Roppongi is probably home to the highest concentration of non-Japanese people in Tokyo, and therefore Japan (not counting military bases of course). Made up of tall buildings, expensive but good quality shops and restaurants and tons of night clubs, it is one of the last places one would expect to have a traditional matsuri style celebration. Roppongi Hills, which is where this festival was taking place is especially strange as the location since on days of popular movies, it is easy to spot almost as many foreigners as the Japanese people hanging out around the area. Roppongi Hills’ cinema usually plays home to premieres of foreign movies as well. So, you can imagine my surprise when, after watching a movie (G.I. Joe, which really, really sucked btw) I overheard very traditional melodies coming from below the movie theatre.
I did not miss the chance to make a little movie of the affair. I saw something similar in Kichijoji before which had a grander and more authentic feel to it since it took place in the garden of a temple but what actually took place, the singing, dancing, the little stalls, they were all almost the same between the two.
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