Since 2009, when Festival/Tokyo was created by a raft of public agencies to enhance the city's bid for the 2016 or 2020 Olympics, its role as Japan's biggest annual contemporary theater, dance and performance event has changed greatly — in particular when those agencies altered course in 2016 by also launching the confusingly named Tokyo Festival.
Billed as a way of spreading performing arts to and from Japan and overseas, the new event's remit spans a wide range from traditional Japanese specialties to international programs, Asian and Asian-collaboration works — as well as Festival/Tokyo itself. Hence, with both events running at a similar time each year, the onus has since been on Festival/Tokyo to define itself anew.
In July, Festival/Tokyo's artistic director, Kaku Nagashima, declared that this year's iteration will aim to present radical new perspectives that redefine both "Tokyo" and "the festival itself." In particular, he has sought to get his audience of largely Tokyo-area residents to regard the city's reality in fresh new ways as they experience the thrill of live theater in various guises.