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 source of the rainbow "Minato Mirai"
Koichi Imai (editor/writer)

As I was searching for the performance lineups of various theaters and facilities, wondering what kind of work I should introduce next on Magcal.net, I came across a performance that really caught my eye. I'm not sure if the analogy of "Japanese pepper is small and spicy" is correct, but it was a small theater called ST Spot Yokohama, which has few seats and a small space, but has produced notable companies such as Chelfitsch that have spread their wings and spread their wings to the world, and places importance on exchanges with various regions, so I was even more interested in it.
What caught my attention was the performance of Rainbow Element #08 "Minato Mirai," which will have 18 performances in 8 days. These days, even small theaters in Tokyo rarely have so many performances overlapping, so I was very interested in this challenge, the fact that there will be three days with three performances a day.
One night after finishing rehearsals for the recently-opened "Minato Mirai," I caught up with the company's representative, Kumade Ryukyuma. He was born in 1990, so young!

"Usually, we do about seven performances a week, based at Lazona Kawasaki. But for this upcoming performance, we have set ourselves various hurdles to overcome in order to continue as a theater company in the future. One is that we need to increase the number of stages and be able to maintain the same quality of acting and the quality of the work no matter how many times we perform it. Also, although performances usually start on a Wednesday and finish on Sunday, we are also hoping that by extending the week, we can increase the number of customers who come by word of mouth. Both are certainly experimental for us. We are concerned about whether we will be able to do it physically, but we are more determined to give it a go."

No, no, you're still young, so it's okay. And it's better to start climbing higher mountains while you can.
*From "Kimi no Tenohira"

Kumade was such a big fan of theater that he performed in community musicals since junior high school, and also joined the "Hikobae Regional Theater Education Group" and began writing scripts. Volunteers from the Kanagawa Sogo High School drama club launched "Niji no Moto," and reunited after graduating from high school. This was the first period, so to speak. After that, the members changed, and now the new "Niji no Moto" is active.

"We have two concepts in mind: 'Let's create with only love' and 'Shine the tears.' A rainbow is like a miracle, you can see it for just a moment when the sun shines through after it has rained. It also makes you feel happy when you see it. It's the same with the human heart; even if something sad happens, if there is love, a rainbow can be cast. The rainbow that has cast its light in your own heart can then make someone else's heart shine. We are aiming to create a work that conveys such a message."

*From the Museum of Broken Relationships

The visual of the flyer has a worldview reminiscent of a serialized girls' manga, which gives it a somewhat familiar feel, but this time it is the first time that a photograph has been used.
The new work, "Minato Mirai," is based on the theme of the city, which is why he used photos of the city.

"We've always been based in Yokohama, and we've become quite friendly with theater people in Tokyo, so we're often told that we should perform in Tokyo. But we have no intention of moving to Tokyo. We want to bring audiences to Yokohama, precisely. So we asked ourselves why we're performing in Yokohama, and what the significance of doing it in Yokohama is. As this performance has come at a time when various turning points and milestones have come into play, we wanted to make it clear once again that we are a theater company that is doing our best in Yokohama. I'm sure we'll continue to perform works that are firmly rooted in Yokohama."

It may not be the future that everyone dreamed of back then,
No matter how much things change, we've lived here
Minato Mirai is a music duo of girls born in 1989 and raised in Yokohama.
The two aspired to a career in music and made their debut when they were in their third year of high school.
They had never yet tasted alcohol or smelled a man.
They took off running with the momentum of an extension of the light music club.
Twelve years have passed since then, and they are now 30 years old.
The end of the Heisei era. "Minato Mirai" is going its own way.
The group will disband with the final broadcast of their long-running radio program.
"So, what shall we talk about?"
"We have no future to speak of."
"But let's talk about Minato Mirai."
The city of Yokohama, the Heisei era, and a new future.
Rainbow essence gives you hope 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 middle school, and were active until 2011, during which they made their major debut and released four albums. Their journey was very dramatic to me, so I wanted to create a work modeled on them. So I created a fictional unit called Minato Mirai. So, although it's not a musical, there are a lot of songs in it."

We would also like to introduce comments from the two leading actresses, Ito Ayaka who plays Mina and Kimura Eri who plays Mirai.

"I think the story of Minato Mirai will be a major turning point in Mina's life. Mina's feelings, which aren't mentioned much in the lines, are actually packed into the story. I want the audience to be able to understand emotions that cannot be expressed in words. I want Mina and I to be in sync and to move with no falsehood whatsoever. I've been practicing with that in mind. This is a play that anyone can relate to in some way. Please come and see it!" (Ito)

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kimura Eri, who plays Mirai. When I first read the script, I could really relate to Mirai's feelings about music, and I felt like 'I'm glad there's someone who understands me' (laughs). The play is full of nostalgic songs from the Heisei era and songs created specifically for this play, so the music is one of the highlights. There's romance, friends, unrequited love, heartbreak, separation, meetings, music, work, fights, love, and it's a full 75 minutes that you won't have time to breathe. Look forward to it☆" (Kimura)

I once again asked Kumade about his work.

"The theme of the film is about generations and how we will live in the future. As soon as the production of Minato Mirai is over, the new era name will be announced. The city was named "Minato Mirai" before the Heisei era began, with hopes of the future. I wonder what the future was like when we were alive. And let's go to Mirai together. I hope to share this feeling with everyone. This film is filled with our various challenges. I hope you will watch it."

This event has ended.
"Rainbow Source #08 'Minato Mirai'"

■Date: Wednesday, April 17th - Wednesday, April 24th, 2019
■ Venue: ST Spot Yokohama
■ Author: Souka Sakuragi
■ Directed by: Kumade Ryukyuma
■ Ticket price: 3,000 yen for adults, 2,000 yen for high school students and younger (date and time specified, unreserved seating)
■Inquiries: info@nijinomoto.com