"Chindon-ya," traditional street performers who promote shops, pachinko parlors and other local businesses, were once on the verge of extinction due to a lack of successors.
But more young performers have joined the chindon-ya business recently, breathing new life into the traditional street art, industry sources said.
To celebrate the recent revival of the chindon-ya business, young performers from across the country last week held the first exhibition showing its history and put on a chindon-ya show in Tokyo's Ueno district for a packed audience of more than 500 people.