【Event Information】
Sunday, October 12, 2025
【Venue】
Performance:
On the street in front of Bishamonten Zenkokuji Temple,
Kagurazaka (within the Bakeneko Festival)
Workshop Venue (Dance & Dialogue):
Nearby location in Kagurazaka (details
will be provided directly to participants)
【How to Join】
| Fee: | Free (advance registration required) |
|---|---|
| Registration Deadline: |
Saturday, October 11 |
| How to Register: |
Please apply via the form below. |
| Capacity: | Approx. 10 participants (first-come, first-served) |
| Eligibility: | From elementary school children to adults |
| Multilingual Support (English): |
Interpretation support is available for English-speaking participants. If you would like this service, please indicate it when registering. |
Photography & Filming Notice
During Workshops
Photos and videos will be taken for documentation and promotional purposes. These may appear on our
website, social media, or publicity materials. By participating, you agree to this. If you prefer not to
be filmed or photographed, please let us know at the time of registration.
During the Performance (Outdoor Parade)
As this is a public outdoor event, audience photography and filming cannot be restricted. Please note that
performers will wear cat masks covering the upper half of the face, so full facial features will not be
visible (see reference photos on this website).
【Performers】
Dancers
Yoshihiro Fujita, Masato Kunieda, Maya Izutani, Tomoka Sanjo, Mako
Miyoshi
Musicians
Yoshinori Shiraishi (Percussion), Etsuko Miyagawa (Japanese
flute), Yugo Gonishiki (Shamisen), Shiroi Koroberu
(Percussion), Nataka Tokio (Samba Band)
General Workshop Participants
What is “Anya Odori”?
A Street Becomes a Stage! A Dance Parade You Watch, Dance, and Get Swept Up In.
Kagurazaka comes alive with the “Bakeneko Halloween Festival”! Its highlight is “Anya Odori,” a participatory dance performance where anyone can join.
How to Enjoy Anya Odori
The parade kicks off with a powerful street performance by professional dancers. Then, a quick lesson begins right on the spot—so both kids and adults can pick up the moves and start dancing.
In the finale, the audience joins in for a grand parade through the streets. Colorful costumes, cat masks, kids jumping in spontaneously, parents and couples in disguise, even visitors from abroad—the whole town becomes a stage filled with laughter, music, and dance!
Just watching is fun. Dancing makes it even more fun. Costumes welcome—but not required!
The festival also offers a “Costume Makeup Experience” program where you can transform into someone entirely new. For one day only, Kagurazaka turns into a massive stage for this spectacular performance.
Workshop “Are You-Ko-You Anya Odori!?”
See, Transform, Dance! A Hands-On Workshop to Enjoy the City Together
Anya Odori is a humorous, high-energy street dance performance. This workshop combines three ways to enjoy it—watching, transforming, and dancing—blurring the line between performer and audience.
The playful title hides multiple meanings: "Are You- (Are You)?”, “Ko-You (交友: Friendship),” and a wordplay suggesting casual conversation. It reflects the joy of people naturally connecting with one another. Set in the historic streets of Kagurazaka, it offers an exciting experience that goes far beyond “just watching.”
Program Details
A. Perform by Dancing – Presentation-Style Dance Workshop
- A one-hour dance workshop in the morning, open to anyone.
- In the afternoon, participants join the official Anya Odori stage with the choreography they learned.
- Beginners are welcome—professional dancers will support you.
On stage, you’ll perform for about 15 minutes, then join the parade through the town together with the audience!
Note: Registering for the Dance Workshop (A) automatically includes the Dialogue Workshop (B). If you wish to join both, please register through the A form.
Program Flow (Dance Workshop A)
* Participants will receive detailed schedules and preparation information after registration.| 10:30 | Registration |
| 11:00 | Dance Workshop |
| 13:30 | Main Performance (in front of Bishamonten Temple) |
| 14:45 | End (approx.) |
What to Bring/Wear
For rehearsal:- Comfortable clothing
- Drink for hydration
- Towel
- Indoor sneakers（No outdoor shoes allowed in the rehearsal room.）
For performance:
- White shirt + black pants + comfortable shoes (white, black, or red recommended)
- A red accent item (cardigan, scarf, vest, tie, etc.)
- Cat mask (covering the upper half of the face)
(White shirt, black pants, and shoes must be prepared by each participant. Red accents and masks will be provided, but feel free to bring your own.)
＊ ＊ ＊
B. Experience by Watching – Dialogue Workshop for Audiences
Enjoying it together makes it even more fun!
Anya Odori blends the rhythms of Awa Odori with the freedom of international parades. Its charm lies in gathering people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate together.
In this program, after watching the performance, participants share their impressions.- “How does it feel from the performer’s side vs. the audience’s?”
- “How do you relate it to your own experiences?”
Through casual conversation, participants discover new ways to enjoy the performance.
Program Flow (Dialogue Workshop B)
Pick up your “Passport Booklet” at the Entry Desk anytime between 10:00 and 13:30.
Before and after joining the Anya Odori, feel free to explore the Bake-Neko Festival at your own pace —
there’s so much to see and enjoy all around!
| 13:30 | Watch the Anya Odori and jump right into the lively parade |
| 14:45 | Meet at the workshop venue / Check-in opens |
| 15:00 | Interactive Workshop begins |
| 16:00 | Workshop ends |
What to Bring
A notebook or some paper for notes, and a pen or pencil.
Anya Odori Choreography Guide
We've prepared videos and choreography charts so you can practice the moves ahead of the main event. There will also be on-site instruction on the day, so even first-timers can participate with confidence.
Information
CAST
Yoshihiro Fujita
（藤田 善宏 / ふじた よしひろ）
Choreographer, director, dancer, and merchandise designer. Founder and director of dance company CAT-A-TAC (Cat Attack). Member of dance company Condors. Recipient of the New Artist Award in the Dance Division at the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival. Overall choreography supervisor for the opening ceremony performance at the Fukui National Sports Festival. Part-time lecturer at Gunma University. Known for creating wordless narratives utilizing physical expression and props, as well as collaborations with diverse genres and traditional performing arts that leverage flexible thinking. She also focuses on diversity-centered activities, including supervising dance dramas, children's theater, and early childhood education materials enjoyable for three generations from children to seniors, as well as workshops and outreach programs for people with disabilities. Her extensive credits include choreography, performance, and staging for stage productions starring Shun Oguri, TEAM NACS, NODA MAP, and directed by Yoji Yamada, as well as for NHK Educational TV and others. She collaborates with professors at Aoyama Gakuin University on workshop research projects. As a goods designer, she collaborates with ballet manufacturer Chacott on merchandise (T-shirts & ballet supplies) sold nationwide. Her unique ideas connect people across genres, creating new artistic expressions. She is a cat lover, pro wrestling and Buddhist statue enthusiast, and collector of glasses and antiques. She also performs in cross-industry units like “Nivante” with tap dancer Masaki Murata.
Yoshinori Shiraishi （白石 美徳 / しらいし よしのり）
Musician. Member of dance company CAT-A-TAC. Leader of the Yoshinori Shiraishi BALLROOM Orchestra, a big band specializing in ballroom dance music. Active as a jazz drummer performing in both Tokyo and the Kansai region. In addition to collaborations with domestic and international musicians, he engages in sound improvisation with filmmakers and cross-disciplinary projects with dancers and actors. In recent years, he has expanded his work to include stage productions such as dance and theater, contributing both performances and original compositions. He is also a member of Uquwa, a group selected for an Arts Council grant. Beyond his performance work, he teaches drumming to students of all ages and manages the community big band Maje Kiba .
Masato Kunieda （国枝 昌人 / くにえだ まさと）
Dancer. Member of Nadekata GUYDANCE. Enjoys being upside down, jumping, moving cooperatively with others, and exploring the body through playful and mindful approaches. Finds balance and inspiration through sports, music, and painting, and began dancing barefoot around the age of twenty. His experience spans a wide range of styles, including modern and contemporary dance, contact improvisation, capoeira-inspired and gymnastic movements, minimal and acrobatic forms, experimental theater, ballet, and butoh. Recently, he left his job “for a reason as ordinary as anyone’s” and is currently training to master a backflip by the time he turns sixty. Has appeared in numerous dance and performance works in Japan and abroad, and continues to explore experimental and international collaborative productions.
Maya Izutani （泉谷 摩耶 / いずたに まや）
Dancer. Member of dance company CAT-A-TAC. Centered on jazz dance, she is active as a performer, choreographer, and instructor. Teaches at So-Shin Girls’ Junior and Senior High School and serves as assistant instructor for the Performance Project Dance Course at Sun City Hall in Koshigaya. Recent performances include The Light Brothers, Kokoro, and Anya Odori Performance (all produced by CAT-A-TAC), ODORIGOKORO vol.14 (choreographed by Masumi Yako), We Don’t Need to Know What’s Happening Now, and To Where the Wind Blows (written and directed by Takuaki Kumagai). As a choreography assistant, she has also contributed to projects such as corporate pavilions for the Osaka-Kansai Expo and the stage production Dreaming Byakkotai (Shochiku Geino).
Tomoka Sanjo （三條 智果 / さんじょう ともか）
Dancer. Began studying classical ballet in childhood and later moved to Tokyo to pursue a career in musical theater. While attending a musical theater school, she competed in national dance competitions, earning awards in both ensemble and solo jazz dance categories. After gaining experience as an assistant and choreographer’s aide, she is now active as a dancer in musicals, commercials, music videos, and theme park shows. Rooted in jazz dance, she continues to expand her expressive range and creative scope by exploring a wide variety of dance styles with curiosity and versatility.
Mako Miyoshi （三好 眞瑚 / みよし まこ）
Actor and dancer. Born in Shizuoka Prefecture. Began studying classical ballet in elementary school, then took up vocal music and discovered acting through her high school theater club. After moving to Tokyo, she trained for about four years at THEATER LAB TOKYO, focusing on jazz dance, stage combat, and action performance. Currently works as a freelance performer. Recent credits include Baudelaire Greatest Hits (written and directed by Masaya Okamoto/ avex artist academy theater lab vol.2), Meramera (music video by Kis-My-Ft2), Kemono Friends: Kimi no Ashioto ga Mata Kikoeta (written and directed by Daiki Murakami), and Machikado Mazoku (written and directed by Naru Kawamoto).
STAFF
Composition/ Direction/ Choreography: Yoshihiro Fujita
Production/ Workshop Facilitators: Yoshihiro Fujita, Mayumi Yamaoka
Music Leader: Yoshinori Shiraishi
Illustration (Promotional Art): Yuuko Okameya
Web Design: Tae Harada
Photography: Akihito Abe
Production Assistant: Mayumi Yamamoto
Production: Mayumi Yamaoka
Cooperation: Bake-Neko Festival Executive Committee
Planning & Production: MITATEYA LLC
Supported by Tokyo Performing Arts Festival 2025 Open Call Program
About CAT-A-TAC
CAT-A-TAC is a diverse dance company led by choreographer Yoshihiro Fujita, featuring young dancers, musicians, and physical educators. With a fresh, genre-free approach, the company creates performances for all ages. They are known for silent dance dramas (non-verbal narratives using the body and props), and for collaborations with traditional arts and other genres. Their work includes children’s and inclusive programs, workshops, and outreach projects, emphasizing diversity and accessibility.
