Summer in Tokyo: Excessive heat, relentless humidity and languid evenings spring to mind. Rather than fight the elements, visitors and Tokyoites alike are recommended to go with the flow and embrace sweltering temperatures. With the rainy season upon us and sizzling summer days just moments away, "Natsuno Nigiwai Sumidagawa" (Bustling Summer by the Sumida River) is a refreshing and culture-quenching program of Japanese Edo-era performing arts introducing patrons to seasonal stories and rituals.
Part of the Ginza Hanakagami project that seeks to promote traditional art forms in both Japanese and English through the lens of the newly opened Kanze Noh Theater, the program running through July 26 includes Nihon buyo (dance fused with elements of pantomime); hauta (a style of short songs originating from the 1830s); kengi (sword art); and ohayashi. Theatrical music that conventionally accompanies noh, ohayashi features instruments such as the fue (flute), otsuzumi (hip drum), kotsuzumi (shoulder drum) and taiko drums.
A unique aspect of the Ginza Hanakagami project is the up-close-and-personal access audiences are given to leaders in their fields. The stories and vignettes presented in "Natsuno Nigiwai Sumidagawa" are brought to life through original scores and choreography devised and performed by some of Japan's best artists.