◆ 何懿宸
Time flies, time flies! In the blink of an eye, the Tokyo Drama Arts Association has gone through seven years. Since its establishment in July 2017, the association has always adhered to the purpose of promoting the culture and art of the Chinese nation, and has been committed to providing a platform for overseas Chinese in Japan and Japanese friends who love Chinese culture to show themselves, and actively promoting cultural exchanges between China and Japan. In the past seven years, the association has grown from scratch and from small to large. The membership of the association is also growing. This warm and cohesive family has been in the same boat through thick and thin for seven years, co-creating and witnessing the growth and transformation of the association again and again......
In 2017, dreams set sail here
In October 2017, the Tokyo Drama Art Association's "Thunderstorm" was performed for the first time, creating a precedent for Chinese in Japan to perform a drama in Japan for the first time. This performance marks the official entry of the Tokyo Drama Art Association into the art stage in Japan, and it is also a tribute to overseas Chinese in Japan through drama.
2018 Classics Through Time and Space
In February 2018, the Tokyo Drama Arts Association once again paid tribute to the classics and performed the classic drama "Thunderstorm" in four acts; In May 2018, the association made persistent efforts to launch the small theater drama "The Professor's Sunset Red"; In November 2018, the drama "Silver Wedding" was premiered and received rave reviews upon its launch. This series of performances has greatly enriched the cultural life of Chinese in Japan.
In 2019, we talked about growth in the spring breeze
In April 2019, at the request of the audience, the three-act emotional drama "Silver Wedding" was performed again. Because of the in-depth reproduction of the era of the Chinese study in Japan in the late 80s, their difficult struggle in a foreign country and their emotional stories brought tears to the eyes of every audience who had a similar experience. The response to the performance was overwhelming, and it also made more audiences realize the charm of drama art.
2020 Breakthrough and innovation
In January 2020, Ling Qingcheng, president of the Tokyo Drama Art Association, put the poetry drama "Jianzhen Dongdu" on the stage of the Japanese branch of the 6th Chinese Poetry Spring Festival Gala, allowing the audience to deeply feel the historical origin of Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges.
Since then, the global epidemic has raged, and the Drama Association has changed the way of artistic expression from offline to online. In August 2020, together with the famous domestic reciter group - Ah Zi Recitation Group, a special online recitation of Ah Zi's poetry, was held.
On September 27, 2020, the Tokyo Recitation Art Troupe was officially established, and on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day, the association brought you an online live broadcast party of "Chanting to Celebrate the Glory and Welcome the National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival".
2021 Encounter with foreign classics
In February 2021, with the support of the Tokyo Drama Art Association, the Tokyo Recitation Art Troupe ushered in the online live broadcast of the "2021 New Year Foreign Classics Recitation Drama" after two months of rehearsals, which was also the first live broadcast of the Tokyo Recitation Art Troupe on YouTube. "Romeo and Juliet", "The Last Leaf", "Galileo" and many other classic works, through online live broadcast, break the boundaries of time and space, let you and I look at each other in the air, let you and I meet foreign classics!
In August 2021, the association held the "Charm Acquaintance Cup Recitation Competition", which is not only a grand event of recitation art, but also a deep tribute to the profound art of Chinese Chinese!
2022 China-Japan Friendship
In October 2022, on the occasion of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, the Tokyo Drama Arts Association specially launched the original four-act drama "Love", which won unanimous praise from the audience through the vivid interpretation of the Chinese in Japan who are in a foreign country and the difficult journey of the epidemic! The ingenious arrangement of the "Sino-Japanese Friendly Relations" and other plots in the play shows the friendship and affection between the Chinese and Japanese peoples, which is moving.
2023 Brilliant moments
In April 2023, the Tokyo Repertory Theatre was established, a milestone in the development of the Tokyo Drama Arts Association, which is mainly responsible for public performances and exchange performances.
In 2023, in order to create more stages for the members of the troupe to practice art, the Tokyo Recitation Art Troupe decided to hold the "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter Four Seasons Recital".
In November 2023, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the conclusion of the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the Tokyo Drama Arts Association performed the legendary historical drama "Empress Wu Zeten" at the Ginza Chuo Kaikan. This work is not only a tribute to Chinese history and culture, but also an affirmation and celebration of the power of women. Through this play, the association has demonstrated its profound accumulation and creative skills in the field of drama art.
In 2024, a hundred flowers will bloom
In April 2024, the "Spring Appointment Recital" will be held in Odaiba, Tokyo, which not only has a novel form, but also introduces the concept of secondary creation of works, that is, the performers integrate their own interpretation and understanding of the works into the performance, which arouses strong resonance among the audience.
In May 2024, in response to the audience's praise, the four-act drama "Empress Wu Zetian" will be staged again at the Ginza Central Hall.
In June 2024, the "Summer Lotus Classic Drama Fragments and Monologue Performance" will be held in the small theater of the Japan Poetry Academy. The recital will use a "dusty" poster with a unique style, creativity and a sense of the Republic of China, which will push the performance named "Summer Lotus" to a new perspective stage......
The future can be "expected"
As we look back on the past seven years, we look forward to the future with confidence. The Association will continue to strengthen the performance training of its members and introduce more drama productions with artistic value.
The association will continue to invite cultural and art experts from China and Japan to give lectures and training, help members better improve their artistic and cultural literacy, and further promote the interaction and integration of Chinese and Japanese folk art and culture through various exchange activities.
At the same time, the association will also organize exchanges and performances with internationally renowned recitation and drama groups, absorb and integrate cultural elements from all over the world through multicultural and multi-dimensional artistic exchange activities, and constantly enrich the artistic expression and content of the association.
On the way to the drama, thank you for having you
Seven years of history, full of hardships and glory! On this special day, on behalf of all the members of the association, Ling Qingcheng, President of the Tokyo Drama Arts Association, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to friends from all walks of life for their great support over the past seven years and for their continued love for our audience. I hope that in the next seven years, we will all be able to work hand in hand, get to know each other, and write a more brilliant chapter for the Tokyo Drama Art Association!
About the Author:
He Yichen has been in Japan for 12 years, the head of the publicity department of the Tokyo Drama Art Association, and the head of the operation of a self-media company. He has worked as an editor at "Beautiful MAMA" magazine, and has been working as an editor for travel magazines and official accounts such as "Tokyo Drama Art Association" and "Jiajia Bento". Many articles have been published in major Japanese newspapers and in today's headlines.