I got the MVP! This is an award given by Suiren to members who contribute to the team. I am really happy to get it. The trophy is a symbol of a woman dancer. That's really cute. I thank the members who practice with me through the year. It was fun to practice at karaoke box. How lucky I am to have friends who I can play music with.

One of my purposes to visit Tokushima is to buy new Japanese flute, “Shino-bue” especially made by Mr. Ranjo who is a famous artisan. It is difficult to buy his flute even in Tokyo. So I visited the long-established instrument shop “Okachu” in Tokushima.

Shino-bue, Japanese Flutes
Shino-bue is one of the most traditional types of flute in Japan. It is typically
made of bamboo, a common indigenous material found in many areas in the country. Shino-bue is remarkable for its very simple structure. It comes in many different colors like red, brown, and black but the most usual one is actually the most natural as well, and that is the tan-colored Shino-bue. It is the color of bamboo when it dries. Some shino-bue has 6 holes, while others may have 7 or more (not including the mouthpiece). By covering some of the holes and by keeping some open, you can make many lovely notes.


Visiting Okachu
I was impatient to go Okachu, because I wanted to get new Shino-bue as soon as possible. But it was closed the first day… So I visited there next day again!
Hardest thing to me was to check the tone of Shino-bue there. I have to play it in front of many people… It was really embarrassing! After I checked the tone, I finally got two Shino-bue there.

I went to Karaoke box to use new Shino-bue the next day I came back to Tokyo because I couldn’t wait until next practice! They are fantastic! I can make higher tone easily compared to the old one. Now I enjoy playing them. The travel to Tokushima is unforgettable for me because I finally got great one there.

We visited Tokushima prefecture to see “Spring Flower Festival (Hana Haru Festa).”
For most members, it was their first time to visit Tokushima where the Awa-dance came from.

Our flight was 7:00 a.m at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. It took only an hour and 15 minutes, so we arrived at Tokushima in Shikoku-island before 8:30.

We visited the park where the festival is held and watched many great performances. The first team was Tonosama-ren. The movements of male and female dancers have dynamic patterns with different sequences. It was worth to watch. The music was also extremely beautiful.

We also watched some stage performances that were held in Awa-bank hall. The team we longed to watch was Yukyu-ren. Their music is quite unique since it sounds a bit modern especially their sharp sounds. They use the short Japanese flute which is called “Happon” which makes higher sounds. Some team members really love this team, so it was lucky to see their live performance!

We joined a flower festival in Itabashi ward, Tokyo.

Sui-ren had a performance with Nakadai-Ren(team). Six band members joined the band. Also our new young member performed with Nakadai dancers. Nakadai-Kids dancers were really great! It was the first time for them to perform with a music band, but they made it!

The pollen levels were really high because of the good weather, some team members had a hard time with their runny nose!

Sui-ren started in 1996. It is one of the official Ren (‘team’) in Suginami Ward, Tokyo. The Ren joins the Koenji Awa-Odori (odori means ‘dance’) Festival every year.



The Awa-Odori music is usually characterized with a catchy bouncing rhythm, while Sui-ren mainly uses a flat sound. A big drum creates a dynamic sound under this rhythm. Sui-ren's sound is interestingly dubbed as Japanese Rock ’n’ Roll because of their exciting sound and performance. Many people come every year to see Sui-ren at the Koenji Festival.



A fan performance by the women’s group is also visually unique and elegant in nature. A dancer, in her traditional kimono, uses a folding fan quite gracefully as she sways and glides throughout the performance. When the performance starts, she puts it under her obi-belt. In the middle part, she takes it out from the belt and opens it, making a nice surprise for the audience. If you come to see Sui-ren, you should look forward to watching this fantastic fan performance!