PROGRAM
Directly managed programs FT label
Daily Life Plays (for Adults and Children)
Photo by Shingo Kanagawa
Kenichi Abe (Dramaturg/Spatial Planning researcher), Nobuto Ariyoshi (Performer/
Workshop facilitator), Kotaro Ono (Playwright), Yui Saito (Designer)
Enjoy playing short pieces of theatre born in Toshima!
A drama project directed by Kenichi Abe, who has a dual background in theatre company activities focusing on community-based research, and academic research specializing in regional planning. Based on the relationships he has fostered with the people of Toshima City by taking part in the art project “Roaming Shopping Street Festival” over the last two years, for this project he will carry out research while actually living in the area.
Abe will create a collection of short plays based on local life and landscapes to act as “practice” and “approaches” for urban living, which everyone from children to adults will easily be able to perform in parks, homes, etc.
In addition, Abe will stream demonstration videos, give hands-on workshops and organize exhibitions related to community research, creating a framework that can be enjoyed in different ways by people who access the collection of plays.
Program Directors’ comment
This year's F/T label offers a program of works designed to make visitors feel the presence of people again; that there are real flesh-and-blood people on the other side of the screen you look at every day, behind the scenes of manufacturing and logistics, and even in buildings that are being destroyed. “Daily Life Plays (for Adults and Children), or Kurashi Challenge“ is an attempt by the artist to actually live in Toshima City, extract“scenes” from daily life, turn them into “plays,” and return them to the daily lives of local people. We have every hope this collection of plays, which is entertaining even just to read and imagine, will lead to a rediscovery of neighborhood life and new experiences.
Kaku Nagashima,Chika Kawai (F/T Label Program Directors)
Program flyer
Profile
Kenichi Abe
Born in Tokyo in 1991. Representative and director of uni, dramaturg. Doctoral student at Chiba University Graduate School of Horticulture, Faculty of Horticulture. In 2010, while still a student at Nihon University College of Art, he launched uni (formerly Theatre Revitalization Group uni) and began performing in non-theatre spaces. Since 2013 Abe has used local communities as a backdrop for the rollout of theatrical creations based on interviews with local people and fieldwork, primarily in Tokyo’s Nerima City. He works across theatre and community, taking as his theme the things that emerge between environment and people’s bodies, between time and existence. In recent years he has been involved in the organization and research of community-related programs including “Roaming Shopping Street Festival: Walking Garden” (Tokyo Festival 2021) and the “Stories of the Community 2021” project at Setagaya Public Theatre. In addition to majoring in regional planning at graduate school and conducting research on community development and public spaces from the perspective of the performing arts, he is also involved in community participatory development and planning on the ground.
Nobuto Ariyoshi
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. He is a performer, dramaturg, and workshop facilitator. He began his theatrical activities at the same time he entered Keio University’s Faculty of Letters. He completed a course at Komaba Agora’s Murinkan theatre school, which is run by Oriza Hirata of Seinendan. He also plans and runs theatre workshops at ZA-KOENJI Public Theatre in Setagaya and other theatres. At schools and theatres all over the country, he creates theatre with participants regardless of their experience. He runs workshops for people of all ages, from preschoolers to the elderly. Major productions he has participated in include Setagaya Public Theatre’s “Stories of the Community 2021 Public Presentation “Adventures on Life and Death,”” and
“Stories of the Community 2022 Public Presentation “Modest Adventures in Aging,”” appearing as an actor in mamagoto’s "Atarashii Kenpo no Hanashi" (“The story of the new Constitution”) and the program design for ZA-KOENJI’s “Little Koenji” audience participatory events.
Kotaro Ono
Playwright, dramaturg. Born in Fukushima Prefecture and raised in Miyagi Prefecture. Studied theatre at Nihon University College of Art. He can write long lines that are rhythmical and poetic, and other times write short, back-and-forth dialogue.
His plays often incorporate theatrical acts and phenomena, which he equates with the social nature of humans. Recently, he has been concerned about the difference between treatment and pain relief. He has always wondered where the present comes from. In 2020 his play “Ne- ” won the Grand Prize in the 19th AAF Drama Award. He was in charge of writing and direction for the Isaka Lighting-sponsored “Owareru” in 2021.He was dramaturg for the “Takamatsu Today Archives” project by uni.
Yui Saito
Designer/performer/nursery caregiver. Born in 1990 in Tokyo’s Edogawa-ku. Graduated from Nihon University College of Art’s theatre department. She is responsible for the design of various aspects of Theatre Company uni's creations, including planning and management, and publicity design. In addition to design, she also organizes the "uni supper club,” plans projects for enjoying the small daily activities of life and thinks about and practices people’s behavior with each other over the dining table. She also works in childcare as a teacher at a nursery school modeled on early childhood education in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Outside of uni, as well as appearing on stage, she has also been involved in various performances as a production assistant for Keisuke Kanai of performance art troupe YUBIWA Hotel.
From 2014 to 2017 she also worked as an assistant administrator on the art project “Tokyo, Soup, Blanket and Travelogue”, a joint project between YUBIWA Hotel and Arts Council Tokyo. In recent years, she has been involved in a social circus project by art NPO SLOW LABEL, specializing as a production assistant and accompanist.
Staff Profile
Shingo Nakagawa
Photographer. Born in 1981 in Kyoto Prefecture. Graduated from Kobe University.
Completed a doctoral course at Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2016 he released
his book “father” (Seigensha Art Publishing), and in 2021 his book“Inu-tachi no jotai”(Film Art,Inc.) co-authored with Yasuhisa Ota was published.
He periodically holds a“diary-reading group”event to which he brings his own
diary and reads it aloud. Since July 2022 he has been uploading“Geppo” (Monthly
Report), a monthly compilation of his photographs and diary entries.
Major exhibitions in recent years include “CHIBA FOTO, SEN NO HA, Chiba City
Festival of Arts”(2021, Former Holiday House of Denbei Kamiya); “Koe no Sumika”(2020, Private); “Des êtres si loin, si proches”(2019, Institut
français du Japon); and “Nagai Aida” (2018, Yokohama Civic Art Gallery Azamino).
Wadatetsu
Born in 1990 in Toshima City, Tokyo. His drawings focus on the concept of
“expanding imagination to the margins of life in an entertaining way.”
twitter・instagram @wdtetsu
How to participate
The program “Daily Life Plays (for Adults and Children), or Kurashi Challenge” will allow every local resident to access a copy of the play collection, and enjoy theatre on a small, individual scale.
“Play” means a drama script containing the lines and movements of characters.
This collection of plays encompasses a large number of short works in different styles on the theme of life in Toshima City. You can read it like a book at home, open the pages anywhere in the neighborhood, or try your hand at the plays that interest you. Companion events will be held in various places during the festival period to enhance enjoyment of the plays.
Have a go at theatrical fun and games, where life and drama intertwines!
Demonstration video
How to enjoy the play collection
1.Get hold of a copy
There will be distribution points for the play collection all over Toshima City.
There is bound to be one near your home, too.
See here for distribution points.
2.Open the pages, read and let your imagination fly
Reading is the first step to having a go. Expand your imagination as you read,
whenever and wherever you like.
3.Go out onto the streets and have fun with the plays
If you look at the neighborhood through a play, you might see it as theatre.
You can interweave the plays with places and people, or try doing the same things as characters in the plays.
4.Attend an event (Street Corner Experience Session and Sugamo Center)
Sometimes you can take on a challenge because you are doing it with someone else.
Grab a play and get together!
▶See here for event information.
“Kurashi Challenge” Play Collection Distribution Points
Distribution schedule：Saturday, Oct. 22 - Sunday, Nov. 13
Distribution points: Various locations within Toshima city
① Manga Pit
1F, Miraku department store, 3-4-10 Minaminagasaki, Toshima City
OPEN:
Weekdays: 1:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sat/Sun/Holidays: 10:30 – 18:30
Closed: Mondays
② Toshima City Office
4F Toshima Ecomusee Town, 2-45-1 Minami-Ikebukuro,
Toshima City
OPEN:
Weekdays: 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Sat/Sun/Holidays: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Thursday, November 3
③ 1F Information Corner, Junkudo Bookstore Ikebukuro main store
2-15-5 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima City
OPEN: 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Closed: N/A
④ Kusonoki-so (Café Merry)
4-20-1 Kami-Ikebukuro, Toshima City
OPEN:
Weekdays: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sat/Sun/Holidays 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Closed: Tuesdays/Wednesdays
⑤ Toshima City Sugamo Library
3-8-2 Sugamo, Toshima City
OPEN:
Weekdays: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sat/Sun/Holidays 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Closed: 1st Monday / 4th Friday
⑥Hilltop Terrace, Zoshigaya Park, Toshima City
2-12-1 Zoshigaya, Toshima City
OPEN: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Closed: N/A
*Opening hours etc. at each point are subject to change
*You can also view the PDF data of the play collection by clicking on the link below.
If you are unable to visit the distribution points, please check this link!
Daily Life Plays(for Adults and Children) .pdf
Event reservation
-Please make a reservation for events you wish to attend/participate in using the site below (Reservations not required for some events).
-Reception will close when capacity is reached.
On the day of the event, should there be vacancies in reserved slots, you can make a reservation at the event reception area.
-Reservation website:
>https://coubic.com/tokyo-festival/466407
-Participation fee: Free
Schedule
“Kurashi Challenge” unveiling talk
We are holding a talk to mark the unveiling of a collection of plays (theatre scripts) created from life in Toshima city. Guest playwright Natsuki Ishigami gets to the bottom of the aims, background, and pleasures of this play collection project, which every reader will be able to have a go at in their daily lives.
Date/time: Saturday, Oct. 22 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre (Atelier East) “Tokyo Festival Hiroba”
(1-8-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima city, Tokyo)
Performers:
Project members: Kenichi Abe, Nobuto Ariyoshi, Kotaro Ono, Yui Saito
Guest: Natsuki Ishigami (Playwright)
Guest profile
Natsuki Ishigami
Playwright whose work has centered around the theatre company “Pepin Structural Designs” since 1999. She engages in theatre and art projects presenting alternative behaviors in cities and communities in Japan and overseas. Major projects in recent years include her role as Director for the performing arts category of Culture City of East Asia 2019 Toshima, playwriting and directing the “Oeshiki Project Tour Performance “BEAT” as a collaboration with Kishimojin Oeshiki, a traditional festival that has been held for hundreds of years in the Zoshigaya area of Toshima city, guest curator for Taipei Arts Festival 2019’s ADAM Artist Lab, and director of “Theatre Today” in On Stage Shizuoka (2021).
“Kurashi Challenge” Street corner experience session
Project members will be popping up in various places, collection of plays in hand!
They will be holding a variety of workshops demonstrating the fun and games to be had with the plays.
* Details of each experience session will be announced in late September.
Street Corner Experience session ① (No reservation required)
Venue: Zoshigaya Park, Toshima City (2-12-1 Zoshigaya, Toshima City)
Date/time: Sunday, Oct. 23 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. *Break between 12:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Capacity: N/A (*Participants are free to come and go during the event)
To be held concurrently with Zoshigaya Play Park, a program of playtime activities encouraging children to freely use their imagination.
*This is a workshop designed for children.
Street Corner Experience session ② (Priority given to reservations)
Venue: Kusunoki Park, Kami-Ikebukuro, Toshima City (4-19-1 Kami-Ikebukuro,
Toshima City, Tokyo)
Date/time: Sunday, Oct. 30 ①1:30 p.m. – / ②3:00 p.m. -
Capacity: Around 10 people per session
*We will accept a few people at the venue on the day of the event.
From 12:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the collection of plays will be distributed at the venue, and project members will be showing you how to enjoy the plays(no reservation
required).
Please feel free to come join in the fun!
This event will operate in conjunction with “PARKTRUCK,” a customized truck
presenting the park in an entertaining way!
Street Corner Experience Session ③ (reservation required)
Venue: Myoho-yu (Sento public bath)
(4-32-4 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima City)
Date/time: Monday, Oct. 31 ①2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m./②7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Capacity:10 per session
Street Corner Experience session④ (priority given to reservations)
Date/time: Saturday, Nov. 5, Sunday, Nov. 6
*Details to be announced at a later date!
Online Experience session (reservation required)
Venue: Online
Thursday, Nov. 3 (Holiday), 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Capacity: 20 people
“Kurashi Challenge” Sugamo Center
A special center will be open for a limited time only on Sugamo Jizodori Shopping Street! The center will host a variety of programs including related exhibitions
and talks with guests.
Date/time: Thursday, Nov. 10 – Sunday, Nov. 13
Thursday/ Friday: 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday/ Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Venue: 3-38-1 Sugamo, Toshima City, Tokyo
Language
Japanese
Ticket information
*Participation fee: Free (Some programs may require pre-registration during the event period)
*How to take part: Pre-booking requirements will be announced shortly
Notice to visitors
This performance will be held with measures in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Please be sure to check the following link on the Tokyo Festival website when visiting:
Tokyo Festival anti-coronavirus measures
https://tokyo-festival.jp/2022/en/info/covid19/
-Please wear a mask at all times.
-Please be advised that those who have a temperature of 37.5℃ or higher or those who are not feeling well may be denied admission on the day of the performance.
Staff credits
Photographs: Shingo Kanagawa
Illustrations: Wadatetsu
Video: Naoyuki Sakai
Experience session co-facilitator: Tomomi Ikeda
Sugamo Center Space Design and Construction: Rick Yamakawa, Hayato Itakura
Tricycle Stall Design: BAGHAUS
Production: Madoka Ashihara, Keisuke Shimada, Miki Kanai (NPO Arts Network Japan)
In cooperation with: OKARA,Kamiike-Mokuchin Bunka Network, Ryozan Park,
IKEBUKURO LIVING LOOP, Sugamo Jizodori Shopping Street Promotion Association,
Myoho-yu, machinooto, Manga Pit, Junkudo Bookstore Ikebukuro main store
Organizer credits
Organizers
Tokyo Festival Executive Committee [Toshima City, Toshima Mirai Cultural Foundation, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre & Arts Council Tokyo), Tokyo Metropolitan Government]
Supported by
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in fiscal 2022
Sponsored by
Asahi Group Japan, Ltd.
Inquiries
Tokyo Festival Executive Committee Office
Daily Life Plays (for Adults and Children) Production Office (NPO Arts Network Japan)
03-5961-5200 (weekdays 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) openair-tf@anj.or.jp
Madoka Ashihara, Keisuke Shimada, Miki Kanai