Updating Traditional Edo Scenery for the Modern Era!
Lanterns and illuminations will light up the OMY District, formerly a Daimyo’s residential quarters, creating an event that evokes the spirit of Edo.
Edo Illuminated in OMY District
Duration：January 9, 2025 (Thu) – March 7, 2025 (Fri)

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The OMY Area Promotion Council for the Recreation of Edo Scenery to host Edo Illuminated in OMY District from January 9 (Thu) to March 7 (Fri), 2025. This event will highlight the memories and history of Edo in the Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho areas (formerly a 1Daimyo’s residential quarters), updating the traditional Edo scenery for the modern era.

1 The Daimyo were leading feudal lords, who had residences in the locations of the buildings on Marunouchi-Nakadori Ave. during the final days of the Edo shogunate.

An opening ceremony featuring Japanese umbrella illuminations will be held on January 17 (Fri), with guests including the Mayor of Chiyoda Ward (planned). The ceremony will feature a performance by the emerging artist group REI, composed of Japanese dance and traditional musical instruments.

During the Edo period, the OMY area was a samurai district with vast Daimyo residences. The names Marunouchi, Yurakucho, and Otemachi reflect the area’s roots in samurai culture. Since the Meiji Restoration, it has developed into a business district that support’s Japan’s economy, but it remains a bustling gateway to Tokyo, attracting many visitors for its historical and cultural significance.

This event, part of Tokyo’s Edo Scenery Creation Project, aims to highlight the often-overlooked history of Edo, updating its traditional charm and scenery for the modern era.

Here is the flyer.
https://tokyo-omy.jp/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20250109英語版リーフレット-2.pdf

 

■Event Overview

Name：Edo Illuminated in OMY1 District
1Acronym for Otemachi-Marunouchi-Yurakucho.
Dates：January 9, 2025 (Thur) – March 7, 2025 (Fri)
Dates and locations vary for each event.

Locations

Organizer： OMY Area Promotion Council for the Recreation of Edo Scenery
Constituent organizations: OMY Area Management Association (Ligare)，OMY Landlord’s Council, Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd
Cooperation：Chiyoda City Tourism Association / Tokyo Japan,
Japanese Umbrella Illumination Executive Committee
Support：Chiyoda City

 

■Event Details

Gyoko Dori

Name:：Edo Star lights, Installation of Japanese umbrella illuminations
In the event of rain, the event will be suspended or canceled.
Dates：
1. January 17 (Fri) 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
2. January 18 (Sat) – 19 (Sun) 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
The lighting of the Japanese umbrellas on January 17 will start around 5:15 PM as part of the ceremony event.
The lighting of the Japanese umbrellas on January 18 and 19 will start at 5:00 PM.
Description:：With the red-brick Tokyo Station building as a stunning backdrop, Gyoko-dori will be adorned with 250 three-dimensional Japanese
umbrella illuminations, creating a timeless scene that blends Edo and modern times.

●Ceremony Event Details (January 17 only)
Lighting Ceremony & Opening Ceremony EventIn the event of rain, the event will be suspended or canceled.

To commemorate the lighting of the Japanese umbrella illuminations, a performance stage featuring Japanese dance and traditional musical instruments will follow the lighting ceremony. Next to the illuminations, there will be activities such as Japanese umbrella making, photo opportunities with the umbrellas, and food trucks offering Edo-style sweets.
Date and Time:：January 17 (Fri) 5:00 PM – 5:25 PM
Guests including the Mayor of Chiyoda Ward are expected to attend.
Location:：Special Stage on Gyoko-dori (Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station)

Performance Stage：
Before and after the lighting ceremony, the group REI, composed of Japanese traditional dance, shamisen, koto, flute, and percussion players, will perform traditional Japanese arts.
Performance Times：4:50 PM – 5:00 PM, 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM

Introduction of Traditional Japanese Performing Artists
REI
A group that takes pride in time-honored Japanese arts and aims to spread their art and message worldwide through traditional Japanese dance and musical instruments. They actively perform overseas and contribute to the global art scene under the banner of the pride of Nippon (Japan). While preserving tradition, they explore new possibilities and aim to deliver the charm and potential of traditional arts to the world.
Official Website: https://rei-japan.site/aboutt

Performers
・Japanese Traditional Dancers: Reita Fujima, Kosai Matsumoto
・Nagauta Shamisen Players: Tatsujiro Imafuji, Sanroku Kineya
・Koto Musicians: Tadahiro Hosokawa, Sakura Kido
・Hayashi Musicians: Satasuke Mochizuki, Kiisa Katagi
・Flute Player: Kanno Fukuhara
・Shakuhachi Player: Saori Yashiro

Performance Program
1. Pre-Performance: 4:50 PM – 5:00 PM
A Splendid Fusion of Tradition and Innovation
In OMY District, where memories of Edo coexist with modern architecture, the traditional performing arts group REI will present a new work created for this occasion. The pre-performance, themed “Tradition and Innovation,” will feature a reinterpretation of Edo’s classical beauty with a modern sensibility, creating a special stage that stands out for its splendor and solemnity. The harmonious blend of elegant Japanese dance and the sounds of traditional instruments will deliver an inspiring experience that symbolizes the beginning of 2025. Come along and experience the moment where history and the future intersect.

２．Post-Performance: 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM
The Charm of Traditional Performing Arts: See, Hear, and Feel
The post-performance will begin with an original REI piece. The subsequent stage will showcase a variety of traditional Japanese performing arts, condensed into a captivating performance. Each movement and sound will intertwine, filling the special location with the beauty of tradition against the backdrop of Tokyo Station. This section will gently draw the audience in, offering a moment to forget the everyday. Through all senses—seeing, hearing, and feeling—experience the new heartbeat of Edo.

Japanese Umbrella Making Activity:3:00PM-4:ooPM
Under the guidance of the Japanese umbrella lighting creator (Shonan Wagasa Eiyu), you can try your hand at making Japanese umbrellas using bamboo material.
Participation is free.

Photo Opp with Japanese Umbrella
A spot where you can hold authentic and traditional Japanese umbrellas for a photo shoot. Get a great photo that only the OMY district can offer, between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace.

Introduction of the Artwork Creators
On January 17 (Fri), they will be present on Gyoko-dori from the lighting ceremony.

Hidenori Sugisaki (Japanese Umbrella Lighting Creator)
Born in 1968 in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. After 15 years at Odawara City Hall, he was inspired by a craftsman’s Japanese umbrellas during his travels. Learning about the decline in craftsmen, he left his job to preserve this traditional craft, founding Shonan Wagasa Eiyu in 2009.
His Mottainai Series, using washi paper scraps, and his workshops on Japanese craftsmanship have gained significant attention.
Official Website: https://shonanwagasa.com/

Tabito Kobayashi (Japanese Umbrella Maker)
After working in electric guitar manufacturing and theme park production, he began making Japanese umbrellas following his encounter with Hiroshi Sakata, a Japanese umbrella craftsman from Tottori Prefecture. Valuing tradition, he conducts research and writes about Japanese umbrella culture to accurately pass the tradition on to future generations. He is dedicated to creating tools for making Japanese umbrellas and training successors across Japan.

Tomoko Ishii (Bamboo Art Creator)
Born in Tokyo in 1990. Now living in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, she creates bamboo art and crafts, and is involved in bamboo forest conservation. After working in construction until 2020, she transitioned to bamboo craftsmanship. She studied at the Bamboo Craft Training Center in Oita and trained under Shigeo Kawashima. In 2022, she launched her bamboo craft brand tomboo in Atami, focusing on the natural beauty and sustainability of bamboo.

Marunouchi Nakadori Ave.

Name: Nakadori Ave. reviving Edo Daimyo’s Residencial quarters
Date: January 9 (Thu) – January 31 (Fri), 2025
The lanterns are scheduled to be lit from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
Description: To introduce the existence and history of the daimyo, feudal lords the family crests of these daimyo families will be displayed on streetlight flags at those locations.
This aims to help visitors discover the traditional Japanese colors and sophisticated Japanese patterns.

Gyoko Underground Gallery

Name: Path of Nippon Lights
Date: February 1 (Sat) – February 28 (Fri)
Description: Japanese umbrellas and Andon lanterns will be displayed in the windows of the Gyoko Underground Passage, a 220-meter-long passage.
The event will feature colorful Japanese umbrella lighting and Andon lantern displays that evoke the atmosphere of traditional Japan.

Exhibition in Otemachi Area

Name: Harumination, Installation of special Japanese umbrella
illuminations – only for this spring season.
Date: March 3 (Mon) – March 7 (Fri)
March 3 (Mon) – March 4 (Tue): Indoor Exhibition
March 5 (Wed) – March 7 (Fri): Outdoor Exhibition
In the event of rain, only the indoor exhibition will go ahead.
Description: Illuminations featuring Japanese umbrellas with cherry blossom and floral patterns will be displayed throughout various locations in the Otemachi area, evoking the colors of spring.
This event will create a unique harmony between the traditional beauty of Japanese umbrellas and the modern cityscape along Otemachi Nakadori Ave.
Event dates are tentative. Further details will be provided at a later date.