Pop Japan

Lively music and colorful costumes that evoke a feeling of nostalgia, this is how a Chindonya troupe draws in people as they advertise for shops and products.

Originating in the mid-19th century when the Tokugawa shogunate rules Japan, more than a thousand people took on the job of being a chindon, and are employed to promote for shops, cabarets, and pachinko parlors. The performers will then put on eye-catching and lavish costumes and makeups, along with their musical instruments before beginning to navigate the streets to convince customers to visit the shop that employed them.

This odd job profession was said to have started when a candy salesman in Osaka, named Amekatsu, offered his talent in oratory and theater to advertise for a local variety theatre. The practice soon flourished for years.

It was then during the Taisho era that Chindonya has seen a rapid decline. Industrialization is advancing and advertising through newspapers and magazines became more popular and soon, people are leaving the job to opt for a more practical means of earning.

Nowadays, Chindonya troupes can still be seen occasionally on the streets and annually during the All Japan Chindon Competition that was held in Toyama in early April when cherry blossoms are in bloom along Matsu River.

Chindonya remains to be a colorful part of Japanese culture and is one of the many attractions that tourists look forward to seeing while visiting the country.

Tags: chindonya, all japan chindon contest, toyama prefecture, tokuagawa shogunate, taisho era, osaka, amekatsu, industrialization