Vol.5 The unique charm of a region lies in its gaps and contrasts. Appreciating the countryside atmosphere within the metropolis at the Nippachi-kai Autumn O-Edo Festival.

Tables and benches were arranged in the open space in front of Nihonbashi Plaza, an office building with a Gusto restaurant on the ground floor. This space was located along Yaesu Sakura-dori Avenue, which connects Tokyo Station to Nihonbashi. The setup looked like an extension of Gusto’s terrace seating, but that could not be the case. This event, where yakitori and soba noodles topped with shrimp tempura were sold at white tents set up along the side, was the Nippachi-kai Autumn O-Edo Festival. It was organized by Nippachi-kai, the Youth Section of the United Towns Association of Nihonbashi and Yaesu.

The Sanno Festival, introduced in the previous article of this series, is a large-scale event recognized as one of Japan’s three major festivals. In contrast, the O-Edo Festival, the topic of this article, is a much smaller event that rarely makes it into major media. In the previous article, I wrote, “I frequently check not only local PR magazines but also public bulletin boards in my neighborhood and attend local events that interest me.” The O-Edo Festival is exactly the kind of event I mean. Known only to locals, it is humbly held in small parks or community centers in residential areas. This time, that type of festival was taking place in a small space among the skyscrapers of a megacity.

On the other side of the tents, a Halloween event was taking place as part of the Chuo City Tourism and Commerce Festival with free candy being handed out to children in costume.

My editor, who has elementary school-aged children[G1] , mentioned, “Just a few years ago, many kids were dressed as characters from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.” Just then a boy in a dinosaur costume ran past us. Indeed, as far as I could see, I did not see a single child dressed up as a character from Demon Slayer. there seemed to be a return to classic costumes, such as Spider-Man, Cinderella, and female ninja.

Demon Slayer costumes have gone extinct, while dinosaur costumes depicting animals that have been extinct for ages continue to thrive. I wanted to say something witty about the thought, but nothing came to mind, so I stayed quiet.

When I asked the kids to show me the candies they received, they showed me handmade, yet stylish cookies with intricate decorations, probably made by a local patisserie. While the feeling was heartwarming to discover a small festival with a homey atmosphere, much like those found in the countryside, in the heart of the megacity, the sophisticated cookies unexpectedly showcased the undeniable difference in class.

I also had yakitori at the festival, and it, too, was clearly of a higher class. First of all, the meat was noticeably large and grilled to perfection, highlighting the quality of the ingredients. Then I discovered the secret. The men grilling yakisoba and yakitori, common festival dishes found at virtually every festival in Japan, were Yoshino-san from Yoshino Sushi Honten and Kato-san from Kappou Shimamura. Both are chefs from well-known, long-established restaurants in Nihonbashi and Yaesu, which we visited for the second article in this series. In other words, it was as if Olympic athletes from various events had gathered here to play sandlot baseball.

And to my surprise, the two yakitori skewers were reasonably priced at just 500 yen. Kato-san explained that they had purchased the ingredients directly from the market, and since they weren’t doing this for business purposes, they were able to offer the yakitori at a lower price.

Long-established restaurants that have been in business since the Edo period (1603–1868) are not uncommon in this area. In this neighborhood, these masters have been friends since childhood, attending the same school and enjoying festivals together. As adults, they participate in local events like this festival. They carry the mikoshi (portable shrine) during the Sanno Festival, sometimes taking on the role of kigashira, the person who directs the lifting and lowering of the mikoshi. This is how they continue to support their local community.

When I asked Yoshino-san about this, he explained that the Youth Section of the United Towns Association was originally established by his parents’ generation to invigorate the community. In recent years, however, as redevelopment projects have decreased the local resident population, businesspeople have begun joining the Youth Section.

He also mentioned that the Autumn O-Edo Festival and the Cherry Blossom Festival in spring were the primary activities organized by the Youth Section of the United Towns Association.

“We host modest festivals like this to maintain a sense of human warmth amidst the towering skyscrapers.”

Yoshino-san’s words left me quietly thrilled. I value finding a touch of countryside within megacities or glimpses of nature amidst urban landscapes. For instance, I appreciate rooftop gardens in department stores and urban gardens, such as Shinjuku Gyoen. Seeing gleaming skyscrapers rise beyond lush greenery fills me with excitement because it represents a unique landscape found only in large cities.

The ammonite fossils nestled in the marble of department store pillars and walls are also a charming touch. In a department store, a place where people move about busily for consumption, it feels good to be the only one who stops to search for fossils, an act that is neither consumption nor production.

The other day, I asked a friend, “What do you think is unique to Tokyo?” The response I got was, “A shop in Nihonbashi where customers can enjoy camping indoors.” I wasn’t sure what it meant at first, but when I looked it up, it was exactly what my friend had described. It was a café located in a building in Nihonbashi with indoor décor resembling a campsite. Customers can enjoy a camping experience with hammocks and campfires inside the café. I was thrilled by the perfect answer, even though I asked the question out of the blue. This café space could also be called the countryside and nature within the megacity.

A touch of countryside suddenly appears in the heart of the city. I think this O-Edo Festival is one of those kinds of events.

Around 2:00 p.m., the hikeshi, traditional firemen of the Edo Firemanship Preservation Association began performing the kiyari song, a song sung during the carrying of heavy logs, along with the matoi dance and a ladder-climbing performance. By the way, when hearing the word hikeshi, some may wonder if the firemen who play a heroic role during fires in historical dramas still exist today. It seems that in this area, the hikeshi firemen are still active heroes of the town. During the Edo period, when the Tokyo area experienced over 20 major fires, it was the hikeshi firemen who took the lead in firefighting, preventing the spread of flames by demolishing buildings around the fires. The members of the Edo Firemanship Preservation Association continue to carry forward the brave and daring spirit of the hikeshi as part of the culture and preserve this legacy to this day.

The highlight of the day appeared to be the ladder-climbing performance. The audience held its breath as a steeplejack climbed a ladder [G1] reaching the height of a building’s second floor and performed one daring trick after another. The top of the ladder was mirrored in the reflective surfaces of the Plaza Building, offering a view of the performance from multiple angles. This may be one of the touches of the countryside within the megacity, or perhaps a tradition preserved within modern redevelopment projects.

After that, I was introduced to the head of the local neighborhood groups. Just as we were about to exchange our first greetings, the loudspeakers at the festival venue began playing a song by Utada Hikaru, as if announcing the appearance of the headman. At that moment, the antenna in my mind immediately picked up on the song. The large and muscular headman of the neighborhood group and the Utada Hikaru song created an intriguing contrast.

From the start, I couldn’t help but notice that the music played at the festival venue was made up of widely popular, recent J-pop hits, including songs by Hoshino Gen, Vaundy, and Suga Masaki. This choice of music evoked the atmosphere of countryside festivals, further enhancing the sense of a small rural escape within the megacity—something I truly appreciate. By the way, I should remind you that this area is usually a more sophisticated, modern office district on regular weekdays.

It’s true that charm can be found in the gaps and contrasts in all aspects of life. The redevelopment of the YNK area will continue, but I hope that a sense of humanity and warmth, or the feeling of the countryside within the city, will be preserved in the corners between buildings.

Photo／wakana