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, also known as Japanese marching bands, and known historically as or are a type of elaborately costumed street musicians in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
who
advertise Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of interest to consumers. It is typically use ...
for shops and other establishments. advertise the opening of new stores or other venues and promote special events such as price discounts. In modern-day Japan, are a rare sight, having been usurped by advertising in media such as magazines, television, and the
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
.


Etymology

The word consists of the
onomatopoeic Onomatopoeia (or rarely echoism) is a type of word, or the process of creating a word, that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Common onomatopoeias in English include animal noises such as ''oink'', '' ...
words and to describe the sound created by the performers' instruments, with the suffix roughly equating to the English
inflectional suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns and adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carr ...
"-er" in this context.


History


Origin as single performers in Osaka

Musical street performers have a long history in Japan, with a range of practices, from the founder of
kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...
,
Izumo no Okuni was a Japan, Japanese entertainer and miko, shrine maiden who is believed to have invented the theatrical art form of kabuki. She is thought to have begun performing her new art style of () theatre in the dry stream bed, riverbed of the Kamo ...
, to the
mendicant A mendicant (from , "begging") is one who practices mendicancy, relying chiefly or exclusively on alms to survive. In principle, Mendicant orders, mendicant religious orders own little property, either individually or collectively, and in many i ...
monks of the Fuke school of
Zen Buddhism Zen (; from Chinese: '' Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka ph ...
. The first recorded instance of street performers forming a for the purposes of advertising appears in
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
during the 19th century (late
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
and early
Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
), with the first known generally thought to be a candy seller in Osaka named Amekatsu, who, around 1845, used singing and a noise making toy to attract attention to his own portable candy stall. Amekatsu, who was known for his strong voice, became well known in the city, and thus began to advertise for other stores as well as his own, doing so wearing a large hat, straw sandals and a belt with small bells attached to it, using a wooden noisemaker to draw people's attention. Amekatsu was succeeded by a former bath attendant, Isamikame, who also used to shout (lit., "East-West", equivalent to "come one, come all"). Subsequently, such advertising street performers were called in Osaka up to
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He soon received competition from another advertiser called Maemoto, and they split their business, with one covering the Uemachi region and the other covering the Shinmachi region of Osaka. After Maemoto died in 1891, his brother, also called Maemoto took over the business, and he was soon joined by his son and daughter, probably the first female . Maemoto is also famous as being the first person in Osaka to die from
electric shock An electrical injury (electric injury) or electrical shock (electric shock) is damage sustained to the skin or internal organs on direct contact with an electric current. The injury depends on the Current density, density of the current, tissu ...
in 1893. Other well-known performers from this time are Tanbataya Kurimaru, a former
sweet chestnut The sweet chestnut (''Castanea sativa''), also known as the Spanish chestnut or European chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world. A ...
seller, and Satsumaya Imosuke, a former
bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...
seller. These two also occasionally added a second performer to their band.


Group performers in Tokyo

At the beginning of the Meiji period, was still unknown in Tokyo, with advertising still mainly done via curtains (), billboards (), and flyers (). Stalls also advertised for themselves by making noise and wearing colorful clothes, a widely known example of the time being the extremely colorfully dressed
pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...
named Iwashiya. During this time,
newspapers A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
and posters also started to appear in Japan, and were subsequently used for advertising. The military also started to popularize western style
marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...
s, and at the same time public
bands Bands may refer to: * Bands (song), song by American rapper Comethazine * Bands (neckwear), form of formal neckwear * Bands (Italian Army irregulars) Bands () was an Italian military term for Irregular military, irregular forces, composed of nati ...
started to appear. In 1885, an advertising agency in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Hiromeya (wide eyes), hired musicians for advertising. Hiromeya was founded by a former from Osaka named Akita Ryukichi. He soon found out that a one-person band was not as popular in Tokyo as in Osaka, and hired larger bands of more than 10 performers for advertising purposes, following the popularity of military and public bands. His band also provided entertainment at festivals and parties, and also created background music for
silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
s. He was also hired by the Kirin beer company, whose advertising campaign spread out to Osaka. In Osaka, this form of group bands was yet unknown, as only individual performers were hired for advertising. The police also had to stop some of the larger performances in Osaka, as they hindered traffic, partially due to the -tall beer bottle the group was equipped with. The Hiromeya business grew, and they were even asked to perform at the burial of
Emperor Meiji , posthumously honored as , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the List of emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession, reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ...
in 1912. The business still exists nowadays, although they now do mainly decorations.


Evolution of the modern

Tanbataya Kurimaru and Satsumaya Imosuke in Osaka were inspired by the bands of Hiromeya during the Kirin advertising campaign. They enlarged their groups and equipped them with drums and even fancier clothes, often matching the products of the advertised shop. However, they neglected rhythm and quality of the music over volume, and occasionally got arrested by the police. Some bigger engagements lasted for up to six months and reached
Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...
and
Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...
. The technological advances opened up many other ways of advertising that competed with the , who had already been competing with newspapers since 1910. By 1920, advertising by
hot-air balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries ...
and
airplane An airplane (American English), or aeroplane (Commonwealth English), informally plane, is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, Propeller (aircraft), propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a vari ...
had begun in Japan, with both carrying large advertising banners through the air; at around the same time,
neon sign In the signage industry, neon signs are electric signs lighted by long luminous gas-discharge tubes that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in Decem ...
s began to appear in Tokyo. With the appearance of
sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...
in Japan in 1929, about 3,000 street advertisers in Japan lost their jobs. A strike in 1930 had no effect on this and did not improve the situation. In response to the economic environment, the groups reduced their size to 4 or 5 people, and became known as . For many this was the last straw before unemployment and poverty, and hence the were considered to be of very low social status. The
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
in 1930 reduced the ' in Japan even more, and during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
street performances were forbidden altogether.


The golden age

The had a revival again between 1946 and 1956, and between 1950 and 1960 there were up to 2,500 active in Japan. They often performed on
black market A black market is a Secrecy, clandestine Market (economics), market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality, or is not compliant with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the set of goods and services who ...
s. Many stores also moved from a street stall to fixed locations, generating business for , as did the rise of the
pachinko is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Gambling in Japan, Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the West as a form of l ...
business. One well known group in Osaka was Aozora Gakudan, founded by former actor Saeki Yosan. This group played with up to 18 members, and many other joined the group. The introduction of TV and
radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
advertising had only a small effect on the , as these new mediums were too expensive for the small shops that used the services, and not targeted enough for the customers living nearby the stores.


Decline

Since the 1960s the number of has declined again, accelerated by the
1973 oil crisis In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which began after Eg ...
with the subsequent
recession In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction that occurs when there is a period of broad decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be tr ...
. Around 1970, street performances were also banned in many large cities, as they hindered the traffic. In 1985 there remained around 150 , with an average age of about 60 years. Public performances were also banned for several months during the illness and the death of emperor
Hirohito , Posthumous name, posthumously honored as , was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, from 25 December 1926 until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death in 1989. He remains Japan's longest-reigni ...
in 1989.


Present

Nowadays are a rare sight in Japanese cities, and only 30–35 professional () still exist, mostly in and around Tokyo, with another 30 amateur and hobby () performing at festivals. In recent years, however, there seems to be a very small increase again, as they can draw on their historic roots to evoke
nostalgia Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a neoclassical compound derived from Greek language, Greek, consisting of (''nóstos''), a Homeric word me ...
, which has improved the social status of performers. Thus, while far fallen from their golden days, have held on to a small niche in the advertising business in Japan. In Osaka, for example, performs for clothing stores, politicians, beauty salons, and restaurants, in addition to stage performances at weddings, company parties, and other events. They expand their traditional roles even further and even provide a sort of religious services based on old folk rituals, though they are not in any way priests. They have also performed outside Japan. Another group, Adachi in
Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders ...
, was formed five years ago and is still doing business, including new attractions, such as playing the saxophone while riding the
unicycle A unicycle is a vehicle that touches the ground with only one wheel. The most common variation has a frame with a saddle, and has a pedal-driven direct-drive. A two speed hub is commercially available for faster unicycling. Unicycling is prac ...
, displaying
juggling Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object o ...
, and balloon modelling performances. Since 1955, a national contest of bands has been held in Toyama-shi. Each April, dozens of groups join to perform and compete. Many also use the internet to advertise for their services.


Performance

are a small number of artists and musicians, both male and female. They are made up of usually at least three people, with some larger groups including 7 people. The first person in the group is called or , carrying the flag and handing out leaflets. This person is followed by the , who usually carries the drum and a large paper umbrella. As the drum weighs up to , this is the most physically demanding job. Some references call the the group leader, while other references call the the group leader. The third person used to play the , but may nowadays also use the drum, and hence is known as the . He is followed by one or more that play wind instruments. dress in colorful clothes, usually in an eccentric version of traditional Japanese clothing. Women may be dressed in the traditional style, wearing brightly colored
kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over ri ...
and a traditionally-styled wig, as well as heavy makeup. Men usually wear their hair in a top knot, although nowadays they are usually wigs, and some may wear fancy hats. They parade through the streets playing various instruments, including both traditional Japanese instruments and western instruments. Usually, one person carries a combined instrument consisting of a small gong (giving the sound in ) and two small drums (giving the sound in ). Additional instruments by other performers may include a larger drum and a
woodwind instrument Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and ...
, as for example a
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
, a
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
or a
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
. They often play traditional Japanese tunes, military marches, or
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
. Through their performance they try to attract attention to themselves, and more importantly, to the advertising signs and banners they are carrying. These may be boards hanging on the back of the performers or banners and flags hanging from large poles on the back of the performers. Some even carried umbrellas with advertising messages. They advertise for new shops, special sales in shops, the opening of a gaming parlor or pachinko parlors, or for
cabarets Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
. They may also distribute flyers. Nowadays, a performer earns around ¥15,000 per day (roughly US$150), working from around 10:30 to 17:00. Hence a typical group of three to four people costs around ¥45,000 to ¥60,000 per day (roughly $450 to $600). Only an estimated 10%-20% of the acts are ordered by shops, most performances are at festivals and private parties.


Language references

is also a colloquial derogatory term meaning "an elaborate showy parade or scene made specifically to divert attention away from some scam", as in ("What the hell are they trying to pull?") It can be applied to anything nowadays, but especially politics and commerce. It references to the commonly held view that were very low status, very poor and, therefore, untrustworthy.


References


A yen for the traditional: in modern Japan, street performers sell ritual and nostalgia to compete with high-tech advertising''Chindonya'': Ein aussterbendes Gewerbe in der japanischen Werbelandschaft (German)


External links


National Japanese chindon competition in Toyama-shi
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050209201812/http://www.shukosha.com/radar/metro/Feature/index.html , date=2005-02-09
Interview with a ''Chindonya''''Chindonya'' group ''Yamatoya'' (in Japanese)New York City ''Chindonya'' group ''HappyFunSmile''''Okinawanpop & Chindon'' group ''Ryukyu Chimdon Gakudan'' (in Okinawa Japan)
Advertising in Japan Music of Japan Street artists Articles containing video clips