



Welcome to the 28th Sendai’s Jozenji Streetjazz Festival! This year’s theme is “Running Together”. The Jozenji Street Jazz Festival can happen only when everyone involved “runs together”. Sendai citizens have worked hard to make this event happen. Of course, visitors are also an important and integral part of this experience, too. So, everyone supports each other. And at the same time, we believe everyone is a leading star, helping to make this event a success. We hope that everyone will “run together”, each in his or her own unique way, while enjoying our 28th Jozenji Streetjazz Festival,.





Calling all music lovers! Do you love music, but find that you don't get much of a chance to go to concerts in Japan? As a musician, is it difficult to find opportunities to perform? Well now's your chance! The annual Jozenji StreetJazz Festival is your chance to see hundreds of bands of various genres performing for free. And if you're a musician, this is your opportunity to perform for an audience of thousands. If you happen to be in the area, why not drop by and enjoy the diverse musical culture that Sendai has to offer. We look forward to seeing you at the 28th Jozenji StreetJazz Festival

Event Information

The 28th Jozenji StreetJazz Festival

Saturday, September 8 – Sunday September 9, 2018

[No cancellation in the event of rain]

Street performances - 11:00am – 6:00pm

Night Stage – 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Location: Sendai City Center (including the Ichibancho, Kokubuncho,

Honcho, Chuo and Omachi neighborhoods) and Miyagino-ku's Tsutsujigaoka area.

Sponsor: The Jozenji StreetJazz Festival Executive Committee



This year's all stage map (English) Coming Soon What is the Jozenji StreetJazz Festival? The streets are the stage. With its roots along the Zelkova lined promenade of Jozenji Street, the festival is staged in the foyers of buildings, in shopping arcades, parks and plazas exclusively for a few days. It brims over with all genres of music. At the end of the 19th century, a new type of music cried out from the street corners in the southern towns of America. It was free, liberal and spiritual, crossing borders and cultures and now, here in Sendai, you can hear the echo of that cry. We try to create a fusion of all genres, in harmony with the character of StreetJazz and the peculiar originality of the city. Made by the people of the city. This festival is supported by people who love to perform music, people who love to listen, and managed by citizens on a volunteer basis. It's growing into one of the most unique festivals in the world. Apart from making it into one of the rarest festivals in the world, the goal is to have it grow into one of the most loved ones. It’s growing into one of the most unique festivals in the world. Apart from making it into one of the rarest festivals in the world, the goal is to have it grow into one of the most loved ones. What is the Jozenji StreetJazz Festival? The "LIVE 141 Jozenji StreetJazz Festival" first began in 1987, the same year that the Sendai Subway opened, and continued for four years at the 141 Building's L-Park. In order to re-develop the festival, the musician Sakakibara Mitsuhiro was consulted. With his idea that "by nature music is something to be done outdoors" as a general concept, the festival made appeals to the people in the shopping district and on Jozenji Street. In 1991 an executive committee was established, nine outdoor stages were selected along Jozenji Street and Ichibancho, and the modern "Jozenji StreetJazz Festival in SENDAI" began. The Jozenji StreetJazz Festival is this kind of festival. The streets of Sendai, with Zelkova tree-lined Jozenji Street as the focal point, are transformed into stages for this event only and overflow with the sounds of music. The music is of a variety of genres – jazz, rock, ska, gospel to name a few. From children to the elderly, from the performers to the executive staff who put the festival together, and of course tourists visiting the city, everybody comes together to enjoy the music. Professional musicians participate alongside amateurs, with no restrictions on factors like age. Performers come from Miyagi prefecture and all over the country. Groups even come from countries overseas, such as Sweden and France, to take part in the festival in various genres. So long as the musical performance is suited to the streets, the genre doesn't matter. Not only jazz, but pop artists, world music acts, and even rock bands participate. Translated by Austin Gardiner, Nathan Collman, Liam Stormonth, Pamela Taylor and Wenny Ly.

