Nijo-jo
OTOBUTAI
Information
This event will be broadcast on MBS and other JNN stations nationwide.
About OTOBUTAI
There are many prestigious temples designated as World Heritage sites in Japan. It has always been said that Japanese traditional culture, art and entertainment have been produced and developed over the long history.
To preserve the beautiful cultural heritage and to stress the importance of passing this heritage on to the next generation, the artistic event series OTOBUTAI has been held in the precincts of prestigious temples in Kyoto and Nara annually, with the participation and collaboration of world class artists based on the theme of "Encounter of the East and the West."
In 1989, OTOBUTAI was first held at Kinkaku-ji, known as the Golden Pavilion. Since then, it has been held at renowned Japanese temples up to now, including Sennyuji, Sanzenin, Kiyomizudera, Byodoin, Toji, Enryakuji, Daigoji, Daikakuji, Nijojo, Horyuji, Mampukuji, Yakushiji, Ninnaji, Tofukuji, Toshodaiji, Todaiji, Nishi Hongwanji (in chronological order.)
This special artistic “space” created in OTOBUTAI is produced for only one night. Great performances at the space mesmerize not only Japanese but all audiences throughout the world.
This unique and innovate event will become your unforgettable stage without doubt.
Artists
LEO
【Koto】
LEO encountered the Koto at the age of 9 and at 16, he became the youngest musician ever to be awarded the Grand Prize at the Japanese “HOUGAKU” Music Contest in Kumamoto. He immediately came to be known and made his debut in 2017 at the age of 19. On the same year, he entered Tokyo University of Arts. A young and talented musician who is both a conservator of tradition and an innovator, LEO continues to be in the spotlight.
Takanori Sato
【Tenor】
Sato made his debut in 2008 as a tenor in “LE VELVETS”, a classical vocal group renowned for its unique creative harmony. As a solo artist, he appeared in musicals including “Titanic” and “Les Misérables”. In the upcoming “Elizabeth” which will premiere in October, 2022, Sato will play Franz Joseph.
Aimi Kobayashi
【Painist】
Fourth Prize winner of the 18th Chopin Piano Competition, Aimi Koybayashi garnered international acclaim for her exceptional talent.
She is considered as one of the most sought-after pianists in Japan of her generation.
She has already performed with several major orchestras, both in Japan and overseas.
Maki Mori
Maki Mori studied at Tokyo University of the Arts and its graduate school, at the Opera Studies Center, and in Milan and Munich. She was recognized as one of the winners of Plácido Domingo’s World Opera Competition 1998, and has received many prizes for operettas and lieder.
Mori has performed in numerous productions at the Washington National Opera, including “Rigoletto” and “Die Fledermaus,” earning critical acclaim and winning the S&R Foundation’s Washington Award.
Mori achieved great successes in opera productions such as “Der Rosenkavalier” at Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden in 2007 and “La Bohème” at Teatro Regio di Torino in 2010, as well as in a recital in Washington, D.C. in 2012.
Min Tanaka
【Dancer】
Began his own expressive activities in 1974 and evolved “hyper-dance,” emphasizing psycho-physical unity of the body. In 1978, he made his international debut at the Louvre. In the following decade, his avant-garde performances in former communist countries were highly recognized among cultural and intellectual pioneers of the time. Tanaka moved to the countryside in 1985 and has continued his dance activity based on farming to date. Since his first film appearance in 2002, he has continued expanding his scope of activities in moving images nationally and internationally. His documentary film “The Unnameable Dance,” directed by Isshin Inudo, is in theaters beginning January 28, 2022.
Information
History of Nijo-jo
Nijo-jo Castle has witnessed some of the most important events in Japanese history in the 400 years since it was built. The castle was completed in 1603 on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1867). Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan after a long period of civil war, and ushered in a period of over 260 years of peace and prosperity. The government that Ieyasu established lasted for fifteen generations, and was one of the longest periods of stability and prosperity in Japanese history. Japan was unified under the rule of the Tokugawa family after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, and in 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu was appointed Seii-Taishogun (usually shortened to just Shogun), by the Emperor. After receiving his appointment, Ieyasu came to Nijo-jo Castle to announce his appointment to the feudal lords. Nijo-jo Castle was thus the stage for the announcement of the beginning of one of the most important periods in Japanese history. The Castle served as the Kyoto residence of the Shogun on the very rare occasions when he visited the Imperial Capital.
When the Shogun was not in residence, the Nijo Zaiban samurai guards, who were dispatched from the Shogun’s capital at Edo (present day Tokyo), were garrisoned at the castle. In 1614, Tokugawa Ieyasu departed from and returned to the castle in triumph from the Siege of Osaka Castle, which ended the line of the Toyotomi family, which ruled Japan before the Tokugawas. This cemented the position of the Tokugawas as the political rulers of Japan. A large-scale renovation was begun in 1624, during the reign of the third Shogun Iemitsu, in preparation for an Imperial Visit by the Emperor Go-Mizuno-o in 1626. This visit served as a statement of the wealth and stability of shogunal rule. In 1867, the 15th Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu summoned the senior vassals from 40 domains who were resident in Kyoto to the Ohiroma of Ninomaru-goten palace and announced the end of Tokugawa rule, and the returning of political control to the Emperor. This ushered in the Meiji Period, during which Japan developed very rapidly from a feudal society into the modern democratic nation that we know today. The Nijo-jo Castle thus staged the opening and closing ceremonies of the last period of feudal rule, as well as being the starting point of the creation of the modern Japanese State. The 400-year-old buildings of the Ninomaru-goten Palace, the Kara-mon Gate and the Ninomaru Garden, are unique survivals from one of the golden ages of Japanese architecture and design, the early Edo period, known for its ornate architecture and magnificent interiors.
Also designated as a national historic site, Nijo-jo Castle is one of the most distinguished heritage sites that must, along with its history, be preserved and handed down to future generations. Recently, many projects and events have been held at the castle to communicate its charm, value and the importance of preserving cultural assets.