A family ballet show featuring Gachapin will be held in Sagamihara on September 12th.

Kanagawa Prefecture is said to be the birthplace of ballet in Japan. In particular, the Sagamiko area of Midori Ward, Sagamihara City, is currently promoting an initiative called "Sagamiko Art and Culture Town Development (Ballet Town Sagamiko)." With the aim of building momentum and increasing awareness of this activity, a performance for young children who have never seen or experienced ballet before, "Family Ballet Show Toy Box Papaan!" will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at "Honegori Mori no Hall Hashimoto" in Midori Ward, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The event is organized by the Sagamiko Arts and Culture Town Development Executive Committee (planning and production: Atelier Yoshino Co., Ltd.). It will be held as a <Regional Children's Performing Arts Promotion and Awareness Performance>, with the Sagamihara City Cultural Foundation as a co-sponsor.

Why ballet at "Sagami Lake"?

Kanagawa Prefecture is considered the "birthplace of Japanese ballet," as the first ballet school in Japan opened in Shichirigahama, Kamakura City. It also boasts the third-highest ballet learning rate in the country (according to research by the Showa University of Music Ballet Institute), indicating a strong ballet culture. In addition to hosting the large-scale "Sagami Lake Outdoor Ballet Festival" four times at Sagami Lake Park, the lakeside is home to the headquarters of a well-known ballet costume rental company.

Taking advantage of these resources around Lake Sagami, the local government and community organizations are supporting town development centered around ballet. This year, a multi-purpose stage is scheduled to be installed in Sagami Lake Prefectural Park, and this unique community activity of "coexistence between nature and ballet (art)" is expanding.

Aiming to create a ballet version of "Hirake! Ponkikki"

This performance targets young children aged 3 to 6 who have never seen or experienced ballet before. The goal is to create a ballet version of the popular children's educational program "Hirake! Ponkikki," which was broadcast in the past. To embody this concept, Gachapin, a popular character created by the program, will appear as a special guest. This kind of performance is said to be an unprecedented attempt in the Japanese ballet world.

Before and after each performance, there are storytelling segments where audience members can sing along, clap their hands, and move their bodies in their seats, allowing them to fully experience dance and ballet.
And at the end of the performance, with the desire to deliver the true essence of ballet to children who are experiencing it for the first time, a grand pas de deux from the masterpiece "Le Corsaire" will be performed. The dancers will be Yuzuki Hanagata, a soloist with the New National Theatre Ballet and a native of Sagamihara City, and Kosuke Morimoto, also a member of the same company.

The composition and script are in charge of scriptwriter and lyricist Mari Sato. Born in Yokohama, she graduated from the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University and joined the Shiki Theatre Company (Shiki Co., Ltd.) where she worked in production. After leaving the company, she worked as a freelance assistant director and participated in numerous productions. Currently, she works on novels, television drama scripts, and stage play scripts and lyrics, and has been involved in community musical activities in Oda City, Shimane Prefecture since 1996. The overall direction and choreography are in charge of Taiki Miura.

We asked them about their enthusiasm for the performance.

Composition and script: Mari Sato (scriptwriter and lyricist)

Please tell us about your thoughts and feelings regarding this performance.

What kind of image do you have of "ballet"?
If you think that it's something you have to watch properly, something highbrow, and therefore impossible for you (or your child), then that's very unfortunate.
I have memories of watching plays as a child, cheering loudly for the main character.
That's why, in this performance, we've included parts where young children can sing, make noise, and move their bodies, so that they can enjoy it. We hope they'll participate enthusiastically and come to love ballet, realizing how fun it is!

What are the highlights?

In addition to the exhilarating choreography, please also pay attention to the diverse costumes, which feature beautiful flowers, cute animals, and characters from well-known stories.
The show is packed with highlights, including visuals, music, and lighting. The storyteller and the magician, along with Gachapin and Yoshino-chan, will guide you through the toy box and reveal what treasures will pop out.

Please leave a message.

I hope this performance will become a cherished memory that will remain in everyone's hearts forever.

Guest Dancer: Yuzuki Hanagata (Soloist, New National Theatre Ballet)

Please tell us about your thoughts and feelings regarding this performance.

I started ballet at KMA Ballet Arts in Midori Ward, Sagamihara City, and have performed on the Mori no Hall stage many times in recitals and competitions. Therefore, I am very happy and deeply moved to be able to return to this stage as a professional dancer.
Through this performance, I hope that children and those experiencing ballet for the first time will feel the joy and beauty of ballet and music up close. For children who are working hard at ballet, I hope this will inspire them to dream of dancing on a big stage someday, and for those seeing it for the first time, I hope it will make them want to see it again.

What are the highlights?

This time, I will be dancing with Kosuke Morimoto from the same ballet company (New National Theatre Ballet) in the Grand Pas de Deux from "Le Corsaire." "Le Corsaire" is a very captivating work throughout, but this Grand Pas de Deux in particular is a spectacular piece, filled with beautiful music, dazzling technique, and dynamic dancing. I hope you will pay attention not only to the advanced technique unique to classical ballet, but also to the interplay between the two of us and the energy on stage.

Please leave a message.

I myself still cherish the stage performances I saw as a child. I hope that the time spent at this performance will become a special and memorable experience for all of you, and that it will one day inspire you to think of ballet or visit the theater once again.

A 90-minute experience where the whole family can sing, clap along, and appreciate the true beauty of ballet. Why not take your children to their first ballet performance this summer?

Family Ballet Show: Toy Box Papa! Performance Overview
Date and time: Saturday, September 12, 2026 1st performance starts at 12:30 / 2nd performance starts at 16:00
*Doors open 30 minutes before each performance, and the performance is expected to last approximately 90 minutes (including intermission).
Venue: Honegori Mori no Hall Hashimoto (7F Miwi Hashimoto, 3-28-1 Hashimoto, Midori-ku, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture / Immediately outside the North Exit of Hashimoto Station on the JR and Keio Lines)
Organizer: Sagamiko Arts and Culture Town Development Committee
Co-sponsored by: Sagamihara City Cultural Foundation
Planning and production: Atelier Yoshino Co., Ltd.
Composition and script: Mari Sato
Direction and choreography: Taiki Miura
Choreography: Kotone Yamada
Special guest: Gachapin
Guest dancers: Yuzuki Hanagata (New National Theatre Ballet), Kosuke Morimoto (New National Theatre Ballet)
Price: Child rates available (ages 3 to elementary school age)