KATANAYA ICHI and the Tate school students perform a dynamic samurai sword fighting show every year at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Tokyo. This year marks the 30th anniversary of this iconic event, where the main street from Harajuku to Omotesando turns into a pedestrian paradise filled with Irish spirit.
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland who spread Christianity in the 5th century. March 17th is celebrated globally as Saint Patrick’s Day, a festive occasion where people wear green and enjoy music and dance. In Tokyo, this tradition has been alive since the 1990s, offering a unique international vibe right in the heart of the city.
We have been part of this celebration since 2013. This year, we prepared three special performances: Kata (forms), Tate (sword fighting), and Kenbu (sword dance). After last year’s unfortunate cancellation due to heavy rain, our students practiced harder than ever for this comeback.
Under the beautiful clear sky, it was truly moving to see the students performing with bright smiles in front of a huge international crowd.
While many of our young performers are still in training, they are learning that moving an audience requires more than just technique. It takes passion, facial expressions, and overall presence to create a powerful performance. We hope this experience of performing in public inspires them to reach even higher levels in their samurai training.
- The 30th St. Patrick’s Day Parade Tokyo
- Date: Sunday, March 15, 2026, 13:00–15:00
- Location: Harajuku & Omotesando, Tokyo
- Organizer: Irish Network Japan Tokyo
- Supporters: Embassy of Ireland, Shibuya City, Harajuku Omotesando Keyaki-kai
We perform here every year. The event is free to watch, so please come and cheer for our samurai spirit!
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