Get Ready for the Kagurazaka Bakeneko Festival: A Cat Parade Like No Other!
Have you heard of the "Kagurazaka Bakeneko Festival"? This festival features a "Bakeneko Parade" where participants dressed as cats stroll through Kagurazaka. People from both Japan and abroad gather in Kagurazaka dressed as cats. For just one day, enjoy walking through Kagurazaka feeling like a cat.
This popular event is just two months away, taking place on Sunday, October 13, 2024. The event runs from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Hollywood Spotlight: Kagurazaka Bakeneko Festival Featured in "Rental Family"
The festival's popularity has even reached Hollywood, being featured in the film "Rental Family" directed by HIKARI. It's incredible that Kagurazaka was chosen as a setting for a Hollywood movie. Events like this help raise awareness of the charming town of Kagurazaka.
Convenient Services: Cat Makeup and Kimono Rental Available
While making your own cat costume is the norm, don't worry if you can't make one yourself. There's a "Cat Makeup Service" available. Professional cat makeup costs ¥1,000, and kids' makeup (for elementary school children and younger) costs ¥500. Tickets are distributed from 9:30 AM, and the service ends when tickets run out.
Additionally, there is a cat kimono rental and dressing service available for ¥2,750. This service is by reservation only and limited to the first 12 people.
Exciting Activities: Unique Cat-Themed Events at the Kagurazaka Bakeneko Festival
The main event is the "Bakeneko Parade," but there are also unique activities like the "Garçon Race" (reflecting Kagurazaka's nickname, Petit Paris), "Anya Dance" (a cat version of Awa Odori Dance), and "Nekokiriko" (a cat version of the traditional Kokiriko dance from Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture, a national intangible cultural asset).
In the "Garçon Race," waiters from Kagurazaka restaurants race while holding trays. In "Nekokiriko," dancers from Gokayama in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture, come to Kagurazaka. Kokiriko is said to be Japan's oldest folk song, dating back about 1,400 years.
Let's enjoy the globally popular "Kagurazaka Bakeneko Festival" feeling like a cat! After participating in the Bakeneko Festival, how about continuing to enjoy the cat atmosphere with our Kagurazaka walking tour or Izakaya tour? You can stroll through Kagurazaka or have a beer at an Izakaya.
Event Details:
Registration: In front of the Kobo-chan statue, Park Luxe Kagurazaka, 6-59-2 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Registration Time: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Participation Fee: Adults (junior high school students and above): ¥500, Children: Free (must be accompanied by a guardian)
How to Participate: Pay the participation fee during the registration time on the day of the event and receive a handprint & passport booklet at the registration desk. You can join the parade at any time (each session is about 20 minutes, 4 sessions in total).
Participation Requirement: Must be dressed in a cat-themed costume. Participants must be okay with having their photos taken in costume.
Please check our blog post, Anticipation for "2024 Kagurazaka Machitobi Festa (Festival)" in Tokyo
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How to Access Kagurazaka
The Kagurazaka area is conveniently located within 30 minutes from any major station in Tokyo. This is because Kagurazaka is situated in the heart of Tokyo, at the center of the Yamanote Line. Please come and visit this convenient and charming Kagurazaka.
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