Tag - charlie-chaplin

 
 

CHARLIE CHAPLIN

Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 9, 2019
Sumo attracts famous politicians seeking public affection, attention
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend the final day of the upcoming Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 16, 2014
The man who lives for the art of dying
Interviewing Seizo Fukumoto, the star of Ken Ochiai's backstage drama "Uzumasa Limelight," I wished I had brought a video camera, instead of my voice recorder and notepad. As he talks, this veteran kirare-yaku — an actor whose forte is being cut down with a sword in jidaigeki (samurai period dramas) — illustrates his points with sharp hand movements and sound effects, (with the sound of a body hitting the tatami being a loud "Ban!"). It was as though miniature sword fights were unfolding during the interview.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
Dec 25, 2012
Benshi Midori Sawato
Midori Sawato is a benshi, a unique kind of performer who provides live narration to silent films at the movie theater. The benshi brings the characters in films alive using different voices and vocal expressions. They sit to the side of the screen, watching the movie with the audience and using their versatility and talent to act out each character. Benshi often work with a small orchestra, which provides the musical accompaniment. In Japan, there are probably 10 benshi still active and Sawato is by far the most famous among them. For her fantastic performances she has received many accolades, among them the Japan Film Pen Club Prize in 1990, The Japan Movie Critics Award Golden Glory Prize in 1995, and in 2002 the Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs' National Arts Festival Award. In 2010 she was named Master of Sound by the Japan Audio Society. Sawato's repertoire includes more than 500 of the greatest silent films from all over the world. This year, she celebrates 40 years of acting and will share some of her favorite roles in a keenly awaited performance at 6 p.m. on Dec. 29 at Kinokuniya Hall in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo.

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