"Shibuya Street Dance Week(hereinafter referred to as SSDW)" started in 2015 as the largest street dance festival in Japan.
We have aimed to establish street dance as a new art culture that is supported by a wide range of people, and to make Shibuya a more vibrant city by transmitting high-quality entertainment from Shibuya, a sacred place for street dancers, to the world.
At SSDW2025, held at Yoyogi Park on Saturday, November 22, 2025, a variety of programs were developed that allowed participants to experience the allure of street dance from various angles, including the newly launched Breaking Area, where participants can enjoy the breaking style that drew attention at the Paris Olympics in 2024, an "inclusive showcase" featuring a diverse range of dancers regardless of disability, and dance battles featuring live band music.
We will report on a day in which Yoyogi Park was filled with dance and music, and "diversity" created a wide range of expression and exchange throughout the venue.
Experience various genres of dance |CHILL OUT SPACE
At CHILL OUT SPACE, dance workshops of various genres were held throughout the day as an area where people of all ages, from beginners to experienced dancers, can enjoy dance, music and culture.
"Capoeira Time" started first. Capoeira is a Brazilian traditional performing art with elements of dance, martial arts and music. With a light rhythm centered on percussion instruments and claps, fight-like movements flow one after another, but slowly. YOKO and Jun Ishibashi (Capoeira Batuque Japão) gave a lecture on a school called "Capoeira Contemporanea," and Kenji Shibata (GCAP Japão) gave a lecture on a school called "Capoeira Angola."
After being taught the basic movements of two different styles of capoeira, all the participants form a circle and work in pairs to experience the performance in turn. The participants ’ concentration is quite high as they are required to watch their opponent's movements, receiving attacks, discharging, and stepping into the opponent. It was an experience program that made me sweat fresh.
The next program will be "Hajime no Popping〜FRESNO under the sky 〜" with SHUTO and RIRIKA as instructors. The participants, mainly children, formed a large circle and received a lecture on the basic steps of Poppin, Fresno and First Routine. At first, some of the participants were puzzled by the way they tried to control the bounces on the beat, but gradually their movements came together into a big groove.
"A cypher is born naturally! This is the best part of street dancing!" SHUTO says.
At the end, everyone made a runway and danced while walking two by two. It was impressive to see how the enthusiasm of the cheers from the roadside raised the spirits of the participants as they moved along the runway, making their physical expressions more lively and exciting. It was a space that embodied the latent feelings of respect for friends and the attitude of affirming oneself and others that street culture has.
After the youthful energy of the children exploded, the atmosphere of "New Style Hustle Time" was a little calmer. The instructor is Zabu, who is spreading New Style Hustle, a pair dance originated in New York, to Japan. The participants were relatively many adults, and the time was relaxed.
After the leader and follower are divided and give a lecture on the basic movement, they pair up and experience the routine. The real thrill of pair dancing is that two people connect their movements without having to exchange words by making eye contact and communicating and feeling each other's strength. It's not so important to dance well. Even if your movements are awkward for the first time, putting yourself in the other person's shoes and being considerate of them will directly lead to a rich and attractive expression.
Finally, "HIPHOP WORKSHOP" was held led by YASS, one of the "SSDW 2025" ambassadors, and many participants of all ages, from kids to adults, gathered at "CHILL OUT SPACE."
YASS says, "Let yourself fall into the groove that everyone is making."
It was important to look at the surroundings, watch the movement of the whole team, and create excitement together. Each participant was able to reaffirm the joy of moving their body while feeling the sound.
Enjoy the performance of various dancers |RAINBOW STAGE
At RAINBOW STAGE, a variety of teams participated, including guest dancers active on the world stage, Shibuya clubs, studios, and social groups. In addition, SSDW CONTEST was held for high school students to foster and discover the next generation of rookies. The stage program featured performances by LJ BREAKERS from LOVEJUNX, an entertainment school for people with Down syndrome, and Otodan TOKYO, a diverse group of members with and without disabilities. RiMiX SPACE, which features young dancers Yuushi and Rikto, performed a special showcase featuring sign language dances. The whole stage was used extensively, and the performance was full of energy, and the audience was excited. From time to time, I could feel the bond and trust in my teammates that have been cultivated through training together.
Participants of Various Backgrounds Mix |BREAKING AREA, BATTLE PARK
At the newly established "Breaking Area" this year, 16 people in 8 groups are selected through audition type preliminary rounds in 2 groups for people under 22 years old. The final match was face-to-face (2 against 2) and the break in battle “U -22 B-BOY/B-GIRL BATTLE ” was played.
During the interval between the qualifying round and the final round, ISSEI, one of the judges of the “U -22 B-BOY/B-GIRL BATTLE ”, who is active all over the world, held a“ Breaking Experience Event ”, which attracted a wide range of participants, mainly children, from beginners to experienced players.
In practicing the up-lock, one of the movements of the break in, Mr. ISSEI says, "At first, try to step with the rhythm of goo and jankenpon." I was impressed by the way they explained using familiar examples so that even people who come into contact with breakin for the first time can easily understand.
While some participants who had experienced breakin said, "It was good to review the basics of the steps," others who had experienced breakin for the first time said, "It was difficult, but it was fun to try, and I was glad to participate." This made the workshop attractive and interesting to participants regardless of whether they had experienced breakin or not.
“BATTLE PARK ” featured an impromptu battle of dance skills, expression, and originality regardless of the genre of street dance. The individual “1 on1 BATTLE ” and the team“ 3on3 BATTLE ” are going on at the same time. This year was another year of intense competition. "1 on1 BATTLE" is a style in which the finalists are selected in the preliminary round in a cypher style. With no experience or age restrictions, it was an open battle style that anyone from small children to adults could easily participate in, so it was exciting just to see who was selected.
“3 on3 BATTLE ” is a team competition that requires teamwork, so I was impressed by the way each team's individuality clashed with each other. It was a place where you could experience the power of street dance through the battle style where you overwhelm your opponent by using the field in all directions.
Both BREAKING AREA and BATTLE PARK move to RAINBOW STAGE for the finals. The match unfolds with live performance by instrumental HIPHOP band DA-Dee-MiX.
The final of Breaking Area is Taco Squad versus Nova Sista. The Taco Squad won after a battle in which both sides overwhelmed each other by not giving up an inch. Judge Asami praised the participants, saying, "Nova Sista, who narrowly missed out on the title, showed that B-GIRL can compete on an equal footing. I think the charm of Breakin was conveyed to many people by being able to do battle outside like this!."
BATTLE PARK ’ s “1 on1 BATTLE ” and“ 3on3 BATTLE ” are both themed dance battles. Not only skill but also creativity and expressiveness were emphasized, and it was fun to show the character and personality of the dancers.
The final of “1 on1 BATTLE ” is Jay-K versus Maulhy. Jay-K went through two theme battles, "rain" and "snake," and won the battle.
The final of “3 on3 BATTLE ” is CHIP CHOP vs. SKS. Three theme battles, “Basketball, ”“ Cooking, ” and “Storm, ” were played out, and the winner was CHIP CHOP.
At the end of the final, Sekai gave a message to the audience on behalf of the judges.
"The charm of dance is that even if there is nothing, you can be swayed by the music, have fun, get excited, and get connected like yay. I hope that people can casually participate in events like today and that the excitement of dance will spread even more."
To a borderless and free finale wrapped in the love of dance and music |DANCE WITH music
At the end of the event, everyone gathered at “RAINBOW STAGE ” and the ambassadors, performers and visitors danced together to the theme song“ DANCE WITH music ”. "SSDW 2025" ambassadors Sekai (EXILE/FANTASTICS), UNO, YASS and Ryu (REAL AKIBA BOYZ) gathered on the stage. They are followed by dancers and performers who have served as judges and lecturers in each area.
DA-Dee-MiX continues to play the theme song from the final. When the performance starts, dancers of various genres take the lead in turn and continue the dance. You can do it alone, with two people, or with everyone involved. It was exciting to see how the genres of dance, which at first glance do not seem to mix, worked together to increase the excitement of the venue, and everyone who gathered at “RAINBOW STAGE ” enjoyed it from the bottom of their heart, regardless of whether they were on or off the stage.
Sekai-san "Did you have fun? WILL YOU COME BACK AGAIN?!"
YASS: "The opportunity to dance under the blue sky was great! Everyone, please enjoy the dance."
Ryu-san "I think the best thing about street dance is the relationship and the mind that makes you laugh and admire each other as you dance."
UNO: "I was able to meet a lot of new people, feel the connection of my friends, and it was fun to dance all day! See you again!"
Throughout the program, many participants were immersed in a space filled with dance and music. I became aware of the movement of our bodies and the feeling of excitement in our hearts, and I wanted to love the time to share the sound with my friends. Throughout the venue, I felt the bonds and bonds that SSDW has forged over the past 10 years among the participants, and I was able to see the breadth and diversity of expression brought about by new initiatives.
Text: Maeda Mami
Photo: Yoshihiko Matsumoto
「Shibuya StreetDance Week 2025」
- Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
- Venue: Yoyogi Park
- Organizers: Arts Council Arts Council Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, Shibuya StreetDance Week Executive Committee (Shibuya Ward Merchants Association, Shibuya Dogenzaka Shopping District Promotion Association, Future Design Shibuya, Tokyu Corporation, Parco Co., Ltd.)
Supported by and supported by Tokyo Metropolitan Government