Poetry and Music Drama "Yakumo Tatsu" - Meeting the Japanese Gods at the End of 2025 -

The J-CULTURE FEST presents poetry and music drama "Yakumo Tatsutsu" opened on December 29, 2025 at Tokyo International Forum Hall B7.
Based on the concept of "tradition and innovation," J-CULTURE FEST aims to provide opportunities for people to become familiar with Japanese culture and discover new values. It features a "performance program" of music, dance, and other traditional performing arts that bring the best of Japan's ancient performing arts to modern times, as well as a "New Year's Theme Park" where people can experience Japanese culture in various ways, centered around New Year's events. Since 2020, the event has been held annually as an event where people can experience Japanese culture in various ways through the "performance program" and "experiences and special exhibitions." The poetic and musical drama "Yakumo Tattsu" was performed with the theme of purifying the past year's impurities and celebrating the new year by coming into contact with the gods through the performance. Dressed in authentic costumes, Japanese professionals will come together to present a performance that fuses classical performing arts and music, telling the story of the gods that has been passed down in Japan since ancient times, a story that seems familiar but is actually unknown.
The script for this production was written by Kabuki playwright Tobe Kazuhisa. The composition and direction were handled by Onoe Kikunojo, the fourth head of the Onoe School of Japanese dance. The cast includes Onoe Ukon as Susanoo, Kurenai Yuzuru as Iwanagahime, Sato Ryuji as Ninigi-no-Mikoto, Wada Takuma as Izanagi-no-Mikoto, and Umeda Ayaka as Konohanasakuya-hime. The production is also enhanced by the sounds of violinist Kawai Ikuko and traditional Japanese instruments, including the Iwami Kagura dance "The Dance of Thundering Serpents."
This time, we were able to cover the press conference and dress rehearsal that took place on December 28, 2025, prior to the opening.

■ Poetry, Music, and Drama Takes on by Leading Artists Who Have Mastered Japanese Culture ~Encirclement Interview~

Onoe Ukon: I'm Onoe Ukon, playing the role of Susanoo. This production, which was created through intense training in a short period of time with the help of talented actors at the forefront of the entertainment industry, is finally about to begin.
I'm very excited, but the performance period is a little short!
I would like to continue this for a long time, and I am really happy to be working with this group of people. It's a fun and harmonious atmosphere. On top of that, I would like to do my best to make this end of the year enjoyable for our customers.

Kurenai Yuzuru: I'm Kurenai Yuzuru, playing the role of Iwanagahime. As Ukon-san just said, I concentrated and worked hard during what felt like a very short rehearsal period. I'm very happy to be performing with such wonderful people. And I'm very happy that you've all taken the time to come and see the play at the end of the year. I'll do my best, so I hope you'll support me.

Sato Ryuji: I'm Sato Ryuji, the voice of Ninigi-no-Mikoto. I'll do my best! (In response to a reporter's request, "Sato-san, please say one more thing,") One more thing... Okay. Well, this is going to be a long one, but I'll do my best!! Haha Thank you very much!

Takuma Wada: I'm Takuma Wada, who plays Izanagi-no-Mikoto. As Ukon-san and the others said earlier, the performance period was only three days, so rehearsals were over in the blink of an eye. I think we can deliver something truly wonderful to everyone, with a friendly atmosphere and a strong sense of closure. It's a gorgeous production that's perfect for the end of the year, so I'll do my best to make sure everyone enjoys it. Thank you for your support.

Umeda Ayaka: I'm Umeda Ayaka, playing the role of Konohana Sakuyahime. I will do my best with care and responsibility. Thank you for your support.

Ikuko Kawai: I will be playing the violin this time. I am excited to be rehearsing with such cutting-edge performers from a variety of genres. The performance is so beautiful, I am looking forward to the actual performance. I hope everyone will enjoy it. Thank you very much.

Onoe Kikunojo: I will be playing Amaterasu, the Amanohashira. I am Onoe Kikunojo. I am also directing the performance, but it also brings together a wide variety of people, including performers of traditional Japanese instruments, Western instruments, and Iwami Kagura. During the short rehearsal period, we didn't just come together; we practiced while connecting with each other and feeling the energy that was building up through our combined passion. It was only yesterday that the entire company was able to gather. But even so, with a sense of tension as we gather together as comrades, I believe we will be able to confirm the meaning and value of our performing arts as we face the audience we will be welcoming from tomorrow, so I hope you will look forward to it. Thank you for your support.

Q. Please tell us what the highlights of this production are.

Kikunojo: I think the best part of poetry, music and drama is that we get to gather together with people we don't normally have a chance to work with, and we get to explore each other's territory and experience the singing, dancing and acting together.
As we rehearsed, I focused on what I felt at that moment in time and directed the performance accordingly.

Q. Please tell us about the feedback you got from rehearsals and any highlights that are unique to this production.

Ukon: Speaking personally, I did my best in the last poetry-music-drama production, but I felt like it ended up just being a matter of throwing what Kikunojo-sensei had told me and my own ideas at him. Kikunojo-sensei has been watching and caring for me since I was a child, so this time I participated in the rehearsals with the intention of enjoying and feeling the changes in myself, and striving to go beyond what he expected. And once again, I have a strong sense of being with people active in a variety of genres, so it's fun. I think there's an unspoken rule that you have to quietly observe the people practicing, but I couldn't help but talk (laughs). I wasn't able to participate in the rehearsals very often, but even though I joined midway through, everyone was so kind and accepting, even though I chatted and went at my own pace, and I'm having a really good time.

Q. Please tell us how you felt when you first saw the costume and how it felt to wear it.

Beni: When I first saw this costume I thought it was beautiful, but when I actually tried it on I felt more of a sense of being "carried upon" rather than "protected."
I want each and every movement in this costume to have meaning, so I want to entrust myself carefully to it.
Also, during practice I said to Ukon, "What should I do about the costume? What should I do about these sleeves?" and he gave me some wonderful advice: "Instead of feeling that way, you have to think of it as someone who is in control of this costume." I thought that was exactly right, and since then I have been working hard, thinking of it as someone who is in control of the costume, so I would appreciate your support.

Umeda: The costumes were so beautiful that I wanted to look at them from both far and close up, so I felt I had to work hard so that I wouldn't be outdone by them, and hearing what Beni-san and Ukon-san had to say just now really made me want to work hard.

Q. I imagine the rehearsals for this production were different from your usual plays. What was it like rehearsing for it?

Sato: Personally, I think I only participated in rehearsals for about 10 days, but when I went to the theater and watched the rehearsals again, it was truly magnificent. It really made me realize that even during the rehearsals when I wasn't there, everyone was practicing to the fullest, each and every one of them demonstrating their talents.

Wada: There are seven of us here, but this piece was created with the involvement of many people, including musicians, kagura performers, and dancers.
Although I only appear in a limited number of scenes, I was able to enjoy watching the scenes I wasn't in from the rehearsal studio. It was a very valuable experience for me to be able to rehearse with people I don't usually get to meet.

Q. Please tell us if there are any musical points that are unique to this work.

Kawai: I love Japanese instruments and I often collaborate with them. This time too, there are scenes that combine Japanese and Western styles, but I think the composition is such that you can enjoy the dynamism of the music as each instrument erupts in a lively exchange.
There are a variety of dynamic scenes and solemn scenes on stage, and I believe it is the music team that really adds excitement to them, so I hope you will look forward to the music as well.

Q. Please say a few words to the fans who are looking forward to the performance.

Ukon: We on stage also want to close out 2025 with this production and welcome the new year with renewed spirits. We've packed the play with that energy, and if we were to compare it to New Year's Eve soba noodles, it's like eating a bowl of soba noodles so rich you'll think, "I've had enough!" I'm sure there are still people who are unsure whether to see the play, so if you're still undecided, please come and enjoy the performance, which we hope will leave you fully satisfied. Thank you very much.

■The stage world of Japanese mythology opens with a purification ritual ~Student report~

It was my first time to experience an actual purification ceremony on stage before the play began, so it was a very refreshing experience.
As soon as the performance began, I felt as if I was being drawn into the world of mythology by the power of the singing and instruments.
The performers are all people active at the forefront of the entertainment industry, so although the costumes were traditional Japanese, the overall structure and direction of the play was very rich, making it like a treasure trove of all things Japanese entertainment! From start to finish, expressions that transcend genres were unfolding one after the other, making it a very enjoyable performance!
Some people may think that Japanese mythology is a little difficult to understand, but you can have fun learning about it through music, dance, and theater!
It was a wonderful piece that helped me cleanse myself of impurities at the end of the year and prepare for the new year!
Yurie Watanabe, second-year student at Josai International University

[Outline of performance]　J-CULTURE FEST presents Poetry and Music Drama "Yakumo Tatsu"

Organized by: TAILUP / Izutsu / Izutsu Planning / Tokyo International Forum
Planning: Izutsu Yohei
Sponsored by: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Cooperation: Imperial Hotel, Marunouchi Hotel, Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, Hibiya OKUROJI, Tokyo Transportation Center, Mitsubishi Estate Property Management Co., Ltd., Tokyo Station Hotel
Supported by Arts Council Tokyo [Grant for Creating Arts and Cultural Attractions]
Special cooperation: Manners Museum / Kyoto Imperial Court Culture Research Institute / Nippon Engineering College
Official site:https://yakumo2025.com
Official X (old Twitter): @yakumo__2025

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on June 28, 2025 by Yurie Watanabe, second-year student at Josai International University