There are still a large number of traditional cultures and performing arts in Japan which we can present to the world with pride, such as Noh, Kyogen, Bunraku, Kabuki and traditional Japanese music. These traditional cultures have been nurtured over a long period of time by Japanese people, who observed nature, lived with nature and valued harmony between people. It is our responsibility to pass on the "spirit of harmony" and the "spirit of the Japanese people" which exists in traditional culture, to future generations. However, children in modern Japan have less and less chance to experience traditional culture. We think that handing down traditional culture leads to the handing down of the Japanese people’s sensibility with basic ideas on "how to live with nature" and "have harmony between people."

As part of the Tokyo Culture Creation Project, the Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival will be held from August to November this year. The festival will include a special traditional Japanese music concert "Autumn Concert under the Moon in Tokyo," a series of introductory traditional Japanese music concerts for children "Experience Exciting Japanese Sounds Using Voice and Instruments," a traditional Japanese dance performance "Eight Poetic Scenes/Four Seasons in EDO," etc. The "Autumn Concert under the Moon in Tokyo" will feature an orchestra led by Mr. Akira Senju, who is the leading composer in modern Japan, playing with musicians who play traditional Japanese musical instruments. The concert will symbolize the past, present and future of Japanese music.

What people expect from a modern city is not only convenience but also a rich culture and environment. A city can develop into the future if it has cultural values and attractions. The Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts Festival will promote Tokyo as a "city which nurtures arts and culture" inside and outside Japan, so that we can pass on Japanese traditional culture to our children and offer people around the world the opportunity to discover the cultural attractions of Tokyo.