THE KAGURAZAKA DISTRICT IN TOKYO JAPAN, 1981

The film opens with the interior of a house in western decor but we observe the hanging shoji, a type of curtain which is made of rice paper, opaque and thin so that allows the light to pass through it. We are transported to a playground where young children climb, exercise and play. The filmmaker takes footage of the streets. The Kagurazaka district is located in Tokyo near Iidabashi Station. During the Edo period its main road was across the Ushigome Bridge in the castle's exterior ditch and it was a hub of entertainment, which is something that continues to this day. The area has still retained a traditional Japanese atmosphere and walking along its alleys we will find traditional okiya houses with geishas, temples and small sanctuaries. Kagurazaka hosts the annual Kagurazaka Awa-odori festival every fourth weekend of July, and groups of dancers and musicians in traditional costumes sing and dance in its streets.