JSDF Marching Festival

The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) Marching Festival (自衛隊音楽まつり, Jieitai Ongaku Matsuri) is the main cultural military tattoo in Tokyo, which features guest bands from the Asia-Pacific regions as well as bands of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It is regularly held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo every November. The festival was established in 1963, and is one of the oldest military tattoos in the Asia-Pacific region.[1]

JSDF Marching Festival
Genremilitary tattoo
DatesEvery November
Location(s)Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
Years active1963 – present
WebsiteOfficial website (Japanese)

History

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The first event was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium as an independent Self-Defense Force commemorative event on 27 October 1963.[2] It has been held every year since 1964, particularly during the Tokyo Olympics and in 1988, when the Emperor's medical condition worsened and celebratory events were therefore requested. From 1973, Nippon Budokan began to be used as a venue, however in 2019 (the first year of the Reiwa era), it was held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium due to the renovation of the Budokan.[3]

Overview

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The content of each performance is a 2-hour presentation, which is composed of various songs such as pops, classical, jazz, theme music of movie and TV drama, anime songs, game music, and Japanese folk songs.

Every year, the last performance on the last day is broadcast simultaneously on the Internet, and edited DVDs are also marketed at a later date.

The organizer is Minister of Defense, with JGSDF Chief of Staff being in charge of implementation.[4]

Notable participants

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The following multinational units have participated in the three day festival over the years:[5]

Regular and semi-regular participants

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Regular participants in past

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Guest participants in past

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Photos

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References

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  1. ^ "陸上自衛隊:自衛隊音楽まつり".
  2. ^ 日本最高峰の吹奏楽団は自衛隊にあり! 魅惑の「自衛隊音楽隊」<後編>
  3. ^ 令和元年度自衛隊記念日記念行事について
  4. ^ 岡部俊哉 (2016-10-27). "平成28年10月27日(木)陸上幕僚長より 平成28年度自衛隊音楽まつりについて" (in Japanese). 陸上自衛隊. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  5. ^ "SPECIAL FEATURE | JDF - Japan Defense Focus (No.107) | Japan Ministry of Defense". www.mod.go.jp. Archived from the original on 2020-03-29.
  6. ^ "International bands perform together during JSDF Marching Festival 2019".
  7. ^ "平成23年度自衛隊音楽まつり" (in Japanese). Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  8. ^ "平成22年度自衛隊音楽まつり" (in Japanese). Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  9. ^ "平成24年度自衛隊音楽まつり" (in Japanese). Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  10. ^ a b c "平成27年度自衛隊音楽まつり" (in Japanese). Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  11. ^ "Many thanks to United States Army Garrison Japan for the video!". Facebook. U.S. Army Japan Band - 在日米陸軍軍楽隊. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  12. ^ a b "JSDF Marching Festival 2019". Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  13. ^ "平成29年度自衛隊音楽まつり" (in Japanese). Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  14. ^ "平成25年度自衛隊音楽まつり" (in Japanese). Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
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Official website (Japanese)