Events in Tokyo (Kagurazaka)

This is an autumn cultural festival held throughout the Kagurazaka neighborhood. Over three weeks, about 40 events pop up in galleries in alleys, storefronts, and even temple grounds.

Highlights include the open-air exhibition "Kagurazaka Art Square" featuring paintings, calligraphy, and crafts in the precincts of Bishamonten Zenkokuji Temple, and "Saka ni Oekaki" (Drawing on the Slope) on the final day, 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 events that interest you. Please check the official website for the dates and times of each event during the festival.

This is a festival around Halloween where people dressed as cats parade through Kagurazaka. Anyone can participate as a cat, and it's fun just to watch.

It's very photogenic, so you can enjoy it even if you don't understand the language.

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 performances with explanations for beginners are also scheduled.

"Hajimete no Yarai Nohgakudo" (First-time at Yarai Noh Theater) is a performance for those new to Noh, and is easy to recommend to international visitors. Tickets are available on the official website for each performance.

This is the Setsubun bean-throwing ceremony at Bishamonten Zenkokuji 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 performances with explanations for beginners are also scheduled.

"Hajimete no Yarai Nohgakudo" (First-time at Yarai Noh Theater) is a performance for those new to Noh, and is easy to recommend to international visitors. Tickets are available on the official website for each performance.

This is Kagurazaka's summer for four days. The first two days are theHozuki Market, and the latter two days are theAwa Odori Dance Competition.

For Awa Odori, the slope itself becomes the venue. Dancers come down the narrow street, 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 performances with explanations for beginners are also scheduled.

"Hajimete no Yarai Nohgakudo" (First-time at Yarai Noh Theater) is a performance for those new to Noh, and is easy to recommend to international visitors. 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 mikishosho for the eve of the festival is set up in the precincts of Bishamonten Zenkokuji Temple.

There is a procession of the approximately 800kg plain wood omikoshi (portable shrine) (once every few years) and a dedicated ring dance. The dates are usually from mid to late September. Announcements for the year can sometimes be late, so please check the latest dates before visiting.

This is the autumn festival of Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine, one of Kagurazaka's local guardian shrines. Children's portable shrines and floats parade along Kagurazaka Street, bringing liveliness to the street where the accommodation is located.

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

This is the Grand Festival of Akagi Shrine, the local guardian of Kagurazaka and the general guardian of Ushigome. It's an autumn festival that's just a short walk from the accommodation, where the town is at its liveliest. Following the Grand Festival Ceremony, stalls line the streets, and dedication performances enliven the shrine grounds.

The modern shrine building, rebuilt with a design by Kengo Kuma, is also a highlight. The dates are usually mid-to-late September, but the announcement for the year can sometimes be late, so please check the latest dates on Akagi Shrine's official page before your visit.