April 5th - 18th, 2025

While traveling abroad, I am always attracted to the street performers in the cities I visit. Japan was no exception. Although I didn't see a ton of performers, I did notice that they were all strategically set up for maximum exposure. The musicians knew where their music would best be received and took full advantage of the location. We saw a young band performing at the opening of Ueno Park on the last night of the lantern lighting of cherry blossom season, a smooth guitar player grooving alongside a river in Kyoto, a popular hangout for couples to stroll. One young lady with a bit of edge to her placed her tip jar across from the opening of Takeshita Street, a bustling tourist area full of funky food stands, cosplay costume boutiques, and creative entertainment venues. More traditional Japanese music was performed in historic parts of town. There are many different environments throughout the country, and the street performers provided the soundtrack for all of them.

Watch the full video of performers HERE!