Hi, it’s me, Tohoku Zunko!

Up until yesterday, the heart of Sendai was completely filled with music.

The Jozenji Street Jazz Festival. This year, it was held for two days on Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th.

I took my big sister Itako and Zundamon with me for a nice, long walk, so let me tell you all about it! 💚

🎷 The Stages Are the Street Corners Themselves

The most interesting thing about this festival is that the performances aren’t inside a hall, but right on the street corners.

On the side of the sidewalk. On the park lawn. In the small plaza in front of a building.

Stages are set up in places like these, and that’s where the music happens.

The venues are spread all over central Sendai, from Jozenji-dori Avenue, of course, to Kotodai Park, Ichibancho, Nishi Park, and around Aoba-dori Avenue.

And what’s more, admission is free.

You don’t need tickets, and there’s no need to reserve seats.

If you hear some nice music while you’re walking, you just stop. When you’ve had your fill, you move on to the next one.

…And that’s all there is to it. I don’t think there are many music festivals this laid-back.

The performances run from daytime into the evening.

Music is playing all over the city at the same time, so the song changes every time you walk somewhere new.

Zunko: “Where should we start?”

Itako: “…If we walk, we’ll hear it.”

Zundamon: “I’m starting with the food stalls, nanoda!”

…Looks like one of us had a different goal in mind.

🌳 Under the Sun-Dappled Zelkova Trees

When you think of Jozenji-dori, you have to think of the zelkova tree-lined avenue.

In mid-September, the zelkova trees are still a deep green, and the sunlight flickers down through the gaps in the leaves.

And under that dappled sunlight, the sound of brass instruments rings out.

If you look up, the leaves are swaying, and if you look down, people are gathered in a circle, clapping along.

Music sounds so different when you listen to it without a roof over your head.

Since the sound escapes up into the sky, what stays with you is the “atmosphere of the place” itself.

The distance between the performers and the audience is just so close.

If you take one step forward, you can see the movement of their fingers and even hear them breathe.

When a performance starts, my big sister Itako gets quiet.

She crosses her arms and closes her eyes just a little.

After one song finished, she muttered just one thing.

Itako: “…Good sound.”

That’s it. But when she says that, it means it’s a really, really good sound.

🎺 It’s Not Just Jazz

The name has “Jazz” in it, but it’s not only jazz that you’ll hear.

• Relaxed big bands
• Acoustic guitar solo performances
• Shamisen and taiko drums
• Choirs and choruses
• Rock, Latin, brass bands

…Really, they have everything.

The ages are all over the place, too. You might see a student playing right next to someone with white hair, both just as serious about their performance.

And on the audience side, no one is being formal.

People stopping with their shopping bags still in hand. People listening while still on their bikes.

This must be what it means for music to be a part of everyday life.

I won’t write the names of the performers here.

Because I don’t think this is the kind of festival where you’re supposed to decide which stage was the best.

🍡 Zundamon Was More Interested in the Food Stalls Than the Music

Now, about our little green guy.

There were food stalls lined up between the venues, and Zundamon got stuck in one of those areas and wouldn’t move.

Zundamon: “Zunko-sama, the amazing smell here is the best music of all, nanoda!”

Zunko: “That’s not music.”

Zundamon: “A rumbling stomach is a sound too, nanoda!”

…I didn’t have a comeback for that.

But you know, while he was eating his yakisoba, he was tapping his foot to the rhythm.

I don’t think he noticed it at all, though.

I guess music is the kind of thing that gets into your body first.

🚶 Some Things I Keep in Mind When Walking Around

I’ll write a little something for those of you going for the first time.

• Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll walk twice as much as you think you will going from stage to stage.
• Bring something to drink. In mid-September, Sendai is still warm enough to make you sweat if you stand in the sun.
• Don’t linger too long in one spot. It’s more fun if you accept from the start that you can’t see everything.
• Don’t block the flow of foot traffic. The sidewalks are the venue, so be a little mindful of where you stop.

And the most important thing.

Don’t over-plan.

The moment you start thinking, “I have to get to that place next,” you stop hearing the music right in front of you.

To stumble upon an unexpectedly great performance on a side street you just happened to pass by.

That’s probably the best treat this festival has to offer.

🌆 Jozenji-dori at Dusk

As the sun begins to set, the color of the city changes.

The zelkova leaves turn golden, the sound of the music softens a little, and people’s shadows grow long.

On the way back, the three of us walked slowly down the tree-lined avenue.

The music from a distant stage and a nearby stage overlapped, creating a strange harmony that was neither one nor the other.

Zundamon: “Are we coming again next year, nanoda?”

Zunko: “Of course we are.”

Itako: “…It should be a little cooler by then.”

We left the city center while chatting like that.

I felt like the sound of a trumpet was still lingering in the back of my ears.

Maybe this is the sound people talk about when they say autumn is beginning.

💚 Summary

• The Jozenji Street Jazz Festival was held for two days this year, on Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th.
• The stages are set up on street corners, not in halls. The distance between performers and the audience is very close.
• Admission is free. You can just walk around and stop wherever you like.
• The genres aren’t limited to jazz; there’s everything from traditional Japanese instruments to choirs.
• Walking around Sendai in the autumn feels great, so a stroll down the tree-lined avenue is a treat in itself.

You can see my profile on the Tohoku Zunko page, and the profile for my older sister who was listening so quietly is on the Tohoku Itako page.

When next year’s dates are announced, let’s walk together again.

Well then, have a wonderful autumn! 💚