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Special Events

Noh Movement Workshop

SaturdayDecember 311 am - 1pmMax 20 participants

Learn the basic movements used in one of Japan’s oldest formalized theatrical traditions—noh.  Led by members of the illustrious Kita Noh School, explore the genre’s physicality with a chance to move about the stage in actual noh masks and view the exquisite noh costumes used up close.

Tickets: $50 / $40 membersProfessional movement/acting experience required. Participants must wear socks and exercise wear.

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

Related Events & Workshops

          Kotei | Makura Jido
    December 1-3, 2022
Members from the Kita Noh School, including Living National Treasure Akiyo Tomoeda, perform two works from noh theater’s classical repertoire.

Learn MoreBuy Tickets

Register

Noh Movement Workshop

TRADITIONAL NOH THEATER

Kotei (The Emperor)
ThursdayDecember 17:30 pmlocal_activitySaturdayDecember 37:30 pm

Makura Jido (Chrysanthemum Boy)
FridayDecember 27:30 pmcontact_support
local_activity Followed by a ticketed soiréecontact_support Followed by an artist Q&A

Prominent members from the Kita Noh School, including Akiyo Tomoeda, Living National Treasure designated by the Japanese government, perform two works from noh theater’s classical repertoire: Kotei (The Emperor) and Makura Jido (Chrysanthemum Boy)&mdash;two pieces meant to be a prayer to hasten the end of the pandemic and celebrate health and longevity. Set in Tang Dynasty in China, Kotei tells the story of the deity Shoki, who rescues the ailing Empress Yang Guifei and pledges his allegiance to Emperor Xuanzong. Also set in China, Makura Jido is about a boy who has joyfully lived for 700 years by drinking an immortal elixir from the dew of a chrysanthemum leaf.  The boy reveals that the dew has created a pool in the valley, which has become the headspring for medicinal water.

Performed in Japanese with English supertitles.

Tickets:Performance + Soirée Tickets: $95 / $76 membersPerformance Only Tickets: $72 / $58 members

A pre-performance lecture by Princeton University Professor Thomas Hare begins one hour prior to the start of each show.

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.


Related Events & Workshops

          Noh Movement Workshop
    Saturday, December 3 at 11 am—1 pm
Learn the basic movements used in one of Japan’s oldest formalized theatrical traditions—noh.  Led by members of the illustrious Kita Noh School, explore the genre’s physicality with a chance to move about the stage in actual noh masks and view the exquisite noh costumes used up close.

Learn MoreBuy Tickets

Buy Tickets

Kotei (The Emperor) | Makura Jido (Chrysanthemum Boy)

CONTEMPORARY THEATER TALK

Behind-the-Scenes of My Neighbour Totoro

ThursdayNovember 106:30 pm

Puppet artist extraordinaire Basil Twist sits down to talk about his creative role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s upcoming staging of the beloved Studio Ghibli animated feature film, My Neighbour Totoro in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV. Twist is known for surprising audiences with his infinite creativity, from 88 magical Japanese screen doors (Dogugaeshi) and dancing fabrics in an onstage water tank (Symphonie Fantastique) to a gigantic rock creature in his most recent work (Book of Mountains & Seas). In this event, Twist will share backstage images and describe the process of creating real-life versions of the film’s fantastical creatures for the live staging of My Neighbour Totoro set to premiere at London’s Barbican this fall.

Tickets: $20 / $16 members

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

Related Event

			My Neighbor Totoro Screening

          A special 35mm screening of the animated feature film My Neighbor Totoro will be held on November 4 at 7:00pm. In Japanese with English subtitles.

            More information coming soon.

Learn MoreBuy Tickets-->

Behind-the-Scenes of My Neighbour Totoro

CONTEMPORARY PUPPET THEATER

9000 Paper Balloons

FridayOctober 287:30 pmlocal_barSaturdayOctober 297:30 pmcontact_supportSundayOctober 303 pm

local_bar Followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Receptioncontact_support Followed by an artist Q&A

Inspired by Imperial Japan’s stranger-than-fiction secret weapons that floated over America during World War II, 9000 Paper Balloons is a poetic and eerie performance that examines distance&mdash;the distance between two friends, between two enemies, two cultures and two generations. New York-based Japanese artist Maiko Kikuchi and American puppeteer Spencer Lott blend puppetry, animation and masks as they weave their own family histories into a surreal and visually stunning collage that speaks to the past and the future.

Tickets: $30 / $24 members

Maiko KikuchiSpencer Lott

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.


9000 Paper Balloons

CONTEMPORARY OPERA TALK & LIVE MUSIC

Yukio Mishima's Hanjo

WednesdaySeptember 146:30 pm

Leading up to the North American premiere of the internationally-acclaimed contemporary opera Hanjo at NYU Skirball (Sept. 30 & Oct. 2), Japan Society hosts a talk about this haunting opera, written by prominent Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa, based on one of Yukio Mishima’s Modern Noh Plays. New York’s Catapult Opera produces this new work, and its founder and conductor Neal Goren and director Luca Veggetti reveal their inspiration and challenges to materialize this hopeless mad-love story. The evening begins with an introduction to Mishima’s original script by Prof. Satoko Naito and culminates with live singing of the opera’s centerpiece aria.

Tickets: $15 / $12 members

Luca VeggettiNeal Goren

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

Yukio Mishima's Hanjo



Alliances in Art Making:
New Performances Spotlight the Power of Collaboration

We're proud to introduce another exceptional performing arts season, filled with works borne out of an amalgamation of Japanese and American imaginations. From a new opera unraveling the death of one of Japan's most prolific authors to experimental butoh dance, contemporary puppetry and more—the works delve beyond the surface of history and literature, dancing between fact and fiction to uncover new forms of truth and storytelling. Browse the full season lineup below!

Save 20% or more on performances, talks and workshops by becoming a member today. Become A Member

2022-23 Season Programs

CONTEMPORARY OPERA TALK & LIVE MUSIC Yukio Mishima's HanjoWednesday, September 14, 6:30 pm
Conductor Neal Goren and director Luca Veggetti reveal the challenges in developing their production for this haunting opera, composed by Toshio Hosokawa, based on one of Yukio Mishima's Modern Noh Plays.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

CONTEMPORARY PUPPET THEATER9000 Paper BalloonsFriday, October 28–Sunday, October 30Artists Maiko Kikuchi and Spencer Lott blend puppetry and animation in this surreal and visually stunning performance inspired by stranger-than-fiction secret weapons in World War II.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

CONTEMPORARY THEATER TALKBehind-the-scenes of My Neighbour TotoroThursday, November 10, 6:30 pmPuppet artist extraordinaire Basil Twist examines his creative role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s upcoming staging of the beloved Studio Ghibli classic.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

TRADITIONAL NOH THEATERKotei (The Emperor) & Makura Jido (Chrysanthemum Boy)Thursday, December–Saturday, December 3Members from the Kita Noh School, including Living National Treasure Akiyo Tomoeda, perform two works from noh theater’s classical repertoire.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

CONTEMPORARY OPERAnote to a friendThursday, January 12–Sunday, January 15In response to Japan Society’s commission for a new chamber opera, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang reimagined three texts by iconic novelist Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Stage direction by Yoshi Oida.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

CONTEMPORARY & TRADITIONAL PUPPET THEATERAKUTAGAWAThursday, February 23–Saturday, February 25An international collaboration between puppeteers Koryu Nishikawa V and Tom Lee, with live music by Yukio Tsuji, this stage portrait of the prolific Japanese author spans five of Akutagawa's famous short stories.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

PLAY READING SERIESI’m Trying to Understand You, But…Monday, March 13, 7:30 pmNYC-based director NJ Agwuna, winner of the 2022 Barbara Whitman Award, tackles Yuri Yamada's timely play centered on a dicey conversation between a young couple.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

CONTEMPORARY DANCEExtinction RitualsFriday, June 9–Saturday, June 10Directed by Brooklyn-based duo Ximena Garnica & Shige Moriya, this experimental butoh piece meditates on the life and loss of animals and plants through poetic vignettes of movement, light, music and song.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

Workshops

IN-PERSON WORKSHOPNoh Movement WorkshopSaturday, December 3, 11 amLearn the basic movements used in one of Japan’s oldest formalized theatrical traditions with members of the illustrious Kita Noh School.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

IN-PERSON WORKSHOPKuruma Ningyo Puppetry MasterclassFriday, February 24, 11 amLearn about the unique mechanics of kuruma ningyo in this special workshop for experienced puppeteers, led by Koryu Nishikawa V.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

IN-PERSON WORKSHOPFamily Workshop on Kuruma Ningyo PuppetrySaturday, February 25, 10:30 amKoryu Nishikawa V, grand master of Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo Puppet Theater, invites families to a special performance and hands-on workshop on Japanese puppet theater.Learn MoreBuy Tickets

2022-23 Performing Arts Season

Saturday, July 16, 2pm and 5pm

This newly commissioned performance brings to life the works on view in Kazuko Miyamoto: To perform a line (exhibition now extended through July 24). Yoshiko Chuma, conceptual performing artist, dancer, choreographer and director of The School of Hard Knocks, combines movement and improvised music, erasing the boundaries between onstage and backstage, and between artistic practices. In 1979, Chuma performed among Miyamoto’s string constructions installed as part of the artist’s solo exhibition at A.I.R. Gallery (Yoshiko Chuma in Kazuko Miyamoto: A Girl on Trail Dinosaur). Now, Chuma reconnects with Miyamoto through this event, which runs throughout the entire gallery space. The performance also features three musicians: double bassist Robert Black, viola and violinist Jason Kao Hwang and trombonist Christopher McIntyre.

Concept and direction by Yoshiko Chuma, Artistic Director of The School of Hard Knocks.

Free with Gallery Admission

Performers
Yoshiko Chuma, conceptual artist, choreographer and director
Robert Black, double base
Jason Kao Hwang, violin/viola
Christopher McIntyre, trombone

Yoshiko Chuma is a conceptual artist, choreographer and artistic director of The School of Hard Knocks, founded to create experimental, multidisciplinary, and multimedia work. A firebrand in the post-modern dance scene of New York City since establishing her company in 1980, Chuma produces thought-provoking and category-defying work that is neither dance nor theater nor film. Chuma has performed in over 40 countries throughout the United States, East and Central Europe, Asia, Middle East, and South America and with over 2,000 collaborators, from street performance to formal theater and dance concerts to large-scale spectacles. Notable international performers involved in The School of Hard Knocks include Stephen Petronio, Vicky Schick, Jodi Melnick, David Zambrano, Sasha Waltz, Sarah Michelson, DD Dorvillier, Allyson Green, Miraim Parker, Simon Courchel, John Jasperse and David Dorfman, among others.

Robert Black tours the world creating unheard-of music for the double bass, collaborating with artists in all disciplines. He has been the Bang on a Can All-Stars bassist since their inception. Current projects include First Fridays with Robert Black – a monthly series of streamed bass recitals, a 10-channel audio/video bass installation reflecting on the Anthropocene with sound-artists Brian House and Sue Huang, and an outdoor environmental work for 24 basses with composer Eve Beglarian. He founded and directed the Robert Black Foundation Trust, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support contemporary musical arts activities in all possible manifestations.

The music of Jason Kao Hwang (violin/viola) explores the vibrations and language of his history. His most recent releases, The Human Rites Trio and Conjure, as well as his 2015 have received critical acclaim. In 2020, 2019, 2018, 2013 and 2012, the El Intruso International Jazz Critics Poll voted him #1 for Violin/Viola.  The 2012 Downbeat Jazz Critics’ Poll voted Mr. Hwang as Rising Star for Violin. He has worked with William Parker, Anthony Braxton, Butch Morris, Reggie Workman, Pauline Oliveros, and many others.

Christopher McIntyre performs on trombone and electronics in various musical contexts (from improvisative to interpretive) within the protean NYC music community. He is Director and Co-Founder of Brooklyn’s TILT Brass, curates programs for Either/Or Ensemble, teaches contemporary brass chamber music at Mannes School of Music at The New School, and frequently performs in groups such as TILT, Either/Or, SEM and Talea Ensembles, among many others. He can be heard on recordings released by New World, Tzadik, XI, Mode, Edition Modern, POTTR, zOaR, and Non-Site Records. McIntyre has contributed to the broad revival of composer Julius Eastman’s music, having transcribed and/or created several score realizations since 2006. He also composes his own music for various media and instrumental forces, often employing creative systems suggested by the work of visual artists (particularly Robert Smithson.)

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Tipping Utopia Toward Kazuko Miyamoto

Traditional & Contemporary Music

Friday, May 6 at 7:30 pm—followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception &nbsp;SOLD OUT

Oki Kano, known professionally as OKI, is a leading musician of Ainu music—the music of Japan’s northernmost indigenous people. Born to a Japanese mother and an Ainu father, OKI has recovered and recreated traditional music on the tonkori, a stringed instrument of the Ainu people of Karafuto (a region also known as Sakhalin). The rich, reverberating twang of the tonkori strings, which are traditionally made from deer tendons, allowed Ainu shamans to communicate with spirits that control the wind, rain and other natural phenomena called kamuy. In this program, OKI performs solo pieces as well as contemporary works with his band members from their new album, Tonkori in the Moonlight, released in January 2022. OKI is also featured in the film Ainu Mosir (2020).

View Program

Tickets: $30/$25 members


Related Events

			Ainu Mosir

				In-Person Film Screening
          In Ainu Mosir, a sensitive Ainu teen searches for a spiritual connection with his recently deceased father while navigating his indigenous identity in a changing world. Takeshi Fukunaga’s second narrative feature film was created in 2020 as a Japan/U.S./China co-production with non-actor Ainu cast in the lead roles, after being developed at Cannes Film Festival’s Cinéfondation Residence and Sam Spiegel International Film Lab. Ainu Mosir won Special Jury Mention in International Narrative Competition at Tribeca Film Festival and Best Film at Guanajuato International Film Festival. The New York Times wrote, “Rather than relying on dialogue, Fukunaga allows emotion to shine through musical performances. These scenes speak for themselves, and they build upon the story with quiet power.”

          Followed by a Q&A session with Ainu musician and performer OKI, featured in the film.

            Saturday, May 7 at 7 pm

Learn MoreBuy Tickets

  For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you:

- Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. Masks with vents/bandanas are not permitted. Respirator-style masks (N95, KN95, KF94, etc.) are encouraged.

- Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. As of February 1, proof of a booster shot is required for anyone who is eligible, with a 4-week grace period after eligibility.


For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.



Sold Out

OKI: Music of the Ainu

In-Person Lecture

Presented by the Metropolitan Opera, in association with Japan Society

Tuesday, May 3 at 6:30 pm

Since its Metropolitan Opera premiere in 1907, Madama Butterfly has been a fixture of the company's repertory. While the work's themes of love, hope and betrayal, keenly wrought through Puccini's evocative score, are timeless and continue to captivate the contemporary audience, another core element of this opera—the encounter between two different cultures, America and Japan—is an important aspect worthy of addressing now in conjunction with AAPI Heritage Month. Metropolitan Opera radio host Debra Lew Harder, in conversation with music historian Kunio Hara and others, explores the history and evolution of the opera during its 115-year tenure on the Met stage, with a special performance by soprano Eleonora Buratto, currently singing the title role in the Met's revival of Anthony Minghella's acclaimed production.

Location: Japan Society (333 East 47th Street, New York)

Tickets: Free

Image: Ken Howard / Met Opera.



For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you:

  Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. Masks with vents/bandanas are not permitted. Respirator-style masks (N95, KN95, KF94, etc.) are encouraged.

  Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. As of February 1, proof of a booster shot is required for anyone who is eligible, with a 4-week grace period after eligibility.


For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.


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Madama Butterfly at the Met: Past, Present, Progress

Sunday, March 20 at 10:30 —11:45 am  ET

Led by performers from Waves Across Time: Traditional Dance and Music of Okinawa, this in-person family workshop explores not only the stylized movements and gestures of Okinawa’s traditional court dances and zo odori (popular folk dances), but also the beats and sounds of Okinawa’s iconic music. Participants will get a chance to see the performers’ costumes and musical instruments up close.

Single ticket: $15/$12 members
  Family ticket: $40/$32 members

Max. 20 participants. For children 5 years and older. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Please note that a Family Ticket only covers four (4) persons. For additional persons in your family, please purchase a Single Ticket. Participants must wear socks and workout attire. No prior dance experience necessary.


For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you:

- Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. Masks with vents/bandanas are not permitted. Respirator-style masks (N95, KN95, KF94, etc.) are encouraged.

- Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. As of February 1, proof of a booster shot is required for anyone who is eligible, with a 4-week grace period after eligibility.


For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.


Okinawan Dance Workshop for Families

OKINAWA IN FOCUS SERIES open_in_new

Saturday, March 19 at 11 am—1 pm  EST

Learn about the history of Okinawa’s performing arts in an in-person, interactive dance workshop that introduces the movements and rhythms of Okinawa’s traditional court dances and zo odori, popular folk dances. Led by the artistic director of National Theatre Okinawa, Michihiko Kakazu, the workshop will be facilitated by performers from Waves Across Time: Traditional Dance and Music of Okinawa. This intimate workshop also allows participants to view the traditional bingata-dyed costumes and stylized rustic apparel used in each dance form.

Tickets: $50/$40 members

Max. 25 participants. Participants must wear socks and workout attire. No prior dance experience necessary.


For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you:

- Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. Masks with vents/bandanas are not permitted. Respirator-style masks (N95, KN95, KF94, etc.) are encouraged.

- Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. As of February 1, proof of a booster shot is required for anyone who is eligible, with a 4-week grace period after eligibility.


For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.


In commemoration of the 50-year anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion to Japan, Japan Society is engaging in a dynamic year-long exploration of the archipelago’s people, culture, history, and geopolitical significance. See more upcoming events from the Okinawa in Focus series &rarr;


Introduction to Okinawan Dance

OKINAWA IN FOCUS SERIES open_in_new

Traditional Performance

Friday, March 18 at 7:30 pm—followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception
Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 pm—followed by an artist Q&A

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s return to Japan after the U.S.'s post-WWII occupation, a group of the islands' most exquisite dancers will perform a diverse repertoire of Okinawan traditional performing arts accompanied by live music. As specially selected by the young artistic director of the National Theatre Okinawa Michihiko Kakazu, the versatile artists will perform highlights from the traditional repertoire of kumiodori, a noh-inspired theater form developed during the period when the archipelago was an independent kingdom called Ryukyu (15th-19th centuries). The program also features popular folk dances (zo odori) with traditional ensemble music. From the brightly-dyed bingata costumes to the island music's iconic use of pentatonic scales, audiences are invited to relish the history and heritage of Japan's southernmost prefecture.

Performed in Okinawan and Japanese with English surtitles.

A pre-performance lecture begins one hour prior to the start of each performance, led by Dr. James Rhys Edwards. In 2015, he received his doctorate in Ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a dissertation on the aesthetics and politics of performing arts in Okinawa.

View Program

Tickets: $42/$32 members

Related Workshops

Performers in this program will lead two special workshops: Introduction to Okinawan Dance on March 19 and Okinawan Dance Workshop for Families on March 20.


  For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you:

- Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. Masks with vents/bandanas are not permitted. Respirator-style masks (N95, KN95, KF94, etc.) are encouraged.

- Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. As of February 1, proof of a booster shot is required for anyone who is eligible, with a 4-week grace period after eligibility.


For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.




In commemoration of the 50-year anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion to Japan, Japan Society is engaging in a dynamic year-long exploration of the archipelago’s people, culture, history, and geopolitical significance. See more upcoming events from the Okinawa in Focus series &rarr;

Waves Across Time: Traditional Dance and Music of Okinawa  

Immersive Audio Performance
Thursday, February 24 at 6 pm, 8 pm
  Friday, February 25 at 5:30 pm, 7:30 pm
  Saturday, February 26 at 2 pm (SOLD OUT), 4 pm (SOLD OUT), 6:30 pm (SOLD OUT), 8:30 pm
  Sunday, February 27 at 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm, 7 pm


Believed to have originated in India, shomyo is a ritual form of Buddhist chant that traveled along the Silk Road to China, eventually reaching Japan in the sixth century. For this one-of-a-kind in-person performance, Brooklyn-based media designer Tei Blow will transform Japan Society’s stage into an immersive soundscape featuring the ethereal voices of Shomyo no Kai—Voices of a Thousand Years, a group of two dozen priests from the esoteric Shingon and Tendai  Buddhist sects. Incorporating the lyrics and graphic score of the Japanese female composer Yu Kuwabara’s shomyo piece Spiral Mandala Ceremony and the ancient mandalas that inspired her work, Blow's visuals, in tandem with Shomyo No Kai's vocals, create an ever-shifting environment with dreamlike power.

View Program

Tickets: $15/$12 members

TICKET ON-SALE DATES:
  Members: January 27
    Corporate Members: January 27 (For purchase before February 3, please contact the Box Office with your corporate discount code at (212) 715-1258 or boxoffice@japansociety.org)
  General Public: February 3

Location: Japan Society (333 East 47th Street, New York)

Please note that, due to COVID related travel issues, Shomyo no Kai will not be present for this in-person, immersive audio performance. The approximate capacity per performance is 30 people seated on Japan Society’s stage.


For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you:

- Wear a KN95 or N95 mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. KN95 masks will be provided upon request if you do not have one.

- Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. As of February 1, proof of a booster shot is required for anyone who is eligible, with a 4-week grace period after eligibility.


For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.




Left: Tei Blow © Doron Gild; Right: Yu Kuwabara


Shomyo: Buddhist Ritual Chant—Spiral Mandala Ceremony 


Wednesday, January 19 at 6–7:30 pm ET

In tandem with the release of Okada Toshiki & Japanese Theatre, Japan Society will host scholars featured in the book to discuss the impact playwright/director Okada has made on the international theater scene. Following this initial panel, U.S. presenters and directors of Okada’s work examine the progression of his career in the States, and shed light on some of their past and present collaborations with the prolific playwright. Lastly, Okada joins us from Germany alongside Brooklyn-based theatermaker Aya Ogawa, English translator of all of his plays, for a fireside chat to talk about the monumental task of interpreting his stream-of-consciousness dialogue and his current projects abroad.

View Program


Tickets: Pay What You Wish

Please review our visitor policies at the bottom of this page.

Viewing Link:





Panel I: Okada Toshiki and Japanese Theatre – Making the Book
Speakers:
Peter Eckersall, Professor, Executive Officer of Theatre and Performance, The Graduate Center, CUNY
Carol Martin, Professor of Drama, New York University
Moderator: Thomas Looser, Chair of East Asian Studies, Associate Professor, New York University

Panel II:
Part I – On Presenting and Directing Okada’s Work in the U.S.
Speakers:
Kate Loewald, Founding Producer, PlayCo
Dan Rothenberg, Co-Artistic Director, Pig Iron Theatre Company
Alec Duffy, Artistic Director, Hoi Polloi
Moderator: Yoko Shioya, Artistic Director, Japan Society

Part II – Okada and Ogawa Join for a Fireside Chat
Speakers:
Toshiki Okada, Playwright/Director
Aya Ogawa, Playwright/Director/Performer/Translator
Kate Loewald, Founding Producer, PlayCo
Dan Rothenberg, Co-Artistic Director, Pig Iron Theatre Company
Alec Duffy, Artistic Director, Hoi Polloi
Yoko Shioya, Artistic Director, Japan Society



For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you:

- Wear a KN95 or N95 mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. KN95 masks will be provided upon request if you do not have one.

- Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. We strongly encourage all attendees to get a booster shot as well, if eligible.


Attendance is limited to 40% capacity to allow attendees to maintain space between parties. Please note, however, that 6-foot distancing will not be possible. For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

Tickets

Book Launch & Conversation: Okada Toshiki & Japanese Theatre 

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Friday, January 14 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 15 at 7:30 pm

One of New York City’s most anticipated contemporary dance events kicks off 2022 with its return. Now in its 19th installment, the Contemporary Dance Festival (formerly known as the Contemporary Dance Showcase) from Japan and East Asia includes: from Japan, butoh artists Kentaro Kujirai and Barabbas Okuyama embodying the philosophy of yin and yang in their haunting duet entitled A HUM SAN SUI; from Taiwan, mathematician-turned-choreographer Hao Cheng uses the stage as his chalkboard in a solo that explores quantum physics through repetitive circular motion; and duo Choi x Kang Project from Korea, who twitch and jerk like windup toys to the sound of a ticking clock in their comical and technically-daring piece Complement.

On both nights, ticket holders and the general public are invited to arrive by 6:45pm to watch a special 30-minute solo performance in the Society’s lobby titled FreeSteps – NiNi, choreographed by Wei-Chia Su,the founder of one of Taiwan’s most-celebrated dance companies HORSE. Capacity is limited to approximately 100 people for this pre-performance show.

In an update to the program, please note that the piece A HUM SAN SUI will be presented as a pre-recorded video, as due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the artists are unable to travel to New York as previously announced.

View Program


For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you:

- Wear a KN95 or N95 mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. KN95 masks will be provided upon request if you do not have one.

- Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. We strongly encourage all attendees to get a booster shot as well, if eligible.


Attendance is limited to 40% capacity to allow attendees to maintain space between parties. Please note, however, that 6-foot distancing will not be possible. For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

For ticketed events, all children must be accompanied by a fully-vaccinated adult. Children aged 5-11 must show proof of vaccination with at least one dose, received at least 14 days prior. Children under the age of 5 must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event start time or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within six hours of the event start time. The test results must clearly show the date and time of the test. The test may be performed by a medical professional or by using an over-the-counter testing kit. For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.-->

Tickets: $30/$25 members

For industry tickets for APAP and ISPA attendees, please reach out to Japan Society’s Performing Arts Program Officer & Contents Strategist, Amanda Waddell, at awaddell@japansociety.org.

TICKET ON-SALE DATES:
  Members: October 28, 2021
  General Public: November 4, 2021-->



Contemporary Dance Festival: Japan + East Asia


Play Reading Series: Contemporary Japanese Plays in English Translation

By Shoko Matsumura
Directed by Jordana De La Cruz

Monday, December 6 at 7:30 pm—followed by an artist Q&A

The real and the surreal come together at a small French restaurant in Japan in Cooking Up, written by emerging female playwright and director Shoko Matsumura. One of the finalists of the prestigious Kishida Kunio Drama Award, the play takes an unusual turn when the head chef’s wife asks her husband’s mistress to take the place of their missing house cat. Jordana De La Cruz, Co-Director of the OBIE Award-winning performance venue JACK in Brooklyn, directs this absurd sojourn into the private lives of the restaurant’s employees. Playwright Matsumura joins in a post-show Q&A with the audience and director.

All audience members must show proof of vaccination at Will Call. The approximate audience capacity is 100 people.

Tickets: $15/$10 members

ON-SALE DATES
Members: August 10
General public: August 17

The 16th installment of Japan Society’s annual Play Reading Series introduces topical plays from up-and-coming playwrights in Japan to artists and audiences in the U.S.






Cooking Up

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Theater

PROGRAM A, with Emile Blondel on piano:
Thursday, November 4 at 7:30 pm—followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception
Sunday, November 7 at 2:30 pm
PROGRAM B, with Kato Hideki on bass guitar:
Friday, November 5 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 6 at 7:30 pm

Inspired by the writings of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince, SHEEP #1 follows the adventures of a sheep in search of the meaning of life. In this inventive, minimalist performance, NYC-based Japanese artist Sachiyo Takahashi (Nekaa Lab) manipulates tiny figurines that in real-time are magnified with a video camera and projected onto a screen, with the action set to live musical accompaniment—a unique style wisely coined by the artist "Microscopic Live Cinema-Theatre." The recipient of grants awarded by The Jim Henson Foundation in 2017, 2018 and 2021 for her innovative work in the field of puppetry, Takahashi explores the border between narrative and abstraction to generate dream-like fables for the subconscious.

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All audience members must show proof of vaccination at Will Call. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a fully-vaccinated adult and must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event start time or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within six hours of the event start time. The test results must clearly show the date and time of the test. The test may be performed by a medical professional or by using an over-the-counter testing kit. For more information, please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

Tickets: $23/$18 members

ON-SALE DATES
  Members: August 10
General public: August 17


SHEEP #1

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Theater

Friday, October 1 at 7:30 pm—followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception &nbsp;&nbsp; SOLD OUT
  Saturday, October 2 at 7:30 pm &nbsp;&nbsp; SOLD OUT
  Sunday, October 3 at 7:30 pm &nbsp;&nbsp;SOLD OUT
  Thursday, October 7 at 7:30 pm—followed by an artist Q&A &nbsp;&nbsp;SOLD OUT
  Friday, October 8 at 7:30 pm &nbsp;&nbsp;SOLD OUT
  Saturday, October 9 at 3 pm & 7:30 pm &nbsp;&nbsp;SOLD OUT
  Sunday, October 10 at 3 pm &nbsp;&nbsp;SOLD OUT

“… [T]he performance becomes a moving communal rite that accommodates both love and hate and locates the filial kindness for a loopily generous send-off.

But what it mourns most deeply are the questions for a dead father that went unasked, and the understanding that might have been.”
  &emsp;  &emsp; — The New York Times Critic’s Pick (Read the full review here)

Co-presented with the Chocolate Factory Theater

Japanese American playwright/director Aya Ogawa presents this final version of their intimate autobiographical piece that explores their fractured relationship with their long-deceased, enigmatic father. Since the show's sold-out work-in-progress showings at Brooklyn Arts Exchange and The Public Theater's Under the Radar Incoming! Series, downtown theatergoers have been anticipating the premiere of The Nosebleed. Through a series of turbulent, absurd and poignantly comic vignettes, Ogawa reveals the seemingly insurmountable cultural and generational gap between themself and their father, who was a typical Japanese corporate businessman, and examines the questions faced by the playwright in their own motherhood experience today. A theatrical memorial and healing ritual for the audience, this darkly humorous, tender and inventive play considers how we inherit and bequeath failure, and what it takes to forgive.

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All audience members will be required to show proof of vaccination at Will Call and wear a face mask at all times inside the Japan Society building. The approximate capacity per performance is 80 people.

Tickets: $30/$25 members

Location: Japan Society (333 East 47th Street, New York)

ON-SALE DATES
  Members: August 10
General public: August 17


The Nosebleed

Both performances on September 11 are sold out. The Story Box will run through October 9 at various locations in NYC. Check here for a list of venues and times.

Theater
Saturday, September 11 at 4 pm
 Saturday, September 11 at 7 pm
Co-presented with HERE

Written and performed by Suzi Takahashi and directed by Kristin Marting, The Story Box explores the importance of safeguarding our civil rights through the lens of Japanese American identity. Using kamishibai (a traditional Japanese storytelling method), coupled with Takahashi’s own family history and original music, this show takes audience members on a 230-year journey through our country's problematic treatment of Asian immigrants. In this outdoor event on 47th Street in front of Japan Society, each audience member receives a suitcase to sit on—a prop that alludes to Japanese Americans taking "only what they could carry" during their relocation during WWII. What will you find in your suitcase?

All patrons attending performances will be required to show proof of vaccination (NY Excelsior pass or vaccination card) and be masked.

Tickets: Pay What You Wish

Location: On 47th Street between First and Second Avenue, in front of Japan Society’s building (333 East 47th Street, Manhattan)

This public event, permitted under New York City's Open Culture Program, commences a series of performances of The Story Box in outdoor spaces in each of the five boroughs of New York City.

The Story Box 

Theater
Sat., Sept. 11 at 4 pm & 7pm EDT | Calculate your local time
Co-presented with HERE

Written and performed by Suzi Takahashi and directed by Kristin Marting, The Story Box explores the importance of safeguarding our civil rights through the lens of Japanese American identity. Using kamishibai (a traditional Japanese storytelling method), coupled with Takahashi’s own family history and original music, this one-woman show takes audience members on a 230-year journey through our country's problematic treatment of Asian immigrants. In this outdoor event on 47th Street in front of Japan Society, each audience member receives a suitcase to sit on–a prop that alludes to Japanese Americans taking "only what they could carry" during their relocation during WWII. The event culminates when you are asked to discover the contents of your suitcase and leave your own story behind inside.

Program runs approximately 40 minutes, with English subtitles.

This event is free with advance registration. Pay What You Wish options are also available to support our innovative programs.



Japan X Taiwan: Choreographers Respond to COVID-19 is supported in part by the Taipei Cultural Center in New York and The Harkness Foundation for Dance.


2020-2021 Performing Arts Season

Lead Sponsor:

Corporate Partner:

            ORIX Stewardship Foundation


Major Support: Doug and Teresa Peterson, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Additional Support: Dr. and Mrs. Carl F. Taeusch II, Dean Jeanette C. Takamura, Mr. Alan M. Suhonen&Dagger;, The Royal Little Family Foundation, Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Howard Solomon, Hiroko Onoyama, Mr. Norton Belknap&Dagger;, Dr. John K. Gillespie, Paula S. Lawrence, Dr. Stephen and Mrs. Michiko Levine, Susan M. McCormac, Pamela Perlman, Karen and Samuel Richardson, and Lyndley and Samuel Schwab.

Endowment: Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Endowment Fund and the Endowment for the Performing Arts, established with a leadership gift from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

In-kind Support: Transportation assistance is provided by All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.

&Dagger; In memoriam.



CONTEMPORARY OPERA

star&nbsp;WORLD PREMIERE

note to a friend

ThursdayJanuary 127:30 pmlocal_barSaturdayJanuary 147:30 pmcontact_supportSundayJanuary 153 pm
local_bar Followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Receptioncontact_support Followed by an artist Q&A

In response to Japan Society’s commission for a new chamber opera, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang combined and reimagined three texts by iconic Japanese novelist Ryunosuke Akutagawa. The result is this stunning and haunting monodrama, note to a friend, addressing our eternal human fascination with death, love, family and suicide. Theater luminary Yoshi Oida, Paris-based opera director and longtime member of Peter Brook’s international theater company, directs this world premiere for the legendary New York vocalist Theo Bleckmann. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in Japan, co-producer of this production, selects the featured string quartet members. You can’t miss this meetup of international gems!

Tickets: $60 / $48 members

This co-production from Japan Society and Tokyo Bunka Kainan, commissioned and presented by Japan Society, makes its world premiere as part of PROTOTYPE Festival 2023.

David LangYoshi OidaTheo Bleckmann

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

warning Content Warning: This production contains references to suicide and depression, which some audiences may find distressing. If you need suicide or mental health-related crisis support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text 988 or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s chat to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

note to a friend

CONTEMPORARY & TRADITIONAL PUPPET THEATER

AKUTAGAWA

ThursdayFebruary 237:30 pmlocal_barFridayFebruary 247:30 pmcontact_supportSaturdayFebruary 257:30 pm

local_bar Followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Receptioncontact_support Followed by an artist Q&A

AKUTAGAWA is a stage portrait of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, father of the modern Japanese short novel and author of In a Grove, the basis of Akira Kurosawa’s landmark 1950 film Rashomon. Told through the traditional puppetry style kuruma ningyo blended with dynamic video images, AKUTAGAWA is an amalgam of five of his famous short stories—including Rashomon, Hell Screen (Jigokuhen), The Dragon, Toshishun and Kappa.  The show explores the author’s artistic insight and fragile emotional state. This production is made through an international collaboration between puppeteers Koryu Nishikawa V (Tokyo) and Tom Lee (Chicago), with live music by Yukio Tsuji (New York).

Tickets: $30 / $24 membersSuitable for ages 13 and up.

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

Related Events & Workshops

          Kuruma Ningyo Puppetry Masterclass
    February 24 at 11 am—1 pm
Learn about the unique mechanics of kuruma ningyo in this special workshop for professional puppeteers led by Koryu Nishikawa V.
Learn MoreBuy Tickets

          Family Workshop on Kuruma Ningyo Puppetry
    February 25 at 10:30 am—12 pm
Koryu Nishikawa V, grand master of Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo Puppet Theater, invites families to a special performance and hands-on workshop of Japanese puppet theater.

Learn MoreBuy Tickets

AKUTAGAWA

Kuruma Ningyo Masterclass
FridayFebruary 2411 am - 1pmMax 15 participants

Learn about the unique mechanics of kuruma ningyo in this special workshop for professional puppeteers led by Koryu Nishikawa V. This master class will cover the basics of Japanese traditional puppetry, including the three-person manipulation method found in bunraku. Part of the workshop will be spent mastering select, short scenes from Nishikawa’s repertoire.

Tickets: $50 / $40 membersProfessional puppeteering experience required.

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

Related Events & Workshops

          AKUTAGAWA
    February 23-25, 2023
AKUTAGAWA is a stage portrait of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, father of the modern Japanese short novel and author. Told through the traditional puppetry style kuruma ningyo blended with dynamic video images, AKUTAGAWA is an amalgam of five of his famous short stories.

Learn MoreBuy Tickets

Kuruma Ningyo Masterclass

Family Workshop on Kuruma Ningyo Puppetry
SaturdayFebruary 2510:30 am—12 pmMax 15 participants

Koryu Nishikawa V, grand master of Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo Puppet Theater, invites families to a special performance and hands-on workshop of Japanese puppet theater. Kuruma ningyo, literally meaning “puppets on wheels,” refers to Nishikawa’s unique technique in which the puppeteer sits atop a three-wheeled dolly. After watching a lively performance, families will then become puppeteers themselves and work with these traditional puppets through a guided workshop led by experienced artists!

Tickets: $15 / $12 membersSuitable for ages 5 and up.

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

Related Events & Workshops

          AKUTAGAWA
    February 23-25, 2023
AKUTAGAWA is a stage portrait of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, father of the modern Japanese short novel and author. Told through the traditional puppetry style kuruma ningyo blended with dynamic video images, AKUTAGAWA is an amalgam of five of his famous short stories.

Learn MoreBuy Tickets

Family Workshop on Kuruma Ningyo Puppetry

PLAY READING SERIES
I'm Trying to Understand You, But...
MondayMarch 137:30 pmcontact_support

contact_support Followed by an artist Q&A

NYC-based director NJ Agwuna, winner of the 2022 Barbara Whitman Award, tackles Yuri Yamada’s timely play I’m Trying to Understand You, But… In this piece, Yamada portrays a dicey conversation between a young couple that starts as an unintended pregnancy reveal and ends in a gender-swapped discussion about how the incident came about. Two maids named Libby and Prudie give running commentary throughout the couple’s heart-to-heart. Two-time Kishida Kunio Drama Award-nominee Yamada joins in a post-show Q&A with the audience and director.

Tickets:$15 / $12 members

The 17th installment of Japan Society’s annual Play Reading Series introduces topical plays from up-and-coming playwrights in Japan to artists and audiences in the U.S.

NJ AgwunaYuri Yamada

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

I'm Trying to Understand You, But...

CONTEMPORARY DANCE
Extinction Rituals
FridayJune 97:30 pmcontact_supportSaturdayJune 107:30 pmcontact_support

contact_support Followed by an artist Q&A

Directed, choreographed and designed by Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist duo Ximena Garnica & Shige Moriya, Extinction Rituals is inspired by acts of remembrance celebrating the life and loss of animals, plants and environments from the places they call home—Kyoto, Bogota, and NYC. Through poetic vignettes of movement, light, music and song, these mesmerizing tableaux weave together an original score by Oscar-nominated composer Kaoru Watanabe, the powerful voice of Colombian singer Carolina Oliveros, and the butoh-rooted work of the LEIMAY Ensemble, including dancers Masanori Asahara and Krystel Copper. Following the work-in-progress showings, Garnica and Moriya sit down for a Q&A with the audience to elaborate on the international exchanges behind this timely and profoundly collaborative piece.

Tickets: $20 / $16 members

Ximena GarnicaShige Moriya

For the health and safety of our staff and visitors, we kindly ask that you please review our Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

Performances>Upcoming