: Rediscover the charm of Japan! Let's go see traditional performing arts (Part 2)