Happy-Go-Solo

Marcos Joruri: Kinkaku-ji (September 2026)

Marcos Morau's world premiere, in which bunraku puppets, kabuki and dance cross paths, seen on my first visit to Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. A puppet more human than anyone, a Maholo who exists only now, and the answer to "Beauty & Ruin".

2026.09.03

Bunraku

Shinjuku Suehirotei Early-September Program: Evening Show (September 2026)

My first visit to Shinjuku Suehirotei: I slipped in after the intermission and took a seat near the back. Nana Hitomi's magic act had me laughing, and headliner Yujaku Sanyutei's "Yodogoro" left me hooked. Yose is going to be a habit.

2026.09.02

Others

MET Live in HD: Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci (September 2026)

A double bill of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at Togeki. A dark, beautiful first opera, a second that never let go from "Vesti la giubba" onward, and one tenor who looked like two different people. A day at a gloriously retro Tokyo cinema.

2026.09.02

Others

Lucie Rie: Elegant Vessels Fusing East and West (September 2026)

I went to the Teien Art Museum for Lucie Rie's vessels, swooned over a white vase I imagined filling with flowers, and then lost my heart to the staircase and study of the former Prince Asaka Residence. Architecture over Lucie Rie, sorry. A solo museum visit.

2026.09.02

Museums

Mitani Bunraku: Marionette Misanthropy (August 2026)

The star is the bunraku puppet itself. Koki Mitani's new bunraku Marionette Misanthropy at Kyoto Gekijo made me laugh at modern words chanted in gidayu style, and cry over the bond joining puppet and puppeteers.

2026.08.22

Bunraku

A Tabletop Journey: Hakata Ikkousha Hakata DEITOS (August 2026)

Ajitama chashu ramen and bite-sized gyoza at Hakata Ikkousha in Hakata Men Kaido, Hakata Station. A solo ramen tabletop journey with foam-style tonkotsu soup and an unexpected kaedama incident.

2026.08.15

Solo Gourmet

August Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Article Roundup (August 2026)

A reading guide to my August Program posts from the Kabukiza Theatre, from the flat-rate service visits to later return visits to Parts 1, 2, and 3.

2026.08.14

Kabuki

A Tabletop Journey: Mariage Frères Ginza Main Store (August 2026)

A glossy chocolate cake and a strong chai-based tea at the Mariage Frères main store in Ginza, plus a box of Rouge Bourbon — a vanilla-flavoured rooibos — to take home. A tea-time record from Ginza's temple of tea.

2026.08.14

Solo Gourmet

August Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Part 1 (August 2026, Third Visit) | Subscription Service 4

A detour to Togeki, then my third Kaidan Botan Doro of the month. Ukon's comic timing savoured through opera glasses, Midori Onoe's perfect ghost, and a tasty discovery at Hanakago. Another wonderful day out!

2026.08.14

Kabuki

August Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Part 3 (August 2026)

An empty auditorium all to myself before curtain, the adorable Matsumushi duo, Tamasaburō's jiuta-mai dances, a Tokyo Kitcho bento at intermission — and a downpour and Kabuki Nyantaro to finish. My night at Part 3 of the August Program.

2026.08.13

Kabuki