Japan has been on a bit of a losing streak for a while now. In 2010, it was overtaken as the world's second-largest economy by China, and in 2011 the nation was rocked by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the ensuing tsunami and nuclear crisis.
Now, Japan has become embroiled in territorial disputes with China and Taiwan, and South Korea, that have both escalated dramatically with consumer boycotts and riots.
It is against this backdrop that Japan's biggest annual theater event, Festival/Tokyo (F/T), is being held and organizers are turning their spotlight specifically on Asian drama and dramatists. They aim to build a communal platform across the region, especially for cutting-edge creators.