Tokyo stages and live arts, theatre and biodiversity
L’atelier Café Gare de Lyon presents 2 new shows, all in French :
y, la disparition
a dystopian comedy – what would the world look like if all humans disappeared
and
Les 7 péchés capitaux
7 comedians present the vision of 7 contemporary writers about the 7 capital sins.
On June 6th and 7th, in Nakano
More information and booking here
From June 4 to 7, 4 performances in French, subtitled in Japanese !!!!
Du 4 au 7 juin, 4 représentations, en français sous-titré japonais, du Dîner de cons auquel nous sommes tous conviés. Une nouvelle occasion de rire dans la langue de Molière en notre belle capitale. La troupe Théâtre Kitsuné, nouvellement formée (?) mais comptant des acteurs aguerris, et qui nous ont déjà ébaudis lors d’improvisations mémorables, nous guérira de la morosité, au théâtre Zatsuyu de Shinjuku.
Japanese people will be able to follow thanks to subtitles – a great way to meddle into French comic subculture.
New Session to enjoy Improvisation in French by a great team, at the cosy Our Space Hatagaya, on April 25th. Book with Tokyoimpro@outlook.fr, you will not regret – provided you speak (or hear) French.
Tokyo Metropolitan Theater will host the TACT festival from April 29 to May 5, featuring various kinds of performing arts. 2 companies will come from France. Circus artists Kim Marro and Liam Lelarge will perform an acrobatic show, including balance and lifting challenges. Company Non Nova will perform the great Phia Menard solo choregraphy, magically and poetically surrounded by plastic bags puppets, fighting with the wind. Both shows to be enjoyed by children alike, beyond the language barriers. If you stay in Tokyo during the GW, take the chance to travel in their dreams.
La Boule : May 2nd and 3rd
A faun’s afternoon : May 4 and 5
Let us start the spring in laughter and in français with ImproTokyo. The French troupe will pick themes from the audience and improvise, on March 21st, 7pm, at this nice community space which is Our space Hatagaya.
Pour les réservations, improtokyo arobase outlook.fr
Jean Reno, the famous French actor, will be on stage, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre from May 10 to May 24. The one man show, The camel / Rakuda, supported by pianist Pablo Lanty, and subtitled in Japanese, is a world premiere. It will reveal his travel around the world since his birth in Morocco and Leon. Verses of the description hint it will also be poetic. It is a premiere and we are not sure what it will be all about. But we have to be there – the more detailed description is in Japanese only, Geigeki really needs to improve.
For booking in English at the Geigeki.
The camel will travel throughout Japan, in Kansai (Nishinomiya in May, Kyoto in July), in Kyushu, in Shikoku, in Toyama, Miyagi … check the tour !
In the official site above you can find a short video from Jean Reno talking about this world premiere, what it is about, and why Japan first.
More performances in French in the months to come here and here.
And recommandations for shows in the first and second quarters of 2026.
Une comédie de René de Obaldia à la fois drôle et cruelle, tragique et légère, qui met en scène un couple et son professeur de jeux télévisés – et si celui-là gagnait à Supercrack, pour la plus grande joie de celle-ci ? Où vont-ils être entraînés par ce … rêve ? La troupe Kuroko, qui nous avait réjoui avec Pour un oui ou pour un non (Nathalie Sarraute) et Cuisine et dépendances (Jaoui/Bacri) revient le 30 mars avec une équipe en partie renouvelée. Un nombre limité de représentations à ne pas manquer ! En français, exclusivement.
The Kuroko company will perform in French one play of René de Obaldia theatre trilogy. A brilliant comedy, it will rejoice all those who can pick up Moliere in the original text.
World Theater Festival Shizuoka will take place from April 25 to May 6. Some highlights have been announced, and Avignon will be back to Shizuoka this year. I am really excited to have a chance to see Qui Som, written by the French/Catalunyan pair Camille Decourtye/Blai Mateu Trias, which was performed in the Lycée Saint Joseph in 2024. A 2h30 fresco of humanity revolving around the art and craft of ceramics, engaging comedians, circus arts, contemporary dance, mixing culture and languages, from French to Catalunyan and Cantonese. An energetic and fun performance full of passion.
Satoshi Miyagi will present this year Medea (Euripide), another Greek tragedy, as the Antigone (Sophocle) he played in the Cour des Papes in 2017, but this time set in Meiji era. Deemed to be subtitled in English, it will give us insight into the art of this famous Japanese director. Finally, SPAC will also present Eel migration, a creation from the female playwright and director Natsuki Ishigami – again deemed to be accessible to non Japanese speakers thanks to subtitling. For all those who will not be able to travel to Avignon in July, let us meet in Shizuoka.
More information on Theater festivals in Japan
For some highlights of the past 2025 edition.
Let us start the year in laughter and in français with ImproTokyo. The French troupe will pick themes from the audience and improvise. On January 17th, Our space Hatagaya. Always a good time in a very French atmosphere.
Pour les réservations, improtokyo arobase outlook.fr
Thomas Sagnard et sa troupe organisent une nouvelle soirée d’improvisation samedi 1er novembre, à Our Space Hatagaya, avec Marc Balmand en invité spécial. Contact : improtokyo@outlook.fr.