The 45th “Geinoh Yamashirogumi Cak Festival”closed with great success each day.We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the many people who supported the festival and to the guests who enjoyed the festival together.
Long-awaited return after 4 years!
The 45th “Geinoh Yamashirogumi Cak Festival”will be back in August!
from August 2 (Wed.) through 6 (Sun.), 2023
Shinjuku Mitsui Building 55 HIROBA
Geinoh Yamashirogumi will hold “Geinoh Yamashirogumi Cak Festival” from August 2 (Wed.) through 6 (Sun.), 2023, at Shinjuku Mitsui Building 55 HIROBA.
The festival has been a very popular midsummer tradition in Shinjuku area for many years but had to be halted due to the Corona disaster. The event will “be back” for the first time in four years at the familiar venue, 55HIROBA. The festival will be held in a grand scale ever commemorating its 45th time of holding.
Geinoh Yamashirogumi Cak Festival has been held annually for 44 consecutive years since 1976 in Shinjuku new city area of Tokyo, with the aim of “creating a festival of the future”, until its halt in 2020 due to the Corona disaster.
A festival space emerges in the valley of sky-high skyscrapers, with ceremonial gate of a temple in Bali, Indonesia, and tidy stalls line in aisles of the plaza (“hiroba”). In that place, “Symphonic Suite AKIRA” will be performed with giant bamboo ensemble “Jegog”, Bulgarian and Georgian chorus will shake the soul of audience, bronze symphony “gamelan” will be played with Balinese dances, and “Shishi Odori,” the highest peak of Michinoku’s traditional performing arts will unfold.
And finally, in the darkness of the evening, the highlight of the festival, “Cak,” a magical choral dance performance which represents the flower of the traditional Balinese community, will invite the audience into a dreamy world. Cak realizes 16 beat rhythm more powerful than hard rock music only by voices of a group of men and dance in unison by way of “with heart to heart” (ishin-denshin) and “without words and direction” (A-Un breathing) . Cak revives the bond of human underlying in and promised by genes, that directly connects people to people.
Moreover, the state-of-the-art hypersonic sound system creates a sound space full of high frequencies beyond the human audible range that activates brain functions. This will lead audiences into the euphoria of the festival.
By featuring a finest selection of performances from around the globe, Cak Festival attracts many visitors from overseas as well. From Bali, the birthplace of Cak, the governor of the state and the president of the National University of Fine Arts have visited Japan to see this festival as well as the ambassadors in Japan of many countries, all of whom sent highest complements. As such, Cak Festival gathers international acclaim.
The originality, artistry, and fun of the festival are unparalleled, and even during the period when Cak Festival was halted, it ranked first in “Popular Summer Festivals (Tokyo)” on Japan’s largest website for information on outings (as of March 2021, Walker Plus).
In keeping with the essence and spirit of a festival where everyone works hand in hand to create, Cak Festival has kept a policy to present “open space” with “free admission” and “free entry” since its inception. It has gained popularity also as a participatory event that everyone can enjoy, including the rare experience of playing ethnic instruments that can only be experienced at this event and the sidesplitting street performances. The festival is also drawing keen interest for its people and community building centered on “Kizuna no Geino” (performing arts of bonds), and many “Matsuri Nakama” (festival mates) from all over the country will come to play a part in the event.
Thanks to the exceptional understanding and cooperation of Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and all other related parties, this summer’s Cak Festival has been made possible. Please look forward to this Cak Festival, which will once again rekindle the “festival fire,” a nutrient for the modern human spirit.
★to “Highlights of Cak Festival”
Outline of the 45th Commemorative
Geinoh Yamashirogumi Cak Festival
name of event: The 45th Commemorative Geinoh Yamashirogumi Cak Festival
Dates: August 2 (Wed. “yoimiya”) through 6 (Sun.), 2023 (*small rain or shine event)
Place: Shinjuku Mitsui Building 55 HIROBA (2-1-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
*8 min. walk from West Exit of JR Shinjuku Station, in front of Exit A1 of Tocho-mae Station on Toei Subway Oedo Line
Admission: Free
*Everyone can enjoy with family and friends, or by self.
Main events (planned):
*Wednesday, August 2 is “yoimiya” (open rehearsal), scheduled to begin around 4 p.m. until 9 p.m.
*Thursday, August 3 through Saturday,August 5, scheduled to be held from around 3 p.m. until 9 p.m.
*Sunday, August 6, scheduled to be held from around 2 p.m. until 8 p.m.
◇ Symphonic Suite AKIRA” performed with Jegog, a giant bamboo ensemble from Bali
◇ Instruction on “Jegog” (audiences allwoed to touch and play the jegog)
◇ Drumming of Michinoku (Shishi Odori (deer dance))
Special cooperation and performance by: Okuyama Gyojoryu Mochida Shishi Odori Preservation Society (Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture)
◇ Bulgarian Female Chorus, Georgian Male Chorus
◇ Performance of Balinese bronze symphony “Gamelan” and dancing
◇ Cak: Balinese magical choral and dance performance
◇ Street fair and street performance (banana selling in the Yamashiro style, scenery of old-fashioned Japanese fair, etc.)
The schedule and program are subject to change without notice.
Details will be posted on Geinoh Yamashirogumi’s offocial Web site.
Festival People: Geinoh Yamashirogumi, festival mates, and everyone gathered at the plaza.
Hosted by: Geinoh Yamashirogumi Cak Festival Executive Committee
Joint-hosting: Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
