The Resurgence of Nagashi with Showa Tunes, Hypnosis, and Magic in Reiwa’s Alleyways

Inbound tourists are fascinated by

“Foreigners are particularly fond of city pop and anime songs. It seems that artists like Hikaru Utada and Southern All Stars are also known in Asia. Sometimes we’re surprised when they request songs like, ‘How do you know this song?'”

“When we’re out with our guitars, street musicians sometimes approach us, saying, ‘I want to do this too'”

The nagashi (street musicians), which seemed to have disappeared with the rise of karaoke, is making a comeback due to the revival of alley culture and inbound demand, with its popularity reigniting.

To understand the charm and current state of the Reiwa-era nagashi, we spoke with Paris Nakayama and Kio Endo, directors of the All Japan Nagashi Association and active performers.

Balloon art, hypnosis, caricatures. Reiwa’s nagashi has it all!

Carrying a guitar and walking through a noren (curtain) while saying, “How about a song?”. In the Showa era, “nagashi” (street performers) had various roles beyond just music.

“In the past, each entertainment district had something like a town’s talent agency. Lockers would have guitars stuck in them, and performers would grab the guitar and head out to work. For the so-called strays, or street performers who didn’t belong to any organization, there were local rules, like being allowed to perform for three days.

There’s also a story that they acted as bodyguards, helped with local connections, or even worked as informants,” said Paris Nakayama (P).

However, with the advent of karaoke, the number of street performers began to decline, and by the Heisei era, they had almost disappeared. Many of the legendary performers grew older or sadly passed away.

“With very few materials available, we mostly rely on hearsay for information. It’s not something you can easily pass down by teaching the techniques. It’s a job that you only pursue if you really want to, and if you’ve never seen it, there’s less chance of someone wanting to do it. So, at one point, the number of performers really dropped.

Through the activities of our association, we aim to preserve and expand the culture of nagashi in a new form,” said Kio Endo (E).

The revival of the “nagashi” culture came in 2008. The old, neglected public market, the ‘Yamashita Shopping Center’ near the west exit of Ebisu, was reborn as “Ebisu Yokocho,” a lively alley filled with unique eateries, and things began to change.

“About a year after it opened, I asked to perform there, and they allowed me in. Many influential people came to Ebisu, and the alley itself started to gain cultural momentum.

Whenever the alley was featured in the media, nagashi was often part of the scene. Eventually, new alleys opened in various places, and as a result, nagashi became necessary, so we started to bring in more performers,” Nakayama explained.

In 2014, Nakayama founded the “Heisei Nagashi Association.” Meanwhile, Endo began to gather performers from various fields beyond singing, and in 2017, established “YOI×Gei.” “YOI×Gei” partnered with “Norengai,” a company developing alley-style dining and commercial facilities. Whenever a new Norengai location was opening, they would request “nagashi,” prompting Endo to bring in more performers, which continued to grow.