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April 19, 2024
 

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Mana Katsura
For Mana Katsura's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 27, 2015
Youth lost on isles of rage and doubts
'The person I hate most is my mother. Because she gave birth to me, I have to walk toward old age and death," Barcelona-born Angelica Liddell declared during a recent trip to Japan, her dress soft, smooth and elegant in stark contrast to her harsh sentiment.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 18, 2015
Unsung creator casts light on casting and her 'gift from heaven'
Ask any Japanese theater lover to list his or her favorite foreign directors, and most would include Peter Brook, the English-born, long-time French resident who has been bringing his productions here and encouraging audiences to explore new artistic realms since way back in 1973.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 11, 2015
Going where Terayama's rare spirit lives on
The avant-garde stage and film director, poet, critic, author and founder of the experimental theater group Tenjo Sajiki, Shuji Terayama (1935-83), influenced theater the world over with his iconoclastic plays such as "Mink Marie," "Heretics" and "Directions to Servants."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 4, 2015
Kabuki icon takes Dazzle dancers to new levels
Street dance has been growing in popularity for years among younger generations in "Cool Japan," with displays often attracting crowds of passers-by.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 11, 2015
Couples beware as Kayoko Shiraishi returns in intriguing style
Actress Kayoko Shiraishi is famed for her portrayals of male and female characters of all ages almost as if she were possessed by their souls.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 28, 2015
Young gun Kinoshita takes aim at tradition
Though for more than 300 years it's only been performed by men and boys, kabuki exists in the public imagination as actors engulfed in hair and makeup, wearing elaborate costumes and striking ostentatious poses on a vast stage.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 1, 2015
Curtains up on 2015
Innovation adds sparkle to traditional forms
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 26, 2014
French idol reflects on her Japanese droid son
As a playwright, stage director, Osaka University professor, manager of the Komaba Agora Theater in Tokyo and leader of the city's Seinendan theater company he formed in 1983, Oriza Hirata — whose "contemporary colloquial theater" set the scene for much of Japan's new drama over the last 20 years — has long been in the forefront of Japan's theater world.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 29, 2014
It's touring for two in 'From the Sea' feature of festival's new Asia Series
Last October I partook in a tour-style play in Yokohama that was titled "Tsurenakumo Aki no Kaze" (quoted from Basho's haiku on autumn wind) and directed by 49-year-old South Korean artist Seo Hyun-suk.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 15, 2014
Classic early mystery lays bare elusive Lepage style
As an actor and world-class theater, film and opera director, Robert Lepage has become renowned for his unconventional productions using high-tech devices. Now, though, Tokyo audiences can feast their eyes and minds on this 56-year-old French-Canadian's early masterpiece, 1987's "Le Polygraphe (Polygraph)," a play that portrays the pain heartless society can inflict on individuals.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 6, 2014
Theater's magic brings wonderful 'War Horse' to life
It is now 100 years since the start of World War I, which claimed close to 17 million lives before it ended in November 1918. Hence the Tokyo opening of "War Horse" — a play set during that so-called "war to end war" — serves in part as a memorial to the awful conflict.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 23, 2014
Diverse joys unite distant theater fests
In early summer this year, I went to the famous theater festivals in two European cities — first the Theater der Welt 2014, which ran May 23-June 8 in the war-blitzed and rebuilt southwest German city of Mannheim, then to the Sibiu International Theatre Festival 2014 held June 6-15 in the Romanian city of that name, which still bears traces of its medieval history.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 2, 2014
Son's film reveals secret workings of stage maestro Peter Brook's art
Peter Brook is a titan in the world of theater. Now aged 89, the director staged his first work, Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus," in 1942. After a groundbreaking stint at the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1960s, in 1970 the London-born director co-founded the International Centre for Theatre Research and toured widely with it in the Middle East and Africa. Then, in 1974, Brook took over the old and storied Theatre Bouffes du Nord in Paris as the base for that multinational troupe, remaining as artistic director there until 2008.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 28, 2014
'The Bee' in Paris: Take #2
Last week, the Stage page featured a Paris resident's take on an English-language version of "The Bee," a disturbing drama cowritten by Hideki Noda and Irish playwright Colin Teevan that was performed there this month in a 300-seat section of the Theatre de Chaillot.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 9, 2014
'Lady Bess' set to make grand Tokyo entrance
April 13 is a big day for theatergoers in Tokyo, as it sees the world premiere of "Lady Bess," a musical by the world-renowned team of German writer Michael Kunze and Hungarian composer Sylvester Levay, with famed hit-maker Shuichiro Koike directing.
No link to Nankai Trough quake seen after temblor in Shikoku
Satoshi Harada from the Meteorological Agency explains about the magnitude 6.6 earthquake during a news conference early Thursday.
Thousands evacuated as Indonesia volcano erupts
Indonesia's Mount Ruang spews hot lava and smoke as seen from Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on Wednesday.
Why hasn't Japan moved to prop up the weak yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Snake on a train: Discovery of serpent delays Tokyo-Nagoya shinkansen
A Tokaido shinkansen. It is unclear whether the snake was venomous or how it ended up on the train, and there was no injury or panic among passengers.
In a first, Japan doctors sue Google over negative reviews on firm's map app
One of the lawyers representing a group of doctors suing Google told a news conference that the main purpose of the lawsuit is not to seek compensation but instead to raise awareness over various problems with the Google Maps system.
'House of the Owl' brings Hollywood values to Japanese TV
In the new Disney+ series “House of the Owl,” Min Tanaka (left) plays a powerful political fixer, or “kuromaku,” who has a troubled relationship with his adult children, particularly his idealistic son, played by Mackenyu.
Benefits and risks: AUKUS looks to take gamble on Japan
U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British leader Rishi Sunak deliver remarks on the AUKUS partnership, after a trilateral meeting, at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego in March last year.
Kyoto’s demon night parade lives to haunt another day
In a Kyoto long past, the "hyakki yagyō" (100 demon night parade) haunted a sleepy corner of Kyoto. Now, one enterprising monster enthusiast has won a small batttle to keep the march alive.
U.S. deploys midrange missile system in Indo-Pacific for first time
A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher arrives as part of the capability’s first deployment into theater on Northern Luzon, Philippines, April 8.
Unpacking the chaotic by-election in a scandal-hit Tokyo district
People listen to a campaign speech in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Tuesday.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on
By Lance Henderstein

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