All female Japanese Chindon-ya called “Bentenya” from Nagoya, Japan, will be making an U.S. debut and tour across the country; New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, Los Angeles and more, starting at Japanese Children’s Society “New York Ikkuei Gakuen” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, on October 2nd and ending at Aki Matsuri Japanese Festival in Las Vegas, NV, on October 26.
Bentenya will play; Japanese folk songs, J-pop, anime, American pop and music from all over the world, on this tour.
Chindon-ya is an advertising business unique to Japan, now becoming rare. Chindon-ya wears flashy costumes and plays instruments with posters on their instruments and/or backs while marching down the streets. Watch Bentenya on YouTube.
[Tour Schedule]
Oct 2 Wed New York Ikuei Gakuen/Japanese Children’s Society in Englewood Cliff, NJ (13:00-14:00)
Oct 3 Thu JAA Health Fair in Midtown, NYC (12:00-14:00)
Oct 3 Thu Radio Show in Midtown, NYC (15:00-16:30)
Oct 3 Thu Media Interview in Midtown, NYC (17:30-18:00)
Oct 3 Thu Gathering event w/ NY Aichikenjinkai at Brayant Park, NYC (18:30-20:30)
Oct 4 Fri LaGuardia Community College in Queens, NYC (10:30-12:30)
Oct 4 Fri Uke Hut Special Live in Queens, NYC (19:30-21:30)
Oct 5 Sat Videoshooting (Times Square > Javits Center) / NYComiCon in NYC
Oct 6 Sun Radio Show @ WFMU (11:30-13:30) in Jersey City, NJ
Oct 6 Sun Sit-in @ Russian Samovar (18:00) in Manhattan, NYC
Oct 7 Mon The Shrine (20:00-21:00) in Harlem, NYC
Oct 8 Tue Off
Oct 9 Wed New York > Cincinnati
Oct 10 Thu Demonstration @ Northern Kentucky University (13:00-)
Oct 10 Thu Northern Kentucky University (15:00-16:00)
Oct 10 Thu BLINK Festival parade (19:15-)
Oct 11 Fri University of Kentucky (15:30-16:00)
Oct 12 Sat Japanese Language School of Greater Cincinnati (12:50-13:25)
Oct 13 Sun Off
Oct 14 Mon Cincinnati > Chicago
Oct 15 Tue Northwestern University (17:00-18:00)
Oct 16 Wed Intercultural Montessori Language Center in Chicago (10:00-11:00)
Oct 17 Thu University of Illinois (16:00-17:00)
Oct 18 Fri Chicago > Los Angeles
Oct 18 Fri Orange County Japan Fair
Oct 19 Sat Orange County Japan Fair (15:00-15:30)
Oct 20 Sun Orange County Japan Fair (14:00-14:30)
Oct 21 Mon Orange County > Los Angeles
Oct 22 Tue Nibei Foundation (18:00-20:00)
Oct 23 Wed Los Angeles > San Diego
Oct 23 Wed Senior Village Sakura (13:00-14:00)
Oct 24 Thu Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana – Gala (17:30-19:00)
Oct 25 Fri San Diego > Las Vegas
Oct 26 Sat Aki Matsuri Japanese Festival (Bliss Stage, 13:00-13:20)
Oct 26 Sat Aki Matsuri Japanese Festival (North Stage, 17:45-18:05)
[Biography]
Since it started in 2008, Bentenya had won several prizes before starting as professional in 2011. Bentenya also won the National Chindon Competition in 2015 and is getting more and more widely known, also attracting media’ s attention.
[Instrumentation]
Bentenya plays classical chindon instruments, bells and two taiko (drums), a small one and a bigger one, as well as another big taiko (gorosu), a saxophone, a trumpet, and an accordion.
[International Appearances]
・Japan Expo (Paris, France) 2016
・HYPER JAPAN (London, UK) 2015
・EXPO Milano 2015 (Milan, Italy) 2015
[Bentenya: Related Links]
– website: https://bentenya.jp
– blog: http://ameblo.jp/bentenya
– facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bentenya
– twitter: https://twitter.com/bentenya_event
– instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bentenya.japan
[Inquiries]
– Hiroshi Kono (U.S. manager) contact[at]marcreation.com
