The #MeToo movement has been gaining momentum in Japan over the past year, though its impact on public life hasn't been anywhere near as strong as in other countries. Still, the efforts of journalists such as Shiori Ito and BuzzFeed's Keiko Kojima have helped bring social justice issues to new ears in this country.
One domain that has long been a bastion of critical thinking, political dissent and debate in Japan, however, is the arts — particularly the theater. While male creators still dominate the lineups of many film and music festivals here, Kyoto Experiment (KEX), a monthlong theater festival in the Kansai region, has this year curated a program of female artists or, as director Yusuke Hashimoto writes on the event's website, "artists and groups that identify as female."
A cynic might look at an all-woman roster and think of it as a gambit to latch onto current political discussions, but Hashimoto, seemingly aware of this fact, says the festival's theme is simply "a message of support to the women who live in Japanese society today that, no matter how one looks at it, relegates them to a humiliating status."