Two miraculous days of magic unraveling”… I went to the “Tobita Shinchi Summer Festival” known to those in the know.
Two Miraculous Days” to Break the Magic of the Sanctuary
Tobita Shinchi is the largest entertainment district in Japan, located in Nishinari-ku, Osaka City. The Tobita Shinchi was originally a Tobita brothel that opened in 1918, and even after the Anti-Prostitution Law was fully enforced in the postwar period, it remained alive in the Reiwa era (2025) as a colorful entertainment district, which is a rarity in Japan.
Photography is usually prohibited in Tobita Shinchi. However, there are only two days a year when photography is exceptionally permitted. That is during the Tobita Summer Festival, also known as “Kodomo Daiko Danjiri” (Children’s Drum Festival), which takes place on the 24th and 25th of July every year. This is the only time when it is permitted to proudly hold up a camera and take pictures of the festival with the streets of Tobita Shinchi in the background. These two days, when the “magic” is lifted in the “sanctuary” where photography is basically prohibited, are also known as “two days of miracles.
This is the day of the Osaka Tenjin Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, and the summer festival is held on this day every year regardless of the day of the week. Officially, the festival is called “Kodomo Taiko Hikigyo (Children’s Drum Festival)” in the Tobita area. The schedule of this festival is also listed on the Nishinari Ward Office website.’ The festival was canceled in ’20 and ’21 to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, but in ’22 it was held for the first time in three years on a reduced scale in response to coronavirus countermeasures.
The festival started at around 1:00 pm. The starting point is Tobita Fureai Kaikan, located under the elevated Hanshin Expressway. From here, the parade proceeds along the following route: Daimon Street → Yamashita-suji Street → Shinkai-suji Shopping Street → Tobita Hondori Shopping Street → Shimoyamashita-suji Street → Seishun Street → Main Street (1st break: children rehydrate with tea and popsicles, adults with tea and beer cans) → Along the elevated railway line → Hyakuban Street (2nd break: children eat watermelon) → Wakana Street → Along the elevated railway line → Tobita Fureai Kaikan The route is a parade through the Shinchi area. It is like a parade through every corner of Shinchi.
This festival started around 1980-81 (Showa 55-56). The festival started around 1980-81, when there were no summer festivals in the town because of its location, so it was started with the idea of “for children. Signs are posted in the new area inviting children to participate. The festival will be held in case of light rain, but will be cancelled in case of rain. On the fence across the street from the Tobita Fureai Kaikan, there were many signs with the names of restaurants and stores and the amount of sponsorship (donation) written on them.
