From festival dancers to Kabuki, Japan has a rich tradition of street performance. Explore this world through artworks in the Cincinnati Art Museum’s collection and a colorful performance from Bentenya, a Japanese Chindon music troupe from Nagoya, Japan. Learn about the ways that street performance is reflected in Japanese art with a brief talk from Helen Rindsberg, president of the Cincinnati Asian Art Society. Then, enjoy the sounds of Bentenya as they perform live. You may even get to join in! 

About Bentenya and Chindon: 
Chindon is a Japanese form of advertisement where eye-catching performers march through the streets playing unique musical instruments. Bentenya brings nostalgia as well as modernity to the art form, playing Japanese folksongs alongside J-Pop and anime music. Donning glamorous kimonos and brightly colored wigs, their unique, electricity-free, and sustainable art form involves only voices and live instruments. Betenya has traveled internationally to six countries, been featured in television shows and magazine articles, and in 2020, its performers were appointed as Nagoya Tourism Ambassadors.

Cincinnati Art Museum

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Japanese Street Performance featuring Bentenya

Explore this world through artworks in the Cincinnati Art Museum’s collection and a colorful performance from Bentenya, a Japanese Chindon music troupe from Nagoya, Japan.

Community Calendar

Japanese Street Performance featuring Bentenya