- Tour
Enjoy a weekend of programs, talks, conversations, and photo ops!
The Commons Tour is an efficient way to enjoy multiple programs at Theater Commons Tokyo ’25 during an intensive two-day group tour. The tour will be held on both weekends during the festival period and, in addition to tickets to the programs, offers activities only available for participants, including intros and post-performance talks, conversations with the guides and fellow tour goers, mixers, and photo ops. The tours are guided, respectively, by Tomoko Shimizu (cultural theory, professor of Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts / Tour A), Akihito Hirano (translator, interpreter / Tour B), who will help deepen the Theater Commons experience through conversation and exchange. The Commons Tour has the potential to create a new, active audience community that transcends generations and genres.
Tour schedule
Tour A
*For Kyun-Chome’s “Breath in the Dark for Peace”, tour participants will split into two groups to attend the performance on either Sunday or Monday.
DAY 1 | February 23rd [Sun]
[Group 1]
11:45 Gather at Minato Commons
12:00–13:10 “Breath in the Dark for Peace” by Kyun-Chome
[Both groups]
13:15 Gather at Minato Commons, intro talk by Chiaki Soma
14:00–15:10 “Index for Obake Tokyo: East Asia Chapter” by Tomoko Sato
16:00–18:00 Commons Forum #1
18:30– Mixer (participation optional; an additional participation fee is required).
DAY 2 | February 24th [Mon]
[Group 2]
11:45 Gather at Minato Commons
12:00–13:10 “Breath in the Dark for Peace” by Kyun-Chome
[Travel time]
[Both groups]
14:15 Gather at Spiral Hall, intro talk by Chiaki Soma
15:00–16:10 “The Vertiginous Story of Orthosia” by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige (*with Post talk)
18:00–19:00 Homesick for Another World by Mei Liu (*with Post talk)
20:30–21:30 Wrap-up gathering (includes drink and snacks)
*Participants on this tour are eligible to attend Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige’s film screening program “Ismyrna and more” for free. It is not included in your tour itinerary; please make a separate reservation if you would like to attend the program.
Tour B
*For Kyun-Chome’s “Breath in the Dark for Peace”, tour participants will split into two groups to attend the performance on either Saturday or Sunday.
DAY 1 | March 1st [sat]
[Both groups]
13:15 Gather at Spiral Hall, intro talk by Chiaki Soma
14:00–15:10 “Index for Obake Tokyo: East Asia Chapter” by Tomoko Sato
[Group 1]
16:00–17:10 “Breath in the Dark for Peace” by Kyun-Chome
[Group 2]
19:00–20:10 “Breath in the Dark for Peace” by Kyun-Chome
*Participants on this tour are eligible to attend Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige’s film screening program “Ismyrna and more” for free. It is not included in your tour itinerary; please make a separate reservation if you would like to attend the program.
*There will be two screenings on the tour date, scheduled at 11:30am and 4:30pm. For those who wish to attend, please head to Institut français de Tokyo’s Espace Images. Tour participants in Group 1 will not be able to attend the 4:30pm screening.
*Tour participants may wait inside Minato Commons during the free time between Tomoko Sato’s and Kyun-Chome’s performances.
DAY 2 | March 2nd [Sun]
10:45 Gather at Spiral Hall, intro talk by Chiaki Soma
11:30–13:10 “KITTY” by Satoko Ichihara/Q
14:00–15:30 Commons Forum #3
[Travel time]
16:40–17:15 Mini wrap-up gathering
17:15 Intro talk by Chiaki Soma
18:00–19:00 “I’m looking into your eyes, social context of deception!” by René Pollesch / Ayaka Ono Akira Nakazawa Spacenotblank
19:15–20:15 Wrap-up gathering (includes drink and snacks)
Profile
Tomoko Shimizu
Born in Aichi. Professor of Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. Her research interests are media and cultural theory. She is the author of “Culture and Violence: The Unravelling Union Jack” (Getsuyosha), and “Disney and Animals: Breaking the Spell of Magic Kingdom” (Chikuma Shobo). Her co-translation works include: “Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly” by Judith Butler, “The Force of Nonviolence” by Judith Butler, “Declaration” by Antonio Negri and Michael Hart, and “Surveillance after September 11” by David Lyon.
Akihito Hirano
Translator (Japanese, French, Italian). He has worked mainly on plays, but also on novels, psychoanalysis, and nonfiction. He is also active in Japan and abroad as an interpreter specializing in the performing arts and as a multilingual performer. His translations include “The Inability to Be Alone” (Kodansha), “Hitler, My Neighbor” (Iwanami Shoten), “Of Pure Men” (Eiji Press, Inc.), etc. On New Year’s Day 2025, he published a poetic essay about translation on his website, which received over 200,000 hits in one week.
Date
Tour A | February 23rd [Sun], 24th [Mon]
Navigator | Tomoko Shimizu (cultural theory, professor of Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts)
Programs |
“Breath in the Dark for Peace” by Kyun-Chome
“Index for Obake Tokyo: East Asia Chapter” by Tomoko Sato
“The Vertiginous Story of Orthosia” by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige
“Homesick for Another World” by Mei Liu
Commons Forum #3
Tour B | March 1st [Sat], 2nd [Sun]
Navigator | Akihito Hirano (translator/interpreter)
Programs |
“KITTY” by Satoko Ichihara/Q
“I’m looking into your eyes, social context of deception!” by René Pollesch / Ayaka Ono Akira Nakazawa Spacenotblank
“Breath in the Dark for Peace” by Kyun-Chome
“Index for Obake Tokyo: East Asia Chapter” by Tomoko Sato
Commons Forum #3
Participation Fee
Booking essential for each tour.
Adults | 15,000 yen
U25 | 13,000 yen
*Ticket and reservation fees for the program are included.
Capacity
30 persons per tour (first-come-first-served basis)
Please note
– Meals, accommodation, and travel costs are not included as part of the tour.
– We will provide information on places to eat during break times once you reserve a ticket.
– The travel between each venue will be possible by foot or train. Please charge your IC card in advance of participation.
– Details of the tour schedule are subject to change. We will provide further details after you reserve a ticket.
Language
Japanese
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible participation available
Credit
Organized by Theater Commons Tokyo Executive Committee