Categories
Butoh 舞踏 Japanese tradition Live Music

Island stories – when Okinawa melodies meet butoh

From August 27 to August 30, Naoya Oda will present his 2025 creation, Island Stories. In a logical continuation to the choregraphic and live music dialogue held in 2026 by Akaji Maro with a French cellist at Kochuten, Dairakudakan’s hide will feature a dialogue between Okinawa traditional shimaute singer Anna Sato and the Dairakudakan dancer, under the rythms of taiko drummer Masayuki Sakamoto, summoning the spirits of Amami highland.

NB : Akaji Maro and Paul Marie Couturier will perform again in late 2026, in Setagaya Public Theater

Categories
English English subtitles Theater

Sliding away – a play of zombies who would like to make a movie

In apocalyptic times, monsters bloom. They become the symbol of the crisis and dance with us to the sound of doom, such as zombies. Human-like, yet soulless mutated beings mutated. Series like “The Last of Us” or “The Walking Dead” give impressive testimony to our ongoing fascination with the undead life.

The Japanese writer and director Toshiki Okada takes a reverse stance in his new play, Sliding away : What if we are the problem, and not the zombies ? Who decides what is normal and entitled to exist? And do zombies really have no soul? Five zombies explore a counter-narrative with the aim of correcting the man-made exterior image. And how could it be better than with a zombie movie? A movie “with zombies, from zombies, for zombies”! On the set of this shoot, which does not really want to get underway, a double-bodied, absurd and clever dialogue about representation and (in)humanity emerges, which has the potential to become a zombie comedy.

Sliding away, the latest work of productive playwright and director Toshiki Okada, will be played at Tokyo Metropolitan Theater from August 7 to 23. The play will be subtitled in English – one more reason for all of us to discover the new creation of a leading figure in the Tokyo scene.
As a hint, do not hesitate to book by phone. TMT website needs pre-registration, is mainly in Japanese, and the on-line booking adds a booking and website fee.

For other shows in the summer, check here

Categories
Contemporary dance English subtitles Theater

Scot Summer Season 2026

The summer festival of Suzuki Company of Toga is a unique experience in the world of theatre and performing arts. During 10 days, from August 28th to September 6th, in a remote area on the sea of Japan side, in the heart of the mountains, passionate people meet and assist to the company’s unique plays. Noism dance company, settled in Niigata, will also join and present some works. Plays are usually subtitled / made accessible to non Japanese speakers – check for each case. This year schedule features the Part I and IV of Greetings from the edge of Earth, and King Lear, by Scot company, a new choregraphy from Noism, as well as One Single Action from choregraph Lucy Guerin (schedule is for the time being in Japanese, we will join the English version when available). As the place is remote and lodging scarce, you will need to register with the SCOT club to be able to book tickets. Tadashi Suzuki was one of the very first to launch an international festival in Japan, and also was at the very heart of the creation of Shizuoka performing arts festival. In spite of that, the website is somewhat complex to navigate, and it might be easier to call them – or to follow on Instagram (Scot_Toga). Other hints here as well.

SCOT phone number 0763-68-2356

Categories
ballet Butoh Circus Contemporary dance Dance 舞踏 Japanese tradition Opera Theater

Recommended performances from July to September

We just released our list of recommended theater plays, contemporary dance shows, ballets, and so on, for the months of July, August and September 2026.
This is a first draft, and it will get richer as new programs are publicized – stay tuned.