Our organization Sui-Ren composed of people from different walks of life, passionate about promoting the arts through dance and music. Our group was formed in Koenji, Tokyo in 1996. Every year, we would participate in two of the most prestigious Awa-dance festivals in the Kanto area—the Koenji Awa-Odori and the Kagura-Zaka Awa-Odori. We are recognized in Koenji as one of the official teams that promote Japanese arts and culture.
Sui-Ren is most famous for its fan performance, an elegant dance routine accompanied by a unique sound using the flat 8-beat. We always hope to make people happy by watching our performance! Please check and visit our FB and Instagram!
If you have the passion in promoting Japanese traditional dance and music and the skills to back it up, don’t hesitate to come and join our fun and dynamic group. You might think all members are residents of Tokyo, but actually, they’re not! Two-thirds of our members come from other areas. Please contact us through email as shown on this page.
We will be glad to perform at your party (wedding, birthday, launching ceremonies, etc.)! Just please contact us through email for booking, cast requests, and tours. Thank you!
We hope you can get a sense of our unique rhythm from these pictures! If you press or click any picture, interesting details will appear.
The women dancers wear pale blue kimonos and black belt, called obi. The women wear a straw hat that covers half of their face, elegantly implying a bit of mystery in their appearance. One of the highlights of their dance routine is the fan performance, which is visually unique and elegant in nature. Some members has started to learn this dance since they were elementary school students. You can join Onna-Odori if you have passion to do it!
The dancers wear blue “Happi” and white short pants. “Happi” is a short kimono, similar to a light jacket. They also wear “tabi” socks—a very thick sock made of cotton with a rubber sole. The “Otoko-Odori” that men do is sometimes described as aggressive, passionate, and comical. Women can also join this dance but the “Otoko-Odori” that they do is usually elegant and smooth.
The musical band is called “Narimono.” “Narimono” usually consists of some traditional Japanese instruments, such as the bell, several drums, and a few Japanese flutes. While the Awa-Odori music is usually characterized with a catchy bouncing rhythm, the kind of music created by Sui-ren is known for its uniquely flat 8-beat sound. That’s why Sui-ren's sound has been fascinatingly dubbed as Japanese Rock ’n’ Roll. Under this rhythm, a big drum is used to create a wonderfully dynamic sound.
The leader usually plays a bell to organize dancers and a musical band. The bell player is very much like that of a conductor of an orchestra.
The big lantern is called Takahari that is a sign to show the team’s name. Each team has their own Takahari and it’s design is unique.
The dancers wear blue “Happi” and white short pants. “Happi” is a short kimono, similar to a light jacket. They also wear “tabi” socks—a very thick sock made of cotton with a rubber sole. The “Otoko-Odori” that men do is sometimes described as aggressive, passionate, and comical. Women can also join this dance but the “Otoko-Odori” that they do is usually elegant and smooth.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to join us, observe our practice, or even request to perform in our events or give us a dance lecture.