At last, I got to see a play by Koki Mitani, whose comedy dramas are just about the most difficult to get tickets for nowadays. This is not only because of the critical ovations that greet his productions, but also because of the star status of Mitani himself.
In 1994 Mitani closed his theater group, Tokyo Sunshine Boys, "for a 30-year rest." Since then, the multitalented 40-year-old has become one of Japan's most prolific and well-known dramatists, scripting and directing for stage, television and cinema, as well as contributing weekly essays to the Asahi Shimbun.
As a result of this celebrity status -- which, naturally enough, also extends to appearances in TV commercials alongside SMAP's Takuya Kimura -- even people who may never before have been to a theater now flock to see anything graced by his touch.