The cover story “Chindonya: The beat goes on” in the Aug. 4 edition filled me with Showa Era nostalgia. It’s great that this profession has survived even in Reiwa Era 2019, though the number of professional chindonya (street musician advertisers) is small. To my surprise, even overseas this concept is highly regarded as a distinctly Japanese cultural heritage. In contrast, Japanese society tends to give it the cold shoulder.
According to the article, some will supplement their chindonya income by taking part in stage shows or playing chindon music in a live house, making the best use of their skills. Seeing a live performance will be a good opportunity for people to take more interest in and understand them more deeply.
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