Events in Tokyo (Kagurazaka)

This is an autumn cultural festival held throughout the town of Kagurazaka. Over three weeks, about 40 projects will pop up in scattered locations, from alley galleries and storefronts to temple grounds.

Highlights include the open-air exhibition "Kagurazaka Art Square" featuring paintings, calligraphy, and crafts in the precincts of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple on the final day, and "Saka ni Oekaki" (Drawing on the Slope), where a long sheet of paper is laid out on Kagurazaka-dori for anyone to draw freely. You can walk from your accommodation and pick and choose the projects that interest you. Please check the official website for the dates and times of each project during the festival.

This is a wooden Noh theater located in Yaraicho, deep in Kagurazaka. It's a small stage where you can watch Noh up close, and there are also performances with explanations for beginners.

"First Time at Yarai Noh Theater" is a performance for those new to Noh, and it's easy to recommend to international guests. Tickets are available on the official website for each performance.

This is the Setsubun bean-throwing ceremony at Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple, the face of Kagurazaka. It's a winter event held at the temple right in front of the accommodation, along Kagurazaka-dori, where people gather for lucky beans.

Although not large in scale, it's an event where you can truly feel the turning point of the year in Kagurazaka. Setsubun can sometimes fall on February 2nd depending on the year, so please check the official website for the date of that year.

This is a wooden Noh theater located in Yaraicho, deep in Kagurazaka. It's a small stage where you can watch Noh up close, and there are also performances with explanations for beginners.

"First Time at Yarai Noh Theater" is a performance for those new to Noh, and it's easy to recommend to international guests. Tickets are available on the official website for each performance.

This is Kagurazaka's summer four-day event. The first two days are theHozuki Market, and the latter two days are theAwa Odori Festival.

For Awa Odori, the slope itself becomes the venue. Dancers come down the narrow streets, so the distance is very close. Groups from Tokushima also participate.

The view differs between the top and bottom of the slope. If your accommodation is halfway up the slope, you can go out before it gets crowded and return when you're tired.

This is a wooden Noh theater located in Yaraicho, deep in Kagurazaka. It's a small stage where you can watch Noh up close, and there are also performances with explanations for beginners.

"First Time at Yarai Noh Theater" is a performance for those new to Noh, and it's easy to recommend to international guests. Tickets are available on the official website for each performance.

This is the annual grand festival of Tsukudo Hachiman Shrine, about a 10-minute walk from the accommodation towards Iidabashi. What's characteristic of Kagurazaka is that the Mikishojo for the eve of the festival is set up in the precincts of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple.

There will be a procession of the approximately 800kg unpainted portable shrine (once every few years) and a votive ring dance. The dates are usually mid to late September. Announcements for the year can sometimes be late, so please check the latest dates before your visit.

This is the autumn festival of Wakamiyahachiman Shrine, one of Kagurazaka's guardian shrines. Children's portable shrines and floats parade along Kagurazaka-dori, enlivening the street where the accommodation is located.

It's truly a "local shrine festival at your doorstep," a special day within the everyday life of Kagurazaka. The dates are usually mid to late September, but announcements for the year can sometimes be late, so please check the latest dates before your visit.

This is the annual grand festival of Akagi Shrine, the guardian deity of Kagurazaka and the general guardian of Ushigome. It's a short walk from the accommodation, and it's the busiest autumn festival in the town, with stalls lining the streets after the grand ceremony and entertainment offerings enlivening the shrine grounds.

The modern shrine building, rebuilt to Kengo Kuma's design, is also a highlight. The schedule is usually from mid to late September, but the announcement for the year can sometimes be late, so please check the official Akagi Shrine website for the latest dates before visiting.