With a name derived from the Okinawan phrase ‘to mix things up’, the Champuru Festival is hosting its 21st annual celebration this year around Nakano Station over the July 19-20 weekend. This is your chance to discover Okinawan culture through dance, music and cuisine right here in Tokyo.
Be sure not to miss the main highlight of the festival: a 180-metre-long michijuné (an Okinawan term meaning ‘procession’) of traditional Eisa dancers. This Eisa parade is the biggest of its kind in the Kanto region and will take over the Shiki-no-Mori Park North road on July 20 from 4pm to 6.10pm. If you can’t make it, don’t worry, as a scaled-down michijuné will take place on July 19 from 1.20pm at the Nakano Sunmall shopping arcade. Eisa performances will be held in front of Nakano Station’s north gate on both days.
In addition to the vibrant Eisa dance, expect captivating sanshin (an Okinawan musical instrument that’s a precursor to the shamisen) performances by artists from the island prefecture, as well as more contemporary acts such as Okinawan-style DJ-ing, experimental funk and techno.
Check the festival website for the full performance schedule.