Festival Report フェスティバル レポート 2025

Why you become a "Citizen Clown"? / Interview citizen clowns

Waking around the festival, we see citizen clowns. A "Citizen clown" is played by volunteer staffs who make audience enjoy by taking pictures with them and helping them by giving directions. You can find these clowns all around the city during the festival. 

The clowns we found were making children happy by waving hands, high-fives, and giving them a small card that make their visit to the festival a memorial experience. We were watching them for a few moments and decided to ask a few questions to them. 

We interviewed 3 clowns who were so nice to answer our questions. Their history of being a clown is different from each other. Those we interviewed were all non-beginners. 

Why you became a "Citizen Clown"?

One of them said it is because he has loved Daidogei since he was a child and wanted to make visitors happy. The second person told us that she had always been interested in doing this. The last one was saying he was asked to join with his friend. 

What is the best thing about being a "Citizen Clown"?

They told us 4 things, and they all agreed to each other. It was that they noticed that interacting with people is fun, they are happy that people are smiling because of them, they could find their friends who loves clowns, and they are happy that people enjoy. 

From the interview, I could feel that they love being clowns with all their hearts. It was nice to see people, both visitors and clowns being happy by interacting with each other. Why don't you come to the Daidogei World Cup in Shizuoka and see "Citizen Clowns"? They will make you smile.

（ELLE）