In conjunction with the hosting of the World Athletics and Deaflympics in Tokyo in 2025, 3 art projects named "TOKYO FORWARD 2025" will be developed in Tokyo as a new initiative to inherit and develop the legacy of the cultural programs of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
One of them is Tokyo Wasshoi. For three days from the eve of the World Championships to the weekend, Tokyo's unique festivals gathered together on Gyoko Street in front of Tokyo Station. This is an event where you can feel the splendor and depth of Edo culture that has been handed down from generation to generation. In the middle of Tokyo, tourists and residents, spectators and performers, regardless of language, age or disability, mingle to create the atmosphere and swell. In this article, we report on Friday, September 12, the first day of the festival, when Matsuribayashi brought the end of summer and the arrival of autumn to Tokyo, where the lingering summer heat was severe.
"Everyone in the circle. Let's have fun together!"
Opening with the order of Hayashiya Taihei, ambassador of Tokyo Wasshoi!
It starts with an opening ceremony on a special stage. Rakugo storyteller Taihei Hayashiya, an ambassador of "Tokyo Wasshoi," came to celebrate the opening. "I like festivals better than three meals!" says Taihei, who takes the lead in the local festival every year. "There are many wonderful festivals in Tokyo. These three days are a rare special opportunity to see them all in one place, so please enjoy them." he said.
When asked how to enjoy the Bon-odori dance, which is held at the end of the program every day for three days at a special Yagura, Taihei says, "Even if you can't dance, if you join the circle, your body will move naturally and it will be fun. Please feel free to join us, whether it's your first time or it's been a while. Let's feel the unity and have fun together!."
In the second half of the ceremony, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko also took the stage. "I want you to feel the uniqueness and diversity of Tokyo's festivals and the depth and richness of Edo culture." she said.
Taihei Hayashiya and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike called out "TOKYO WASHOI!" and the sound of the music played by the Matsumoto Gennosuke Shachu added to the atmosphere.
A spectacular opening performance of Edo's town firefighters dancing in the sky
After the opening proclamation, the 'Edo Fire Fighting Memorial Association' performed a series of performances of kiyari, matoiburi and hashidanori.
In modern times, kiyari is performed on auspicious occasions. This time, "Jonai" was performed to celebrate the opening of "Tokyo Wasshoi."
The next play, Makifuri, is a gorgeous program called “Speaking of Edo's town firefighters!”. “Makii ” is the symbol of each group of town firefighters. The“ dashi ” on the top, which is designed in various shapes, is so large that it can be seen from a distance. To support it with a “shin zao ” pole and deftly swing it while beautifully dancing the long and narrow baren (baren), requires a solid sense of balance and physical strength.
Last but not least is a ladder rider. It is a spectacular sight to see you climb up to the top of the 6.5 m tall ladder. The performance of looking up at the sky from the top had a lightness as if they were dancing in the sky. The town firefighters, who sometimes did dangerous work at heights, trained day and night using ladders to train their agility, prudence, and bravery. Although it was a form of training to protect one's own life, it was also a form of entertainment for the common people of Edo. True to the proverb, "Fires and fights are the beauty of Edo," it is a form of chic that gives a glimpse of the popularity of machihikeshi, who attracted the attention of Edo at the time.
At the suggestion of Tsuiyanagi, chairperson of the Edo Fire Fighting Memorial Association, Taihei was suddenly invited to participate. The acrobatic challenge of letting go of one hand and one foot after climbing to the upper level drew applause from the audience as well as the performers. I was impressed by the lively expression on Mr. Taihei's face as he said excitedly, "Thanks to the relationship of trust with everyone, I was able to enjoy the climb!."
Experience booths where you can feel Edo culture by looking and touching, and experience track and field events by a defender athlete.
At Tokyo Wasshoi, not only the performance programs, but also the booth areas where visitors can experience mikoshi, hachimaki, origami, and palanquin riding were crowded with foreigners and families.
In the "Hachimaki Experience," you can choose one of two types of Tokyo Wasshoi original design hachimaki and learn how to roll it. Genki musubi and neko musubi are recommended for beginners, so I tried neko musubi right away! A cute hachimaki with the image that the knot of the towel becomes a cat's ear. Since you can take home the hachimaki as a souvenir, there are many men and women of all ages wearing the lovely hachimaki.
In the origami experience, you can choose motifs that give you a sense of Japan, such as lanterns and goldfish. Mt. Fuji was rather difficult, so I boldly tried it, but I couldn't complete it on my own, so I managed to complete it with help from the staff. It was impressive to see parents and children sitting around a table teaching each other how to fold origami, and to see people who happened to be sitting next to them communicating through origami.
In the "palanquin riding experience," you will be greeted by a palanquin shop that is perfect for the image of the rustic Edo people. As he gets into the palanquin, he cries out, "Hold on tight!" and the palanquin is lifted up, causing him to lose his voice in the unfamiliar floating sensation. The closing line, "IT'S THE WAY OF THE KAGOYA!" was so poignant that I could imagine the townspeople of Edo being carried in palanquins through the streets.
The PR booth for the World Athletics and Deaflympics (Tokyo) is full of tips on how to enjoy the event. For example, lights, not sounds, are used to signal the start of differential athletics. The "starting lamp" that sends the light to the athletes allows them to start by focusing on their vision. The section where they can experience differential athletics was particularly popular as they could touch the real thing. There is also a tablet corner to send messages of support to athletes participating in the World Athletics and Deaflympics. It was a great experience to get commemorative goods of the World Athletics and Deaflympics as souvenirs by spinning the gacha gacha.
Everyone can enjoy the performance together, both hearing and deaf.
The sun will gradually set, and it will be dusk all around. The lanterns on the special "Yagura" add to the lively atmosphere of the festival. In the festival mikoshi togyo held by the Japan Mikoshi Association in the performance area, two mikoshi, the miya mikoshi and the manto mikoshi, appeared from the side of Tokyo Station and the side of the Imperial Palace at the same time. The bearers' enthusiasm rose in the night sky over Marunouchi.
On the other hand, on a special stage, the “Oedo Sukeroku Taiko Oedo Sukeroku School Tokyo Deaf Taiko Club Tsuyukai ” performed Japanese drums, drawing the attention of the audience to the dynamic performance of both hearing and deaf people. Wadaiko can create a sense of unity by feeling the rhythm of each other not only by sound but also by sight and vibration.
In Tokyo Wasshoi, all notices and handouts were written in both English and Japanese, and the program was explained and interviews were conducted by bilingual Japanese and English MC through sequential interpretation and sign language interpretation. At Universal Space, sign language interpreters provided individual support, and calls during performances were captioned on the monitor in real time. In addition, the experience booths were equipped with tablets for the speech recognition captioning application, and there were various ideas throughout the venue that everyone could enjoy in the same space regardless of language or disability, and I felt an all-welcome atmosphere. It is a reflection of the diversity of modern Tokyo, where inclusive ideas are integrated into everyday life.
The finale is a Bon dance with old and new masterpieces! With the Edokko spirit of dancing, it's all welcome to a big circle.
The program concludes with a Bon Dance around a special "Yagura". Ambassador Taihei Hayashiya also participated, and the excitement reached its peak.
It was overwhelming to see the circle that was small at the beginning grow bigger and bigger, entrusting themselves to the familiar songs “Tokyo Ondo ” and“ Coal Mine Bushi ”, the modern J-pop song “Dancing Hero (Eat You Up) ”,“ 365 Days of Paper Airplane ” and “Tokyo Olympics Ondo 2020 ”, which have been danced for generations, and even people who happened to pass Tokyo Station, such as office workers on their way home and foreign tourists with big backpacks, were involved.
Just as festivals have diversity and individuality, people at Tokyo Wasshoi shared exciting times together while embracing each other's individuality.
The experience of sharing the pleasures of Edo, which have been passed down as the times have changed, in the present day Tokyo, seemed to confirm the richness that is rooted in our own lives and memories, and the joy of meeting new cultures, while feeling the history.
Photo and text: Maeda Mami
TOKYO FORWARD 2025 Cultural Program "TOKYO Wasshoi"
- Schedule: Friday, September 12, 2025 to Sunday, September 14
- Location: Gyoko Street (2-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
- Organized by: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Arts Arts Council Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture