Nurturing respect for cultural traditions is a daunting challenge these days, when kids are glued to cellphones and game apps. So what does a country with centuries of carefully polished artistry do to preserve its heritage? Drop a curtain on the whole show? Not in Tokyo.
For the past decade, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Arts Council Tokyo have teamed up with the Geidankyo (Japan Council of Performers Rights & Performing Arts Organizations) to offer children classes with some of the city's finest professional musicians and performers.
The resulting program, Traditional Performing Arts for Kids, has offered more than 3,000 children the chance to join the rarified world of Japanese performing arts. Each student receives approximately six months of training in their chosen art, without the onus of having to purchase expensive instruments or costumes. Their study culminates in a live performance, which lends classes a concrete goal and rewards students with the chills (thrills?) and challenges of being on stage.