Ahead of their current Taiwan tour, Yuzuki Reon, the current top otokoyaku (male-role actress) with the Takarazuka Revue, took time out between rehearsals at the city-center Tokyo Takarazuka Theater to share with readers of The Japan Times something of her view from such a lofty show-biz height.

As popular as the Takarazuka Revue is in Japan, in the coming years do you see it making further headway overseas?

I do hope so. The company has already performed overseas many times over the past 100 years, but unfortunately, even in Japan, Takarazuka, just like kakubi, is still not as popular as cinema. People do not go to watch Takarazuka (or kabuki) as frequently as they go to the cinema, so hopefully more overseas performances will make our existence better known in the outside world.