The Life of HOKUSAI
WORKS:
Overview:
A non-verbal performing arts work inspired by the turbulent life of Katsushika Hokusai, the genius artist of the Edo period. It combines Sakakura Katsumi's distinctive physical expression with traditional Japanese instruments, contemporary dance, and film of Hokusai's works. The production aims to introduce a "New Japonisme" to the world through a fusion of performing arts and cutting-edge digital projection technology.
Keyword:
- Modern Retelling
- Based on a true story
- Original
- Biography
- Physical Theater
- Non-verbal
- Dance
- Small Cast
- Ensemble
- For Adults
- All Ages
- Live Music
- Projection Mapping
- Life
- Love
- Family
Performing Group:
NAPPOS UNITED Co., Ltd.
Genre:
Non-verbal stage performance / Physical theater / Dance / Digital projection live performance
Status:
Available for international touring productions, festivals, and domestic and international stagings. Performances are possible provided that a suitable performance period can be scheduled and arrangements for the cast's travel and accommodation can be secured.
Time:
Approx 70min (Japan performance, no interval) 30min festival version also available
Dialogue:
Non-verbal
Subtitle:
None (subtitles are not required as the work is non-verbal) English subtitles provided for related video materials.
Capacity:
500 to 1,000 Performed in 7 countries, primarily across Europe.
Cast:
1 Festival version featuring a cast of 3 performers / 2 Standard version featuring a cast of 5 performers"
Trigger Warning:
No particular content warnings.
1
Synopsis:
The creative inspiration behind Katsushika Hokusai, the world reknown ukiyo-e artist, was a profound love for his family and an inexhaustible passion for his art. Hokusai never set down his brush even when facing tragedies like illness and fire. His life is depicted in a non-verbal performance of dance, song, martial arts, and projected films. The world of Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji and his final masterpiece Dragon Flying over Mount Fuji is brought back to life on stage. It is a deeply moving work that poetically renders the soul of an artist and his love of humanity.
2
Concept:
This work brings to life the spirit of gakkyō, the consuming artistic obsession that Hokusai pursued throughout his life, not through mere biographical recreation, but through a non-verbal theatrical approach that fuses physical expression, film, and music. This concept of "Re-creation" is an endeavour to transform traditional Japanese art into a new form rather than simply preserving or passing it down.
3
Crew & Cast:
-
Katsumi Sakakura
Cast（Katsushika Hokusai）
-
Eiko Iwaki
Cast（KOTO）
-
Karin Kato
Cast（Oei）
-
Kunsui Kamada (Satsuma biwa player)
Cast（Fujin）
-
Makoto Sekine (Japanese taiko drummer)
Cast（Raijin）
-
Katsumi Sakakura
Book/Plot/Director
-
Takuya Shimojyu
Stage Manager
-
Hiroyuki Nakamura
Lighting Designer
-
Erika Rossi
Assistant Producer
-
Mao Inoue
Assistant Producer
-
Kazuki Nakamura
Producer
-
Shin Sugimoto
Executive Producer
Company Profile:
NAPPOS UNITED Co., Ltd.
The name NAPPOS UNITED carries the meaning of "a collective that pursues the possibilities of performance and artists." The company was established in 2011 with the aim of bringing out the full potential of theatre and delivering works of the highest quality. In 2012, it presented Gwanghwamun Love Song, the recipient of the Star award at the Daegu International Music Festival Awards. A year later in 2013,The Shawshank Redemption, the most beloved film of all time, was adapted onto the stage. Since then, the company has continued to produce a diverse range of works that resonate with audiences across all walks of life. For example, non-verbal pieces that communicate without sound or words, physical theatre by ballet dancer Yasuyuki Shuto and mime artist Shuji Onodera, and a stage adaptation of Keigo Higashino's The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, a bestseller with over 15 million copies sold worldwide.
Performance Record:
2021
Awarded four stars by FringeBiscuit
2022
Recipient of the Cool Japan Matching Award
2023
Performed in Bologna, Italy
2024
Performed in Romania, Estonia, and Turkey
2025
Performed in Portugal, Turkey, and Bulgaria
2026
Japan homecoming performance in Asakusa, and performances planned in the Republic of Moldova and France
This Year's Other Works:
-
HAMLET
Performing Group:
SPAC-Shizuoka Performing Arts Center
Genre:
Drama
-
ATTACK ON TITAN : THE MUSICAL
Performing Group:
Nelke Planning Co.,Ltd.
Genre:
Musical
-
SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN AND WINTER
Performing Group:
SETAGAYA-SILK
Genre:
Theatre and dance performance
-
CAT TOWN
Performing Group:
daisydoze
Genre:
Immersive Theatre
-
THE BOY AND THE BEAST
Performing Group:
Shiki Theatre Company
Genre:
Musical
-
TALES OF THE ELSEWHERE ISLANDS
Performing Group:
Nuthmique
Genre:
Music Theater / Experimental
CONTACT:
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SOIL is a JPASN project dedicated to bringing Japanese theater to the world.
We serve as the liaison for contracts and communications with international partners and actively promote the participation of Japanese productions in overseas theater festivals. If you have any questions or feedback about SOIL,
please feel free to contact us using our contact form.