Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
National Aug 14, 2013
Senior theater troupes increasing as baby boomers seek new roles
by Takeshi Kawamura
Japan is seeing an increasing number of theater companies made up of elderly actors as baby boomers and other seniors seek to tread the boards. In late May, a dozen members of an amateur troupe consisting of around 40 people aged 60 or older ...
Events Outside Tokyo Aug 1, 2013
Take baby steps into theater
by Magdalena Osumi
Before it learns how to speak, a baby responds to sounds by cooing, gurgling and changing his or her facial expression. Then it begins to babble and, eventually, the first “mama” or “dada” pops out to parental delight. Words, therefore, are not necessary for ...
Events Outside Tokyo Jul 18, 2013
All of Okinawa is a stage for Kijimuna Festa
by Natasha Vik
Parents who have tried to take their children on museum outings might recognize what a formidable challenge it can be to get them excited about traditional arts. Kijimuna Festa, a theater festival in Okinawa for children and young adults, was founded with this issue ...
Stage Jun 20, 2013
For a nonverbal theater group, The Original Tempo has a lot to say
by Nobuko Tanaka
“The Yellow Raincoat Squad’ is charming and engaging. This is another one of those productions that defies description but is a must-see for all ages,” wrote Catherine Lamm in The British Theatre Guide in August, 2009. Lamm was reviewing one of Japan’s best-kept theatrical ...
National May 14, 2013
Elderly Saitama theater troupe takes on world
A theater company of elderly actors led by renowned stage director Yukio Ninagawa has been busy rehearsing for a tour of Japan and Paris that kicks off on Thursday. Consisting of 41 members aged between 62 and 87, Saitama Gold Theater was formed in ...
Our Lives Mar 16, 2013
Fabric artist clothes Tokyo's expat thespians with creativity and magic
by Louise George Kittaka
Today’s younger generation may be more used to getting their entertainment from the Internet or other high-tech sources than from the stage, but nothing can perhaps replace the magic of a live theater performance.
National Feb 27, 2013
New Kabukiza theater, tower completed in Tokyo
A ceremony was held Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the new Kabukiza theater and an adjacent office building called Kabukiza Tower in the Higashiginza district of central Tokyo. Those present at the event on the top floor of the 29-story Kabukiza Tower included ...
Stage Feb 21, 2013
Redefining conventions of the play
by Nobuko Tanaka
Without doubt, Takahiro Fujita is the most prominent newcomer in the world of Japanese contemporary theater. To a considerable extent that’s because the 27-year-old playwright/director has an unusual trademark style — to create works that often have the same lyrical phrases and series of ...
Events Outside Tokyo Feb 8, 2013
Theater groups play together
by Nobuko Tanaka
Fresh from a U.S. tour, “Zero Cost House,” the first international collaboration work between Yokohama’s Chelfitsch company and Philadelphia’s Pig Iron Theatre Company (PITC), opens at Kanagawa Arts Theatre next week with its original U.S. cast. One of the few high-profile Japanese dramatists on ...
Events Outside Tokyo Feb 1, 2013
Cirque offshoot 7 Fingers has lofty ambitions
by Nobuko Tanaka
Since first touring its native province of Quebec in 1984, the self-styled “multifaceted creative force” that is Canada’s Cirque du Soleil has become a major global phenomenon with several permanent venues. In 2002, though, seven Cirque du Soleil members turned their backs on that ...
Events In Tokyo Jan 24, 2013
South Korean dance show aims for the eyes, not the ears
by Nobuko Tanaka
South Korean entertainment is excelling in a lot of disciplines, and stage performance is one of them. Now a groundbreaking action-drawing show, “Hero,” will take its turn trying to impress Japanese audiences. “Hero” embarks on a monthlong run at the Roppongi Blue Theater in ...
Events In Tokyo Jan 24, 2013
A monk's teenage angst can be monstrous
by Tomohiro Osaki
Monsters and runaways aren’t usually the kinds of problems teenagers face, but a Tokyo-based theater troupe thinks these are the kinds of conundrums that await teenage monks. This weekend, the troupe Tateyoko Kikaku will present two works that are part of a series of ...