Governor Kuroiwa of Kanagawa Prefecture x Director Shirai x Ambassador Yagi "Kanagawa Magcul Talk! (Part 2)"

Ambassador Yagi: Let's go back to the charm of Kanagawa. Now that you have become more deeply involved in Kanagawa as artistic director, how do you feel about the charm of Kanagawa?

Director Shirai: Kanagawa is the birthplace of jazz in Japan, and the place where ballet was first introduced. I felt that Kanagawa was quite at the forefront of the arts. As the governor mentioned earlier, I think there is a challenge to accelerate this even more. I had the impression that Yokohama was ahead of the trends. I share the governor's wish to expand such things even more.

Governor Kuroiwa: We are trying to do more and more "gekigeki" musicals. The name "gekigeki musicals" was coined by Ryujin Nishikawa, who is the chairman of the Magcal Table set up by Kanagawa Prefecture, and they are plays that tell stories that are thoroughly related to the land.

Ambassador Yagi: There was a story like this here in Kanagawa.

Governor Kuroiwa: In short, it's like an old legend. It could be the birthplace of something. You focus on that place, dig into the history, and perform it in that place. For example, there's the "Osan Legend." Yokohama used to be the sea. It was reclaimed and became what it is today. Going back hundreds of years, there was a samurai who said that if this place was reclaimed, it would become a port and prosper in the future. He said this and they started construction, but there was always a flood and everyone died. As this continued, a Shinto priest came along and said that they had to make a human sacrifice, and a girl named "Osan" was chosen. As a result, the construction went well and Yokohama became what it is today. That's the story.

Ambassador Yagi: It's a sad story.

Governor Kuroiwa: The setting is that Osan is reincarnated today, but she doesn't know anything about it herself, and is a middle-aged woman working the cash register at a supermarket. The story begins from there. An angel is watching and asks her what she's doing, even though she's Osan's reincarnation. From there, we move into a story of the past, and we learn about the reclamation of land. She is sacrificed as a human sacrifice and dies. The people who live there are acting out how Yokohama became what it is today because of this. Moreover, when you watch the performance while feeling that the sea was once beneath this theater, it hits you in a completely different way. This is what we call geodramatic musicals. There are many of them within the prefecture, so we have them compete with each other and select the best ones to nurture.

Ambassador Yagi: There are also contests and festivals for local musicals.

Governor Kuroiwa: Recently, we held a local musical competition and the best work was selected as "Japan, Yokohama, Ohama-sama." It's just like the legendary princess who lived in the mansion at the time of the opening of the port of Yokohama. Now we are trying to brush it up and make it into a musical.

Governor Kuroiwa: For example, did you know that Kamakura is the birthplace of ballet in Japan?

Ambassador Yagi: Is this the birthplace of ballet?

Governor Kuroiwa: A Russian ballerina defected and came to Japan. She was in Kamakura, where she taught ballet to make a living. That was the beginning of ballet in Japan. There is a big gap between the image of the ancient city of Kamakura and the image of ballet. That's interesting, isn't it? I think that something like this could be the seed that could be turned into a regional musical.

Ambassador Yagi: If you really think about it, there are many places in Kanagawa Prefecture, and each one has its own story, local to local. It's interesting to see all of them come out for each city, town, and village.

Governor Kuroiwa: It would be great if an artistic director could polish up the overall performance that is being done by the community musical performers and turn it into a single piece of work.

Ambassador Yagi: The contrast between you and Chigeki seems interesting. The combination of indigenous feeling and contemporary art seems like it could produce something interesting.

Director Shirai: Yes, Japanese ballet has a Russian lineage. If we trace it back to the people currently performing ballet, we might find that Anna Pavlova ended up in Kamakura. I thought it would be interesting, and listening to the Governor's talk, the story has expanded in my own way.

Ambassador Yagi: It just expanded at this point. It's amazing. A story has been created.

Director Shirai: Just as we were going back to the middle-aged woman at the cash register, I think that there may be some connection between what the governor is saying and what I am aspiring to. I hope that I will find something like that as I go along.

Governor Kuroiwa: The play "The Rise and Fall of Mahogany City" directed by Mr. Shirai. I went to see it on the first and last days and it was completely different.

Ambassador Yagi: That's what's fun about theater.

Governor Kuroiwa: There aren't many people other than Mr. Shirai who criticize the direction so much every time. He watches it every time and criticizes it every time.

Director Shirai: That's right.

Governor Kuroiwa: The first day and the last day are completely different, and the performance has grown significantly. The audience knows this.

Director Shirai: But it's not like we're losing anything by coming on the first day. We're doing our best every day.

Ambassador Yagi: Any final message?

Governor Kuroiwa: Kanagawa has an image of being urban, but you can actually live a country-like life there. There is the Shonan Sea and the rural areas of Ashigara. You can sail or surf or do farm work on the weekends, and go to work on weekdays. You can enjoy that "slightly rural, fashionable Kanagawa life," and you can also enjoy Magcal entertainment and work. I would like to promote Kanagawa as a place that makes such a lifestyle possible.

Director Shirai: My activities mainly involve theater, so I want KAAT to be a place where people can experience art that they can't experience anywhere else. I would be happy if it could become a key location that draws people out into the city.

Ambassador Yagi: It's a place where various things are always happening.

Director Shirai: I think we need to do that more and more.

From the Magcal Editorial Office: This was a conversation that made me realize the fun of local musicals and the charm of Kanagawa, making living in Kanagawa even more enjoyable.
Thank you so much, Governor Kuroiwa, Ambassador Yagi, and Coach Shirai!