TAICHI-KIKAKU Contact : TAICHI-KIKAKU
Taichi-Kikaku has performed in more than 24 countries around the world. Their vision of art could be called “Shintaishi” or “Body Poetry”, which could be explained by “a new theatre beyond words”.Shintaishi (Body Poetry)
TAICHI-KIKAKU is Japanese theatre performance group established in 1985.
From 1988, we had performances in Paris every year.
We had the pleasure to perform in different countries as Italy, Greece, Poland, Rumania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia,Hungary, Bosnia Herzegovina, Belgium, England, Finland, Canada, Israel, Egypt, Hong-Kong, Viet-nam, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Estonia, and Korea.
Moreover in 1995 we won the Best Actor Award at the 7th CAIRO international experimental theatre festival.
It is not to be said that we perform every year in Japan.
Our performance is not just play-acting, not exactly dance, neither pantomime. What the group TAICHI-KIKAKU performs is BODY POETRY.
BODY POETRY is an original method of body expression created by TAICHI-KIKAKU, based on its performing experiences accumulated in Japan and all over the world.
It is composed by a mixture of body expression, image(film), voice, poem,music and idea.
It intends to develop a work about the existence of the universal soul – the common property shared by all human beings. That is what we mean by BODY POETRY.
It is to develop a work about the ancient Japanese Manyo animism, not in religious term, but as a work of art. It is beyond language and easily understandable by the audience of every country. This new theatre, which doesn’t need translation nor subtitles, brings out the importance of universality, the expression and exchanges of spiritual energy shared by all countries, cultures and languages.
Director Lumiko Morimura’s artistic world expresses her vision of life and death, of metempsychosis or reincarnation as well as moral science, not through religion, but through art. Mrs. Morimura’s world could be described as body poetry told with spiritual energy and has fascinated audiences from all over the world.
TAICHI-KIKAKU appeared in the English book.
★ ★“The Greatest Shows on Earth World Theatre from Peter Brook to the Sydney Olympics” ★ ★
The Primordial Art
The Primordial Art is the main thema chosen by Rumiko Morimura, the leader of TAICHI-KIKAKU.
The purpose is to develop a work about the ancient Japanese Manyo animism, not in religious terms, but as a work of art. Going back to very biginning, to that primitive art which was one with religion, he group seeks its original way of expression. It intends to develop a work about the existence of the universal soul – the common property shared by all human beings. That is what we mean by the Primordial Art.
The Primordial Art is also to perform the theme “What About The Future” along with the audience.
Body Poetry ”Joy Island”
This is Joy Island that three people’s fantasy island.
One poetess who lives in the other world.
One actor whose ambition is to play of King Lear and One postman who is a messenger between two friends of long standing,
A and B whose are living in opposite worlds.
Production;
A “physical poem” by Director Rumiko Morimura
[Joy Island] is full of artistic magical power and power of the earth like magma on the stage.
Rumiko created “ a new style of physical poetry in space” which is based on ‘KI’ (spirit).
Her Theatre company, called TAICHI-KIKAKU has performed publicly in 20 differrent countries including Sarajevo International Festival in October 2000.
The idea of ‘Joy Island’ was started at a graveyard in Sarajevo where a lot of teenagers were buried.
This performance is her appeal to all the spirits in the graves.
The performance includes a live play and a documentary film taken in Sarajevo and in the Nara-Chougakuji temple, a cultural heritage site in Japan.
Writer, Director; Lumiko Morimura
Actors; Yosuke Ohashi,
Asahi Yoshida,
Rumiko Morimura
Picture; Eisei Tabuchi
Producer; Yosuke Ohashi
“Golden Fish – Metempsychosis” (90 minutes)
The human being continues to exist in this world as well as in the outer world, repeating the metempsychosis.
He exists in this world like he was part of a theatre play for a while and would leave to the outer world abandoning everything without hesitation, a suitcase full of his memories, souvenirs and imaginations of this world…
The golden fish slowly comes from the western sky moving its caudal fin at the moment, at the time of death, the soul leaves the body of each human being.
After having wrapped the dying body, it returns, floating in the wind, toward the western sky.
When its body crosses the sunset, its silver scales became golden in the light, hence the name of golden fish.
He is the guide who leads the soul from this world to the other.
It is said that human beings can see it only once, when they are about to pass away.
However, very rarely and exceptionally, it seems that there are some people who have seen it before death and will spend the rest of their lives thinking of the golden fish, longing.
“Friend 2012 ~ soul mate ~”
A huge number of people have been separated from their family, relatives and friends by the catastrophic earthquake on March 11, 2011. This ironically reminds us the very simple but important idea: we never live without ties with others.
We, Taichi-kikaku, have skepticism to excessive emphasis on modern technology because we think it results in weakening or even devastating bonds of people.
We put light on primitive bonds of people depicting friendship in this work, as well as emits a question to people:‘Are you really happy?’
A series of footages imposed between performances were taken in Africa and Egypt. You can see Ohashi and Morimura, performers of Taichi-kikaku, communicated with villagers throughout their bodies and tried to make firm bonds to them.
We would be very happy if audience could feel the inherent values of human beings through this work.
★ ★ “Friend 2012 ~ soul mate” Review ★ ★
Recorded of Overseas Performmances
1988 March
・Espace Japon (Paris France)
1989 August
・Theatre Le Ranelagh
(Paris France, for the 200th French Revolution)
September
・participation in the movie “La Nuit Miraculeuse” (directed by Theatre de Soleil, Aliane Mnouchkine)
1990 September
・Participation in MARS (Paris, France)
October
・The 9th International Festival Open Theaters in Wroclaw (Wroclaw, Poland)
・Service Cultural et d’Information Ambassade de Japon en France (Paris, France)
1991 Europe tour October
･Service Cultural et d’Information Ambassade de Japon en France (Paris, France)
･ISTITUTO GIAPPONESE DI CULTURA (Rome, Italy)
･THEATRO OLIMPIA (Sassari, Italy)
･THEATRE OF MACEDONIAN STUDIES (Thessaloniki, Greece, The Dimitria Festival)
1992 January
・Fringe Studio 2 (Hong-Kong, Hong-KONG Festival Fringe)
October Activities in Africa
･performance at The Centre Culture France (in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire)
･performance at Dyoulabougou village (in Glandlahou, Cote d’Ivoire)
･first shots for the movie “Je suis en Afrique”, with the cooperation of Ivoirean actors and movie director.
November
・Workshop in Paris (with Yoshi Oida)
1993 Activities in Africa October
“Je suis en Afrique” (Film)
“The Beans Trip – African version” (play)
･abidjan (C.C.F.Theatre)
･Bouake (Palais du Carnaval)
･Sakassou (a local meeting place)
･Glandlahou (an open space in the market)
･Yopougon (Theatre sans Frontieres)
November
Service Cultural et d’Information Ambassade de Japon en France (Paris, France)
1994 July
“BERGAMO FILM FESTIVAL ’94” (The film “Je suis en Afrique” was officially invited to participate in this International Movie Festival)
October
・Ambassade Japon (Paris, France)
1995 September
･The 7th Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre
(Al-Takia Theatre in Cairo Egypt)
*Received the BEST ACTOR AWARD
(TAICHI-KIKAKU received the first international award in this festival of Cairo)
･The cultural Palace of Kafer EL Shorafa (Kafer EL Shorafa, Egypt)
･Haifa Museum (Haifa, Israel)
Octorber France tour
･Service Cultural et d’Information Ambassade de Japon (Paris)
･Centre socio-culturel du Fosse-des-Treize (Strasbourg)
･Cameleon (Besancon)
1996 Israel tour September
･Haifa museum (Haifa)
･Tikotin museum (Haifa, took part in “Japan Day”)
･Maalot Festival (Maalot)
Octorber France tour
･Service Cultural et d’Information Ambassade de Japon (Paris)
･Cameleon (Besancon)
･MJC Dole (Dole, invited by Maison des Junes et de la Culture)
1997 June
･The Hanoi institute of theatre and cinema (Hanoi, Viet-Nam, invited by Ministry of Culture and Information of Viet-Nam)
France tour
･Service Cultural et d’Information Ambassade de Japon (Paris)
･Cine-bal de Aubette (Strasbourg)
･C.L.A. (Besancon, took part of HAIGO Festival)
1998 May.June East Europe tour .
・Sibiu International Theater Festival (Rumania)
・Varna International Theater Festival (Bulgaria)
・ MOT International Theater Festival (Macedonia)
1999 Sept.Oct.
・Zagreb (Croatia)
・Internatinal Moving Theater Festival (Budapest,Hungary)
・Workshop in Paris
2000 Oct.Nov.Dec
・Sarajevo(Bosnia Herzegovina)
・Abidjan(Cote d’Ivoire)
・Workshop & performance in Paris
2001 Nov.
・Dakar(Senegal)
・Workshop & performance in Paris
2002
・Workshop in Bruxelles (Belgium)
・Workshop in Chester (England)
2003
・Lithuania
・Workshop & performance in Pari s
・Workshop & performance in Chester, Manchester (England)
(go and take a look at the Edinburgh Theater Festival)
2004
(go and take a look at the Avignon Theater Festival)
2005
・Sibiu International Theater Festival (Rumania)
2006
・Workshop & performance in Montreal (Canada)
2008
・Workshop & performance in Chester, Manchester, Riverpool, Coventry (England)
2010 Aug.
・Workshop & performance in Helsinki, Vantaa, Kokkola (Finland)
2012 May
・Workshop & performance in Helsinki (Finland), Viljandi(Estonia)
2014 May
・Workshop & performance in Seoul, Chuncheon(Korea)