Looking back at a vibrant street performance held in my hometown, Kawagoe.
I performed at the “Koedo Kawagoe Spring Festival,” held on the nostalgic Taisho Roman Yume-dori (Taisho Romance Dream Street). The event was titled the “Reiwa Street Live” to celebrate the beginning of the new era.
Calligraphy x Japanese Drums (Wadaiko)
The performance was a collaboration with the Japanese drum group “Wadaiko Hibiki.”
Surrounded by the powerful beats of the drums echoing through the historic street, I engaged in a dynamic live calligraphy session.
Many people gathered to watch, creating an amazing atmosphere filled with energy and enthusiasm.
The Source of “Reiwa”: A 10m Masterpiece
On this day, I wrote two pieces: a 4-meter work and a massive 10-meter masterpiece.
For the 10m long paper, I took on the challenge of writing the full text of the “Manyoshu Baika no Uta 32 Poems with Preface” (万葉集梅花の歌32首并序).
This classical text is famous as the source of the era name “Reiwa.”
Writing such a long and significant text live on the street was a demanding feat. Compared to the legendary 120m performance I did here years ago, 10m might sound “short,” but the density of characters and the meaning behind them made this performance incredibly intense.
Thank you to everyone who gathered on the street to share this moment with us!
Yabe Chosho Office
