“Asakusa” by Shogo Komatsuzaki

Asakusa

 

The scent of Japanese traditions from the good old days and craftsmen at work never fades in Asakusa. Brimming with life, pumping with a never-ending flow of people, it’s like a festival every day in this town. Last year when I came to perform in Asakusa for the first time, I felt a kind of culture shock in this constantly-bustling downtown hub.

 

The main shopping street in Asakusa that leads up to Senso-ji Temple is jam-packed with people every day, so it made me wonder why this town is so lively and why it attracts so many people. I think it’s thanks to the strong, passionate hearts of the locals of Asakusa, who take pride in the town’s cultural heritage, traditional arts and local specialty goods and both uphold and hand down those traditions with versatility.

The people of Asakusa have tremendous confidence and pride in their town and they are constantly thinking and passionately talking about the future of Asakusa. By meeting these people, I reaffirmed that people’s hearts uphold traditions, connect people, and bring people together. I felt really grateful to learn that it’s people like this welcoming Kodo to Asakusa. I really want many others to feel those hopes for the future of Asakusa through Kodo’s performances here.

 

This year is the second time for Kodo to hold consecutive performances here, and I think that “Mystery,” with its nostalgic atmosphere, truly suits the feel of the Asakusa township. Our performance is live, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how Asakusa and “Mystery” will come together and how the performances will be received by our audiences. We will do our utmost to let you experience a “Mystery” that is unique to Asakusa, so please come along!

 

On a more personal note, I love Asakusa’s Senso-ji Temple and shopping street by night. You might hear the sound of “Mystery” around here from this weekend…