Japan's largest citizen music festival "Jozenji Street Jazz Festival"

There is a "music culture" that continues to grow along with the "town" and "people."

Attracted by the sound of a young girl singing and playing the guitar, he walked further down the street and saw a drum set appear in the middle of the road. Suddenly, he looked around and noticed that many of the people passing by were holding some kind of instrument. Live music filled the air all over the city, and children innocently rode along to the sounds of their fathers' bands

Photo by Jozenji Street Jazz Festival in Sendai - Civic Square / Size-adapted.

The Jozenji Street Jazz Festival (JSF), a rare community music festival held every September in the heart of Sendai, was born in 1991 based on the concept that "music should be performed outdoors." Centered around Jozenji Street, lined with zelkova trees, the reason why Sendai is known as the City of Trees, the festival features approximately 90 stages spread across shopping streets, parks, building entrances, and museums. Over 700 bands and approximately 5,000 performers from all over the country gather, attracting as many as 700,000 visitors

 It's not a "Jazz" music festival

Is it "jazz" because it's a "jazz festival"? Wait a minute. The Jozenji Street Jazz Festival is not a "jazz" music festival

Photo by Jozenji Street Jazz Festival in Sendai / Size-adapted.

Photo by Jozenji Street Jazz Festival in Sendai / Size-adapted.

Photo by Jozenji Street Jazz Festival in Sendai / Size-adapted.

The official JSF page states the following:

"Street jazz" is a term coined to evoke the idea of ​​inheriting the free spirit and expression of jazz, a new form of music that was born on the streets of the American South in the late 19th century, and spreading new music and its culture from Jozenji, Sendai. We hope that a unique "street jazz" that blends gently with the city will be born from the fusion of all genres of music

In fact, JSF plays a wide variety of music, from jazz to rock, world music, gospel, idol songs, and even club music. The performers are selected by lottery, and there are no restrictions on whether they are professional or amateur, age, or musical genre, which shows the festival's commitment to creating a performance together

A look back at recent performers

Here we take a look back at some of the performers in recent years, although this will only be a small selection

Local artists active in Sendai

Earth, Wind & The Gang

・CLUSTER

Such famous people too!

・Tomoe Ayado

・Kazunori Kumagai

・Takamasa Hino, DJ Honda

Future Music

There's something special about JSF. The sight of everyone simply enjoying music is simply dazzling, and it's no longer about musicality. What kind of relationship have I had with music up until now? This question naturally arises and strikes a chord. Considering how music these days is at the mercy of commercial music, the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival is sure to contain something that could become the "music of the future."

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