Scheduled from Saturday, September 30, to Sunday, November 12, 2017
This is one of the largest international performing arts festivals in Japan, which showcases the appeal of contemporary stage works from diverse angles as well as pursuing new possibilities in the performing arts. Started in 2009, it has been established as a major cultural event held in Tokyo. This year, in its tenth anniversary, the Festival will feature outdoor dance performances in Ikebukuro, choreographed by Thai dancer/choreographer Pichet Klunchun as the opening program, co-organized by The Japan Foundation Asia Center. This work is open to participation, with performers recruited from the general public as well as Japanese dancers selected by audition. A diverse program has been developed, including new work by Yukio Shiba in co-production with a Taiwanese theater, the “Outdoor Performance Series” (succeeding last year’s performances) which develops locations other than theaters as venues, and “Asia Series Vol.4: China”, which showcases the present of various Asian countries from an artistic aspect.
http://www.festival-tokyo.jp/

Scheduled from Tuesday, October 17, to Sunday, November 19, 2017
Among the many programs of the Tokyo Festival, the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre  promises a highly international collection with the participation of 4 programs, opening the path to new expression. Artistic director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Hideki Noda, will direct and appear in an English version of the play Omote ni Deroi! , with appearances by outstanding actors including Kathryn Hunter and Glyn Pritchard. In addition, Kuranosuke Sasaki will star in Shakespeare’s Richard III, directed by Romanian director Silviu Purcărete. Dutch director Ivo van Hove  will present a performance of Othello, while dance company Idevian Crew, led by Shigehiro Ide, will present a fascinating new dance performance.
http://www.geigeki.jp/

Scheduled from Friday, September 22, to Sunday, October 22, 2017
Toshima City, Tokyo aims to become an “International City of Arts & Culture”, proudly conveying the appeal of its arts and culture to the world. This program was developed in accordance with the municipality’s aim of turning the entire area of Toshima city into a stage where everyone can take on the leading role, with the following 4 events to be presented in the Program. The “Ikebukuro Play Festival” is a unique theatrical festival featuring public entries performed at theaters in Toshima city and nearby during the whole month of September, with awards to be determined by 100 judges from among the public offerings. Owlspot Theater  will present an invitational dance performance from Finland’s Double Exposure, as well as Shuji Terayama and Taichi Yamada’s letter collection, Letters from Shuji Terayama, and After the Seasons Took Us Away , composed and directed by Junichi Hirota. Kyogen performer Manzo Nomura will also present an urban outdoor performance of Daidengaku Ikebukuro Emaki, based on the dengaku musical dance entertainment, popular in medieval Japan, which was a great success last year.
Ikebukuro Play Festival ： http://ikebukuroengekisai.jp
Daidengaku Ikebukuro Emaki ： http://ikebukuroemaki.tumblr.com/
Double Exposure, After the Seasons Took Us Away ： http://owlspot.jp

Scheduled from Friday, December 1, to Monday, December 4, 2017
The Asian Performing Arts Festival, which started in 2002 as a place for young Asian performing artists to meet and collaborate, was upgraded and renamed to the “Asian Performing Arts Forum” last year, and now serves as a human resource development program for the Tokyo Festival. Co-organized by The Japan Foundation Asia Center, a wide variety of artists will participate in this international collaborative workshops, in which groups consisting mainly of three directors will create and present small works on a theme set by the producer. There will also be a “Wrap Up” program, in which the workshop outcomes will be reviewed and shared widely. In addition, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 2.0 (a work-in-progress) produced at last year’s workshop will be presented as a full size production; “Creation through International Collaboration” (China, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines). In addition to cultivating the potential of young artists, the Asian Performing Arts Forum aims to convey the experience of Tokyo’s performing art’s present state and appeal, seeking to be a platform that creates networks transcending national borders.
http://butai.asia/en/