{"id":76178,"date":"2009-09-06T01:09:16","date_gmt":"2009-09-05T16:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/welcome.city.matsumoto.nagano.jp\/modules\/xpressme\/?p=120"},"modified":"2009-09-06T01:09:16","modified_gmt":"2009-09-05T16:09:16","slug":"street-theatre-mulitple-sightings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.visitmatsumoto.com\/en\/history\/street-theatre-mulitple-sightings\/","title":{"rendered":"Street theatre – mulitple sightings"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you went for a walk around town last Sunday, you\u2019d have been excused a few double takes! Not an ordinary Sunday by any stretch of the imagination.
\n\"pokeSeventeen different acts took part in \u201cDaidogei\u201d. No idea what it means, but the result was superb. At nominated locations throughout the afternoon, street performers of all shapes, sizes and styles did their thing. It was difficult to catch all that was going on due to the diversity & eye-catching nature of the performances \u2013 you really didn\u2019t want to leave one before it finished..so you missed the start of another one or got stuck at the back of the crowd. Nevermind, all part of the experience, bumping into friends in the process.

\n\"whatNever mind; half-hour stints meant acts moved around and you could catch them somewhere else. Casually walking around, you were likely to bump into something quite extraordinary.
\nThe Pterodactyl lookalike \u201cNani-sole\u201d was my favourite: cameo moment was this weird thing leaning down to peck an old guy on the shoulder, as he waited for the lights to change. Poor soul leapt out of his skin!

\n\"FinnThe Chinese acrobats were a big draw \u2013 some incredible strength & agility. At one point the lad was in a crab position with the acrobat doing a handstand on his hands\u2026amazingly he lifted her from there in balance to standing.

\n\"catchMembers of \u201cLe Circque des Gueux\u201d, appearing at the Performing Arts Centre all week, showed snippets of their show. The mime act was particularly entertaining in front of the Kura on Nakamachi; the pair of Finnish girls showed off their balance and power down on Frog Street, gasps from the crowd.

\n\"\"I missed a pair of walking eyes, but found mime\/statue artist Shiva sweating in the sun by M-Wing, resplendent in all white. Loved the moment he `shushed` the election campaigners.
\nAnother mime\/clown further up the street was busy scaring the ladies; passers by were encouraged to get the autographs of five clowns, though I don\u2019t know what the prize would have been.

\n\"\"A pair of masked characters on \u201cblades\u201d (like the South African athlete) \u2013 only a lot taller, trailed a massive blade-wielding dude scaring children\u2026but they did wait for the green man to cross the road! Sensibly, the Wraith-looking thing by the river got security to help him across a zebra crossing. Never realised how much of a stride you have on stilts \u2013 these things can shift. Guess motorists don\u2019t usually look up, up for pedestrians!<\/p>\n