We would like to express our deepest condolences and prayers to those who have lost loved ones and suffered due to the Great East Japan Earthquake which hit the area.

As part of the Tokyo Culture Creation Project conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, we have been conducting the Tokyo Traditional Arts Program with the aim of disseminating inside and outside Japan the Japanese traditional performing arts and culture that we can present with pride and passing them down to future generations. These arts include Noh plays, traditional Japanese music, classical Japanese dance and the tea ceremony.
We will continue providing various programs this year with the hope that people can take comfort in enjoying traditional performing arts and culture and start recovering their spirits and courage, in the face of the national calamity caused by the unprecedented disasters.

This year, our program has three components which will provide something for everyone to enjoy throughout the year.
“Traditional Performing Arts for Kids” provides children with a serious opportunity to learn traditional performing arts such as Noh plays and classical Japanese dance from first-class performers for seven months, and show the result of their efforts on a big stage. This year, we are also planning to conduct a program at a metropolitan high school.
This year’s theme of the “Traditional Performing Arts” is “The World of Percussion: Beat and Sound.” The energy of young people and traditional performers come together at “Drums in Summer Tokyo” where high school students and Hachijo drummers will show their performance skills. There will also be other colorful performances including Japanese traditional comic storytelling, gagaku, “shomyo” chant and classical dance, as well as “The Weekend of Traditional Japanese Music” at the Edo-Tokyo Museum where anybody can have a go at traditional performing arts.
The “Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony” is designed to provide an opportunity for the citizens of Tokyo as well as tourists visiting the Tokyo area from abroad and other parts of Japan to enjoy Japanese culture and traditional tea culture.

Japanese traditional performing arts and culture are important assets that have been nurtured over a long period of time by the Japanese people, who observed nature, lived with nature and valued harmony between people. We will continue our efforts to disseminate Japanese culture and pass it down to future generations, by offering events in various genres where people can experience Japanese culture.

Although we will take care to ensure safety when conducting the program, we may need to change or cancel some of our programs due to aftershocks and power supply shortages which may occur in the future. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.