There has always been a considerable amount of cultural exchange between China and Japan, but we've recently been seeing it take place in new areas like underground music, blockbuster films and contemporary theater.
On Oct. 6 and 7, Setagaya Public Theatre in Tokyo will present the spoken-word production "Hurricane — The Life of Tian Han." Performed by actors from the Shanghai Theatre Academy and directed by Tian Qinxin, who is currently one of the most renowned theater directors in Asia, it will be staged in Japanese and Chinese (with Japanese subtitles).
This critically acclaimed piece traces the rise and fall of its titular hero, a real-life playwright and poet who is known as the father of contemporary drama in China. During a stay in Japan, he befriended such leading advocates of modern theater as Hogetsu Shimamura and Sumako Matsui, and upon his return home he set his sights on the stage.