東博縁日
Omatsuri
Summer in Japan is a time for festivals, or Omatsuri in Japanese. For those visiting Japan in this special season,
we will present a special event titled “Night Festival,” to allow visitors to enjoy the live atmosphere
of Japanese summer festivals, from Aug. 27 to Sept. 1. This will be a rare opportunity
to have an extraordinary experience at one of the most prestigious museums in the country.
On a special stage to be set up in the museum premises, traditional Japanese performing arts,
such as dance and drum performances from various parts of Japan,
will be staged to immerse visitors into the atmosphere of a lively summer festival.
Ticket holders will also have access to the museum’s Honkan (Japanese Gallery) exhibition
but also a special exhibition, titled “Jingoji: The Dawn of Shingon Buddhism.”
Don’t miss this chance to have a special experience on a summer night in Ueno.
Outline of the event
- Period：
- August 27－September 1
- Venue：
-
Tokyo National Museum（Ueno Park）
*10-minute walk from JR Ueno station
- Hours：
-
6 P.M.-9 P.M.〈Open until 10 P.M. on Aug. 30 and 31〉
Admission 30 minutes before closing
Ticket
Price: 6,000 yen
※Companions aged 15 and under are free
Including
- ※Admission to the museum’s regular exhibitions at Honkan (Japanese Gallery)
- ※Admission to the special exhibition, “Jingoji: The Dawn of Shingon Buddhism” at Heiseikan
- ※A set of three coupons which is valid for games in “Ennichi” area: “Shateki” shooting game, Smart Ball game,
Bouncy ball scooping, Ring toss. You may use the coupons for hands-on cultural activities in the “Ennichi” area(extra payment required). - ※Coupon eligible to take part in one of the following three workshops on Japanese culture at Heiseikan: 1) Let’s Design with Traditional Patterns, 2) Calligraphy Experience, and 3) Making Netsuke
- ※Happi coat experience (Limited to the first 720 guests)
To buy the ticket, Please click the button below
Please note the following:
- ・Some programs are subject to change depending on weather conditions.
- ・Parking spaces are not available at the venue. Please use public transportation.
- ・The coupon is eligible to three “Ennichi” activities except foods. Other expenses will be at your own cost. Payment can be made by cash or with credit cards.
- ・There will be a limit to the number of guests admitted to “Ennichi Festival” activities and workshops on the Japanese culture.
Japanese Cultural Special Stage Performances
（Venue：Honkan Entrance）
On a special stage to be set up in the museum premises, traditional Japanese performing arts, such as dance and drum performances from various parts of Japan, will be staged to immerse visitors into the atmosphere of a lively summer festival.
Taiko Performance Group “Amanojaku” —Tokyo—
August 27,28
① 6:30 P.M.~
② 8:00 P.M.~
Founded in December 1986 with its base in Tokyo, the professional group of wadaiko Japanese drum performers continues to take on all sorts of musical challenges, aiming to establish new wadaiko music by incorporating modern elements into the traditional performance art.
The group has performed not only in Japan but also in more than 50 countries, including those in North America, South and Central America, Asia and Europe, having received overwhelming support and been highly recognized.
Nishimonai Bon Odori Dance —Akita—
August 29
① 6:15 P.M.~
② 7:15 P.M.~
③ 8:15 P.M.~
August 30
① 6:15 P.M.~
② 7:45 P.M.~
③ 9:00 P.M.~
The traditional event in the town of Ugo, Akita Prefecture, is characterized with its unique costumes, such as the Hanui-isho, patchwork costumes made by sewing together pieces of silk cloth, and the Hikoza Zukin black hoods.
The festival takes place every year from August 16 to 18. With their faces hidden, dancers perform around a bonfire, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
The festival, which is said to have a history of more than 730 years, is one of the three major Bon Odori dances in Japan, along with Gujo Odori in Gifu Prefecture and Awa Odori in Tokushima Prefecture.
In November 2022, UNESCO registered the furyu odori dancing, including the Nishimonai Bon Odori, as an intangible cultural heritage. It is also an important tangible folk cultural property of the country.
Yosakoi Naruko Dance by “Kokushimusou” —Kochi—
August 30
① 7:15 P.M.~
② 8:15 P.M.~
The Yosakoi Matsuri started in 1954 in the city of Kochi as a citizens’ festival.
Dancers perform to the music “Yosakoi Naruko Odori,” holding naruko clappers in their hands. The original dance and music have gradually been arranged into various forms, including those in Samba and rock styles. Individual groups perform to different style of music each year. The Yosakoi Matsuri is now taking place in more than 200 locations across the country.
The Kokushimusou dance group has its bases in Kochi and the Kanto region. The theme of the group’s performance this year is “Kokushi-style Bon Odori, see you on the Harimayabashi bridge.” Please enjoy the group’s performance, with which both dancers and spectators can be charged up together, just as people do in a Bon Odori festival.
Tokyo Ushibuka Haiya no Kai —Kumamoto—
August 31
① 7:45 P.M.~
② 9:00 P.M.~
During the Edo period, people in Ushibuka in the city of Amakusa,
Kumamoto Prefecture, that prospered as a stopping point of the maritime transport, started singing “Ushibuka Haiya-Bushi” to entertain sailors waiting for the wind or the stormy weather to settle down. Subsequently, sailors spread the song from port to port all over the country, becoming the root of the Haiya-style folk songs, such as Sado Okesa and Awa Odori.
The Ushibuka Haiya Odori is danced to the accompaniment of the Ushibuka Haiya-Bushi. At the Ushibuka Haiya Festival held in April every year, thousands of dancers make their way through the streets in a spectacular fashion.
The Tokyo Ushibuka Haiya no Kai is a group active around the Tokyo area to further promote the Ushibuka Haiya dance. The group will deliver the Ushibuka Haiya Matsuri’s lively and cheerful rhythms and dance special to a southern region.
Kamishakujii Ryukyu Eisa Club —Okinawa—
August 31
① 6:15 P.M.~
② 7:15 P.M.~
③ 8:15 P.M.~
Eisa is a traditional performance art that is danced to the accompaniment of chants while beating the odaiko and shimedaiko drums. The sound of the drums resonating inside the body, the soul-stirring chants, and the graceful and elegant dance based on the Ryukyu dance will captivate the audience.
The dance is said to be meant to send off ancestors to the next world and pray for good health and family safety.
Founded in 1999, the Eisa group, based in Nerima Ward and Nishi-Tokyo City, both in Tokyo, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Please enjoy the group’s traditional Eisa performance, which is a combination of the style borrowed from Kubota Seinenkai youth association in Okinawa and the group’s original style.
Yokota Nishitama Eisa Taiko —Okinawa—
September 1
① 6:15 P.M.~
② 7:15 P.M.~
③ 8:15 P.M.~
The group’s predecessor was the Yokota Okinawa Kai, which was founded in 1996 by Okinawa natives working at the U.S. forces’ Yokota Air Base.
Today, the group is based in the neighboring Fussa City and no longer affiliated with the base. Group members take part in local festivals and events and visit facilities and places to console people for the purpose of showing appreciation to the Okinawa culture and contributing to the local community through Eisa.
Ennichi Area
（Venue：Heiseikan Entrance）
Pop-up Shops can provide you with various Japanese cultural experiences.
※First come,first served
Eating
The special shops provide “Wata ame”（800 yen）and “Shaved ice（600 yen）”.
“Wata ame” is a fluffy cotton candy.
Wata ame
Shaved ice
Playing games（300yen each）
Shootings, Smartballs（similar to Pinball）, Bouncy ball scooping, Ring toss
Shootings
Smartballs（similar to Pinball）
Bouncy ball scooping
Ring toss
Hand-making experiences
Please choose from the traditional Japanese hand-making experiences listed below.
*First come, first served basis
A: Edo Furin（wind bell）making
per session
B: Naruko（Kochi） making: the Yosakoi dancers beat while dancing to the music
per session
C: Shirakawa（Fukushima）Daruma Doll painting experience
per session
D: Japanese traditional painting experience
per session
Japanese culture experience
(Venue：Heiseikan 1F Lounge)
We have prepared three types of hands-on workshops for you to experience Japanese culture.
You can choose one of the following workshops: "Let's Design with Traditional Patterns," "Calligraphy Experience," or "Making Netsuke." You can take home the work you create in each workshop.
※First come,first served
*Image is for illustrative purposes only
Workshop details
Let’s Design with Traditional Patterns: You will decorate an “uchiwa” fan with stamps featuring traditional Japanese patterns.
Calligraphy Experience: Choose your favorite letters. After practicing writing themwith a brush pen, you will write them on “shikishi” paper.
Making Netsuke: Using colorful resin, you will make a “netsuke” ornament shaped like cherry blossoms, a clay figurine or something else.
Food trucks
Enjoy a variety of food available from food trucks.
About the Special Exhibitoin Jingoji: The Dawn of Shingon Buddhism
Exhibition Overview
Nestled on Mount Takao just northwest of Kyoto, Jingoji Temple is famous for its striking autumn scenery. The site is also known for the critical role it played in the early development of the Shingon school in Japan. Founded in 824 when two existing temples merged, Jingoji became the base of operations for the eminent monk Kūkai (774–835) after he returned from studying esoteric Buddhism in China’s Tang dynasty. The temple houses works with direct ties to this venerated figure, such as the National Treasures Mandala of the Two Realms (Takao Mandala) and Registry of Abhişeka Rite Recipients. Jingoji owns works that predate Kūkai’s activities as well, including a statue of the buddha Yakushi (Skt. Bhaiṣajyaguru) that was originally enshrined in one of the temples that later became Jingoji. Considered a masterwork of sculpture from the early Heian period, it has been designated a National Treasure and will be shown outside temple grounds for the first time in history. Visitors to the exhibition will have the extraordinary opportunity to engage with these and many more sacred treasures preserved for over 1,200 years.
Tokyo National Museum
- 13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-8712, Japan
- JR Lines: 10-minute walk from Ueno or Uguisudani Station Tokyo
- Metro Lines: 15-minute walk from Ueno or Nezu Station
- Keisei Lines: 15-minute walk from Keisei Ueno Station