This arts festival got its start in 2014, following the works of a troupe of contemporary dancers who visited in support of the regions stricken by the Great East Japan Earthquake. At launch, it began with just four municipalities in Japan’s Sanriku region, but has now expanded since 2018, held as a collective across 15 different cities and towns in Sanriku in collaboration with private organizations, Iwate Prefecture and the municipalities of Sanriku.
The stars of the arts festival are Dance & Performance Arts. Sanriku has garnered wide acclaim across the globe, known as a treasure trove of unique, local performing arts. The harsh, natural environment in Sanriku paved the way for the many folk arts groups that took root here, as well as for their heritage works like Bird Dance, Sword Dance, Deer Dance, Sansa, Nanyadoyara and Kagura, still in practice today.
The festival’s aim is to bolster the region by creating a cultural interchange with global performing art groups and modern artists, by creating programming to be enjoyed either as an audience or firsthand via experiences and shared around the world. The theme in FY2023 is “Utsuru”, with events planned at every stage from September 2023 to March, 2024. Check out the official website for more details.
Highlights
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Stage is set at Sanriku, a treasure trove of performing arts unlike any other in the world.
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Mainstay of the arts festival are "Dance & Performance Arts".
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Made to enjoy as an audience or firsthand via experiential programming.
