From Heisei to the future. Yokohama's "Rainbow Element" takes on the challenge of 18 stages
The place where plays are born
File.5 The Essence of Rainbows: Minato Mirai
Koichi Imai (Editor/Writer)
Next, as I was searching through the performance lineups of various theaters and venues, wondering "what kind of work would be good to introduce to Magcal.net?", I came across a performance that really caught my eye. I'm not sure if the saying "small peppers can be surprisingly spicy" is accurate, but it was at ST Spot Yokohama, a small theater with limited seating and a cramped space, which is known for producing notable companies like Chelfitsch that have gone on to achieve international success, and for its emphasis on exchanges with various regions, so it piqued my interest all the more.
What caught my attention was the performance of Niji no Moto #08 "Minato Mirai," which will have a whopping 18 shows in just 8 days. These days, even in small theaters in Tokyo, there are few that have so many shows, so I was really intrigued by this challenge, especially the fact that there are three days with three shows each day.
One evening, after finishing rehearsals for the newly started play "Minato Mirai," I caught up with the theater company's representative, Ryukuma Kumade. He was born in 1990—so young!
"Normally, we'd be based at Lazona Kawasaki and do about seven shows a week. But with this upcoming performance, we've set ourselves several hurdles to overcome as a theater company. One is that we need to increase the number of shows so that we can maintain the same quality of acting and artistic integrity no matter how many times we do them. Also, normally the shows start around Wednesday and end on Sunday, but by extending it to the next week, we hope to increase the number of audience members who come through word of mouth. Both of these are definitely experimental for us. We do have some concerns about whether we'll be able to handle it physically, but our desire to do it is stronger."
No, no, you're young, so you'll be fine. And you should climb as many high mountains as you can while you're still young.
*From "Kimi no Tenohira"
Kumade has been a theater enthusiast since junior high school, appearing in community musicals and even joining the "Hikobae Regional Theater Education Group" to begin writing scripts. He co-founded "Niji no Moto" with volunteers from the Kanagawa Sogo High School drama club, and reformed "Niji no Moto" after graduating from high school. This marked the beginning of the group's first phase. Since then, the members have changed, and the group is now active as a newly formed "Niji no Moto."
"We have two concepts: 'Let's create with love alone' and 'Shine the tears.' A rainbow is like a miracle, something you can only see for a moment when the sun shines through the rain. And when you see one, it makes you happy. It's the same with people's hearts; even when sad things happen, if there is love, you can create a rainbow. And that rainbow in your own heart can then make someone else's heart shine. We aim to create works that convey that message."
*From "The Museum of Heartbreak"
The flyer's visuals evoke the world of a serialized shojo manga, giving it a friendly and approachable feel, but this time, for the first time, it uses photographs.
The new work, "Minato Mirai," is a piece themed around the city. That's why he used photographs of the city.
"We've been performing in Yokohama for a long time, and we've become quite friendly with theater people in Tokyo, so we often hear them say, 'You should perform in Tokyo.' But we don't want to move to Tokyo. We want to bring audiences to Yokohama. So we reconsidered why we continue to perform in Yokohama, and what the significance of performing in Yokohama is. This performance marks various milestones and turning points, so we thought we should reaffirm that 'we are a theater company that will continue to work hard in Yokohama.' I'm sure we'll continue to create works that are rooted in Yokohama."
It may not be the future everyone dreamed of back then.
No matter how much things change, we have lived here.
Minato Mirai is a music unit consisting of two girls born in 1989 and raised in Yokohama.
The two aspired to a career in music and made their debut during their third year of high school.
They were girls who had never tasted alcohol or smelled a man's scent.
We started running with the same kind of momentum as if we were just an extension of the light music club.
Twelve years have passed since then. They are now 30 years old.
The end of the Heisei era. Minato Mirai is moving forward in its own way.
The group will disband after the final broadcast of their long-running radio program.
"Now, what should we talk about?"
"We have no future to speak of."
"Nevertheless, let's talk about Minato Mirai."
The city of Yokohama, the Heisei era, and a new future.
Rainbow's essence presents wishes for the future and a bridge to happiness.
"There was a music unit from Kawasaki called RYTHEM that has since disbanded. They debuted when I was in junior high school, and they were active until 2011, making their major debut and releasing four albums. Their journey was very dramatic to me, and I wanted to create a work based on them. So I created a fictional unit called 'Minato Mirai.' It's not a musical, but there are lots of songs in it."
Let's also look at comments from the two lead actresses, Ayaka Ito, who plays Mina, and Eri Kimura, who plays Mirai.
"This story set in Minato Mirai will be a huge turning point in Mina's life. There are actually a lot of feelings of Mina's that aren't explicitly stated in the lines, but are packed into the story. I'm working hard in rehearsals with the hope that the audience will feel emotions that are difficult to put into words, and that Mina and I can synchronize and perform movements that are completely genuine. It's a work that anyone can relate to in some way. Please come and see it!" (Ito)
"Hello everyone. I'm Kimura Eri, and I play the role of Mirai. When I first read the script, I felt a strong connection to Mirai's feelings about music, and I was so happy to find someone who understands me (laughs). The play is packed with nostalgic songs that colored the Heisei era, as well as songs created specifically for this stage production, so the music is one of the things to look forward to. And it's a full 75 minutes filled with romance, friendship, unrequited love, heartbreak, separation, encounters, music, work, arguments, and more—you won't have a moment to catch your breath. I hope you enjoy it☆" (Kimura)
I asked Kumade about his work again.
"The themes revolve around generations and how we want to live our lives going forward. As soon as the 'Minato Mirai' performance is over, the new imperial era name will be announced. This town was named 'Minato Mirai' with the hope that it would become a future city, even before the Heisei era began. What was the 'future' like back when we lived through it? And let's all go to the future together. I hope we can share these feelings with everyone. This work is filled with various challenges we've faced. I would be very happy if you would come and see it."
This event has ended.
《Rainbow Essence #08 'Minato Mirai'》
■Dates: Wednesday, April 17th - Wednesday, April 24th, 2019
■Venue: ST Spot Yokohama
■Written by: Sakuragi Soka
■Direction: Tatsuhisa Kumade
■Ticket prices: General admission 3,000 yen, high school students and younger 2,000 yen (date and time specified, all seats unreserved)
■Inquiries: info@nijinomoto.com
