Sanriku International Arts Festival 2021 TOP

Kaminagahime. Princess of Long Tresses. An Asian tale for the bamboo flute. “FueLab,” a Bamboo Flute Laboratory showcasing a performance by an international collaboration of performance groups. Live stream Date Sunday, September 5, 2021 13:30-16:30 (Japan time) Sanriku International Arts Festival 2021

Please be advised that due to the current surge of COVID-19 cases, we will not be presenting the planned livestream performance on Sunday, September 5th from 1:30pm. Instead, we will broadcast a recording of the performance at 1:30pm on Sunday, September 12th.
We thank you for your kind understanding.

Sanriku International Arts Committee Office, September 1st.

The streaming will be available below
when the performance starts.

* This recorded streaming is available for viewing any time after the September 12th premiere.

* The program was co-presented by “Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival”.

Performing Groups

Opening Performance
Kita Shichifukujin
(Rikuzentakata, Iwate)

Kaminagahime (Princess of Long Tresses)

Omah Gamelan

Omah Gamelan

Indonesia

SilverBell Dance Group of Performing Artists

SilverBell Dance Group of Performing Artists

Cambodia

Juichinichimachi Enburi-gumi

Juichinichimachi Enburi-gumi

Hachinohe, Aomori

Nakano Nanazumai

Nakano Nanazumai

Iwaizumi, Iwate

Otsuchi Toramai Association

Otsuchi Toramai Association

Otsuchi, Iwate

Director /
Supporting Artists

Jujiro Maegawa

Director

Jujiro Maegawa

Jin Obu

Fue (bamboo flute)

Jin Obu

Kimiya Sato

Drums and Vocals

Kimiya Sato

Kaminagahime
 (Princess of Long Tresses)

An Asian tale for the bamboo flute

“Fue Lab,” a Bamboo Flute Laboratory showcasing a performance
by an international collaboration of performance groups

Streaming

September 12(SUN), 2021
13:30- (Japan time)

Free access

Part 1
Opening Ceremony and an Opening Performance by
Kita Shichifukujin (Rikuzentakata, Iwate)
Part 2
Kaminagahime: A “Fue Lab” Exchange Performance
Collaboration by Five Performance Groups from Indonesia, Cambodia and Sanriku
Part 3
Talk Session “Forging New Paths Ahead”
The performing groups reflect on this exchange program *Canceled

* The performance of the second part of “Kaminagahime” will be recorded on September 5th at Miracle Pine Tree Hall in Rikuzentakata Citizen's Cultural Center. The production fully implements pandemic safety protocols and measures.

Kaminagahime
(Princess of Long Tresses):
An Asian tale for
the bamboo flute

This project started with an encounter between folk performing arts groups of the Sanriku region and other parts of Asia. They created a collaborative production using the Sanriku folk tale, Kaminagahime, for thematic inspiration, and present a portion of the showcase streaming online. The performance will feature groups from Indonesia, Cambodia, and Sanriku. The project launched in late May of this year, when the groups shared ideas and melodies to create this collaborative production. We hope our initiative will convey the charm of various performing arts cultivated over a long history, passing them on to future generations.

What is “Fue Lab”?

Focusing on the bamboo flute (fue), an instrument indispensable in the dance and music of Asia’s folk performing art’s, this is a project that has various traditions learn from one another and share ideas in collaboration. By learning about common melodies and rhythms nurtured in various parts of Asia, this project embarks on the challenge of sympathetic exchange among Sanriku and various Asian folk performing arts through the cooperative efforts of participants.

Story

-a story based on a folk tale of the Sanriku coast-

Kaminagahime -a story based on a folk tale of the Sanriku coast-
A woman at the beach had been carried off by a big wave, but returned to the village 10 years later bearing a child of a dragon god. When the daughter was born, she had such long hair that it touched the ground and so she was named Kaminagahime (Princess of Long Tresses). Whenever Kaminagahime danced, gold was found in the mountains, the sea provided great catches of fish, and the village became prosperous. However, a man of power in the village began to take over the wealth, and Kaminagahime hid herself in a shrine by the sea. The sea became rough, and monsters from the sky began to attack the village, with plague and hunger spreading throughout. The distressed villagers then danced for three days and three nights in front of the shrine, and the greedy man had a change of heart and joined in the dancing. Kaminagahime eventually emerged from the shrine and said, “Do not divide yourselves and keep the festival going.” And indeed the village regained its prosperity, and the people came together as one.

Staff

  • Director/Composer

    Jujiro Maegawa

  • Video director

    Noriyuki Sato

  • Assistant director

    Yuuka Koyama

  • Lighting

    Miyuki Aoki

  • Sound manager

    Taku Motogi, Daishi Tokiwa

  • Stage manager

    Michiya Sugawara

  • Supporting coordinators

    Shutaro Koiwa,
    Daisuke Muto, Wakako Imagawa

  • Photography

    Masaru Tatsuki

  • Design

    Laboratories

  • Streaming

    Golden Good Stream

  • Public relations

    Hirotaka Koeto, Sonoka Koeto,
    Daiki Kobayashi, Reina Kubo

  • Production Management

    Ayane Yuasa, Yuhei Sakata,
    Sanriku International Arts Committee

  • Producer

    Norikazu Sato

Main visual models
From the left

Mizuki Hara

Juichinichimachi Enburi-gumi

Haruna Nakamura

Otsuchi Toramai Association

Ayuri Ozawa

Nakano Nanazumai

Organized by

Sanriku International Arts Committee
The Japan Foundation Asia Center

Co-organized by

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Hachinohe City, Hashikami Town, Hirono Town, Kuji City, Fudai Village, Tanohata Village, Iwaizumi Town, Miyako City, Yamada Town, Otsuchi Town, Kamaishi City, Ofunato City, Rikuzentakata City, Sumita Town , Sanriku Railway Co., Ltd., Japan Folk Performing Arts Association, NPO Iwate Arts Support Center, NPO Japan Contemporary Dance Network, Culture Vision Japan Foundation Inc.

Cooperation from

Rikuzentakata Citizen’s Cultural Center (Miracle Pine Tree Hall), Otsuchi Town Cultural Exchange Center, NPO Shinsai Regain, imajimu LLC, Tohoku Cultural Property Video Research Institute, Minna no Shirushi LLC, NPO Michinoku Trail Club

Planning & Production

Sanriku International Arts Committee, Minna no Shirushi LLC

Contact

Minna no Shirushi LLC
6-4 Kimachi Sakaricho, Ofunato, Iwate 022-0003
TEL｜0192-47-5123
FAX｜0192-47-5125
E-mail｜minna★mi-kuni.com (Replace ★ with @)

General office

Sanriku International Arts Committee Office
NPO Japan Contemporary Dance Network
3F Morioka Minami Odori Bldg. 15-7, 1-chome,Minami Odori,
Morioka, Iwate 020-0874
Inside NPO Iwate Arts Support Center
TEL｜070-8550-0521 (direct)
TEL｜019-656-8145
FAX｜019-656-8146
E-mail｜info★sanfes.com (Replace ★ with @)

*Program details subject to change without notice.

Sanriku International Arts Festival

Performing Groups

Omah Gamelan

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Omah Gamelan

Artistic Director
Anon Suneko

Professor at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Dancer, Musician, and Chairman of Omah Gamelan
Born in 1981 to two well-known performing artists, Suneko grew up surrounded by traditional Javanese performing arts, dance, and gamelan. He showed interest in the performing arts while growing up, and he is now the winner of many awards. He is dedicated to the study and performance of gamelan music and also specializes in electronic music, and is the creator of numerous musical works including two albums. He has a wealth of international experience, including working at the Perth Consulate in Australia and as a visiting artist at the University of Michigan. He was invited to Japan to engage in research for the project "The Power of Tradition, the Form of Artistry" organized by the Japan Foundation. Currently, Suneko is professor in the Department of Performing Arts Faculty of Karawitan, Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta, while also serving at the second royal palace of Yogyakarta, Puro Pakualaman, with the mission of continuing court performance arts.

Performing Groups

SilverBell Dance Group of Performing Artists

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Chumvan Sodhachivy

Artistic Director
Chumvan Sodhachivy

Chumvan Sodhachivy (aka Belle) is a dancer, choreographer, and founder of the SilverBell Dance Group of Performing Artists, who started her training in Khmer classical dance at the age of 9. After spending many years mastering the basics of the ancestral art, Belle has been performing mostly male roles (neay rong), while nurturing Khmer cultural heritage by also performing Cambodian traditional folk dance and shadow puppetry. At age 16 Belle also discovered contemporary dance and its wide range of possibilities. Belle has travelled extensively in Asia, Europe, Africa and the USA in diverse productions and festivals including an opera project directed by Peter Sellars at Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles. As founder of the SilverBell Dance Group of Performing Artists, Belle has choreographed and developed many of her own works throughout her career. Currently, she is Vice Dean at the Faculty of Choreography of the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh.

Performing Groups

Juichinichimachi Enburi-gumi

Hachinohe, Aomori

Juichinichimachi Enburi-gumi

Enburi is a festival that entreats a good harvest, handed down mainly in Hachinohe City of the Sanpachi-Kamikita area of Aomori Prefecture. The Hachinohe Enburi, listed as a national important intangible cultural property, is held every year from February 17th to the 20th in central Hachinohe. The Juichinichimachi Enburi-gumi was started by a local fire brigade in 1891, and they have over 130 years of history participating in the Enburi. Typical performances include Tayu no Suri, Daikoku Mai, Ebisu Mai, Enkoenko, and Hachinohe Mai. This refined and gorgeous celebratory entertainment has been handed down to young and old performers of many generations, and is an awe-inspiring sight to see.
(Photo by Mamoru Futatsumori)

Performing Groups

Nakano Nanazumai

Iwaizumi, Iwate

Nakano Nanazumai

Nakano Nanazumai is a folk performance art handed down in the Nakano district of Iwaizumi Town. It is said to have origins dating back to the 1840’s , when Kitaro Kudo, who was called Kagura Tayu (Master of Kagura Sacred Dance) at the time, created it by using the beginning portion of a kagura dance as its basic inspiration. The performers include 7 pairs of dancers doing 7 different dance segments that are named Dogu-tori, Yoko-hane, Chirashi, Tatakai, Tsuttōtsu, Sansoku (Torii-gakari), and Dogu-osame. At the time, these were performed as kagura sacred dances, but as times changed, they became integrated into the village festival. Nakano Nanazumai is a gallant and lively dance entreating an abundant harvest, big catches in the sea and the general safety of the village. The strong and graceful dance imagines the hard work of preparing new fields, then raising precious crops, and finally thankfully celebrating that year’s harvest all together with fellow villagers.

Performing Groups

Otsuchi Toramai Association

Otsuchi, Iwate

Otsuchi Toramai Association

In 1990, at the same time as the Otsuchi Town Folk Performing Arts Preservation Association was established, the Otsuchi Toramai Association started as a subcommittee of the toramai (tiger dance) section of the organization. It is composed of four groups (Ando, Mukaigawara, Rikuchu Benten, and Otsuchi Shiroyama) which hand down the toramai in the town, and while deepening friendship between the groups, they have a wide range of activities such as improving each other's skills and contributing to society. All four groups suffered from the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. They lost many precious companions and also equipments and costumes used for the performance, but the groups reunited with the aim of revival and transmitting the folk art form. Since then, they have continued to convey in their performances their gratitude for the support which they have received from all over Japan. Performances include Yaguruma, Hanetora, Sasabami, Jinku-odori, and Te-odori.

Jujiro Maegawa

Jujiro Maegawa

Director and composer

Maegawa began his career in 1987 mainly in music recording as a composer and producer. In 2002, he founded the performing arts company, Mikuni. His highly praised and unique work combines the body and voice, in pieces not strictly bound by genre conventions. Maegawa was invited by the city of Berlin as a performance director. After residing in Germany for a year and a half, he moved back to Japan in 2012. He visited Sanriku as a researcher at the University of Tokyo interviewing victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011. He created the musical, Inochi Tendenko, inspired by the testimony he collected, which has been viewed by over 50,000 high school students. Maegawa has been the director of the Sanriku International Arts Festival since 2014.

Jin Obu

Fue (bamboo flute)

Jin Obu

Shakuhachi and shinobue performer and craftsman

Obu currently resides in Ibaraki Prefecture and is a graduate of the 46th NHK Hogaku Ginosha Ikusei-kai Koza (Course for Young Performers of Traditional Japanese Music). He studied Kinko style shakuhachi under Ichiro Seki, and Meian style and Kinpu style shakuhachi under Kogetsu Maekawa. He participated in the musical, Inochi Tendenko. He performs in the shakuhachi & piano duo Tsuchinoko, and also runs Ranku Kobo, the instrument manufactory where he is a craftsman making shakuhachi and shinobue.

Kimiya Sato

Drums and Vocals

Kimiya Sato

Musician, composer, singer

Sato was born in Hokkaido. Inspired by surrealism he aspired from an early age to be a painter and later turned to music. In addition to his wide range of vocal expression, he also plays string instruments such as viola, various percussion instruments, and occasionally keyboard instruments, and performs both domestically and internationally. Sato specializes in boundary crossing chamber music, and also works on film music, stage music, improvisational performances, and community-based projects. In addition to his solo career, he has been active in the band Hyogen, and the duo Mikka Mangetsu, and led the project Torus Vil. He was based in Tokyo while attending the Department of Musical Creativity and the Environment at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and since 2017 has been based in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture.

Performing Groups

Kita Shichifukujin

Rikuzentakata, Iwate

The Shichifukujin-mai of Kita represents the seven gods of good fortune, popular gods in folk belief named Daikokuten, Ebisu, Fukurokuju, Bishamonten, Jurojin, Benzaiten and Hotei. It is performed in festivals held to pray for good harvest and big catches in the sea, and also on occasions year-round to pray for prosperity and exorcism at such celebratory events as wedding parties, new home construction and the launchings of new sea vessels. It has been handed down by volunteers from Kita since the 1910’s, and performed for the annual festival of Kurosaki Shrine, including the O-Ise-sama (aka Daijingu-sama) Festival held once every four years. In recent years, the Shichifukujin-mai of Kita has been practiced as a folk art by local elementary and middle school children as well.