Latest news with #ImperialPalace
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
Japan's National Theater at the Crossroads: Stalled Redevelopment Leaves Performers, Fans in Limbo
The National Theater has been the home of traditional Japanese performing arts since its opening in 1966. Now the aging complex has closed its doors, and a controversial redevelopment plan has stalled, raising questions about cultural policy and the future of the performing arts in Japan. The iconic stage at Japan's National Theater, renowned for its Japanese cypress boards and elaborate stage machinery, has fallen dark. Performances at the aging theatrical complex in the heart of Tokyo came to a halt in October 2023, and plans to redevelop the site in collaboration with the private sector have stalled, leaving practitioners and fans of Japan's traditional performing arts in limbo. Origin and Mission of the National Theater The National Theater, located just opposite the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo, was established in 1966 for the purpose of 'preserving and promoting Japan's ancient traditional performing arts' by 'presenting performances, training successors, and conducting research.' The proposal for a national theater in Japan has been through various iterations since the early years of the Meiji era (1868–1912), each reflecting the national aspirations of the time. In the Meiji, such a theater was promoted in the context of the government's Westernization drive. After World War II, it was re-imagined as a symbol of Japan's rebirth as a 'cultural state.' But the groundwork for such a program was not laid until 1954, with the revision of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. The revised law instituted a system for the preservation of 'intangible cultural properties,' including traditional crafts and performing arts. This paved the way for the establishment of a central institution tasked with advancing a comprehensive national policy for the performing arts. At the National Theater, established professionals in the traditional Japanese performing arts have had the opportunity to explore and study artworks in depth and produce polished performances that captivate audiences. At the same time, the National Theater has provided broad-based support for the growth of the performing arts at the amateur and semi-professional levels by opening up its theatrical facilities to a wide variety of independent performers. Among the National Theater's core functions is the training of young performers to carry on Japan's performing-arts traditions. Kabuki has traditionally been dominated by established families, in which skills are passed down lineally, from generation to generation. Yet today, graduates of the National Theater's training program account for about 30% of all active kabuki actors and almost 90% of the art's narrators and musicians. In 2019, Takemoto Aoidayū, a product of that training program, was designated a living national treasure. The National Theater's raison d'être lies in its steady support for critical aspects of cultural preservation that cannot be left to the private sector because they cannot be relied on to generate short-term profits: the presentation of authentic classical works in their original form and the cultivation of young practitioners to carry on the traditions of Japan's performing arts. That said, there is no denying the fact that the National Theater's devoted audiences, much like its performers, are showing their age. Hobbled by its 'highbrow' image, the theater has failed to attract younger patrons in significant numbers. With this in mind, government policy makers hammered out a new vision for the National Theater of tomorrow. While built on the same site and reaffirming the institution's core commitment to the traditional performing arts, the new National Theater would be an open, accessible, and lively hub that would also function as an international center of cultural tourism. It was to open by the autumn of 2029. But two successive invitations to tender (ITTs), in 2022 and 2023, failed to yield a qualified bidder. As a result, the aging National Theater closed its doors in October 2023 with no clear prospects for reopening. Hurdles to Private Investment The redevelopment of the National Theater complex has been presented as a major state initiative involving multiple agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism. Responding to questioning in the House of Councillors Budget Committee in March this year, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru called the National Theater 'the face of the arts in Japan' and made it clear that he considered the current impasse unacceptable. Yet the project remains stalled. Several factors have contributed to the failure of the government's ITTs. Foremost among these are the labor shortage attending the sudden resumption of construction projects after the COVID-19 epidemic and the rising cost of materials resulting from the weak yen and the war in Ukraine. These problems are not unique to the National Theater project; indeed, the media have been rife with reports of failed ITTs for new hospitals, schools, and construction in disaster-hit communities. But there are additional factors that have soured private developers on the National Theater project. To begin with, the architectural and engineering demands are daunting. Japan's traditional performing arts have unique staging requirements that must be built into the theater. Kabuki stages, for example, typically feature a hanamichi, a raised runway by which characters enter and exit through the audience, and many plays require a revolving stage, elevators, and other complex machinery. The National Theater at the time of its completion with a view of the stage from the audience (top). The 20-meter revolving stage has 16 movable platforms (bottom) allowing for a range of complex effects. Photographs taken in October 1966. (© Jiji) The National Theater was equipped with the largest revolving stage in Japan, with a diameter of 20 meters. The kabuki stage also has 16 platforms that can be raised and lowered individually. The machinery that controls these effects extends roughly five stories below ground level and weighs about 300 tons. There are no engineers or artisans living today who can share the lessons learned from the National Theater's construction six decades ago. It will take considerable time and expertise for designers to work out the best approach, keeping in mind the Metropolitan Expressway that runs beneath the site. Moreover, in earthquake-prone Japan, public buildings must comply with strict safety standards that have grown tougher and tougher over the years. (One reason the decision was made to demolish and rebuild the National Theater, instead of renovating the existing complex, is the extent of structural changes required to bring the buildings up to code.) Limits of the PFI Model Also at issue is the private finance initiative method that the government has chosen to implement this ambitious project. In a PFI, the government enters into a long-term contract with a private company to build and operate a public facility. The terms of the contract are meant to prevent the cost to the government from ballooning by ensuring that considerations of cost-efficiency and profitability are incorporated into the process at each stage, including post-construction maintenance and management. Since the early 2000s, PFIs have accounted for a growing share of public infrastructure projects. It is easy to understand why the Japanese government would embrace this model for the new National Theater. Demographic aging and population decline are causing Japan's social security expenditures to balloon even while the tax base shrinks, putting the government in a fiscal bind. However important the center's role as 'the face of the arts in Japan,' it is hard to justify using taxpayer money to build an expensive facility that critics may say will only benefit a very privileged portion of the population. With this in mind, the government opted for a PFI project aimed at developing a multipurpose complex that included such privately-owned, revenue-generating facilities as hotels, restaurants, and cafes, alongside the theaters themselves. The idea was to create a public space used and loved by a broader cross-section of the population, even while maintaining the National Theater's core functions, and at the same time minimize the impact on public finances. But prospective bidders were deterred by the risks of the scheme, which called on the winner to manage and maintain the facility for 20 years after completion while paying the state for use of the land (with rent initially calculated at ¥965 million annually). If revenues fell even slightly short of projections, the company would be saddled with long-term losses. Last February, policy makers announced plans to make the project more palatable to private developers, including lowering the rent and dropping some of the initial requirements, such as the inclusion of a hotel in the complex. The government has now allocated about ¥102 billion for construction, including supplementary funds to cover rising costs. Yet there is still no word on the timetable for a third ITT. Dwindling Spaces, Endangered Traditions Despite the closure of its performance spaces, the National Theater has not shut down its operations entirely. Some of the teaching and practice facilities within the complex are still usable, and training for young artists continues there and at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Shibuya. But as professionals will tell you, 'one performance is worth a hundred rehearsals.' The loss of opportunities to perform in front of a live audience for a period of five years or more could stunt or even end budding careers. Aware of this danger, the National Theater has made efforts to secure alternative venues. But according to a survey by Geidankyō (Japan Council of Performers Rights & Performing Arts Organizations), the number of kabuki and bunraku performances scheduled by the National Theater in 2024 was down 42% and 5% respectively from 2019. A decline of this magnitude jeopardizes the very survival of kabuki as a living art form. A big part of the problem is the shortage of theaters in Tokyo. Even before the National Theater closed, the closure of theaters for renovations or financial reasons had created fierce competition for the remaining spaces. The public halls run by local governments operate on the principle of equal access for all members of the community, with little or no regard for whether artists rely on public performance to earn a living. But another issue is the relationship of the performers to the National Theater. Most European national theaters have their own resident companies and employ the performers and directors as part of their regular staff. If such a theater were to cut back on performances, leading to lower compensation, it could be subject to union action or administrative lawsuits. For this reason, when a European national theater is scheduled to close for renovation, the managing entity works proactively to secure alternative performance opportunities, as by arranging world tours. Japan's National Theater does not employ performers or directors on an ongoing basis. When opportunities to perform in National Theater productions dwindle, the onus is on the performers to compensate for the loss of income by raising funds and creating their own performance opportunities. For this reason, National Theater performers have banded together to apply for grants, organize fundraising events, plan programs, and arrange independent performance opportunities, including domestic and international tours. But it has been an uphill battle owing to the intense competition for funds and performance space. Clarifying the Mission The plan to redevelop the National Theater has provoked a good deal of debate over such nuts and bolts as the location of the complex and the method of financing. But the key issue is the fundamental question of what the public and the performers expect from Japan's National Theater. National theaters first appeared in Europe, where their emergence coincided with the rise of civic life in modern nation-states. Japan's historical background was quite different, as was the cultural milieu into which this foreign model was transplanted. Japan already had its own system with separate theatrical and dance troupes—each with its own established traditions, methods, and performance styles. Grafting a European-style national theater onto this smoothly functioning system inevitably raised problems. It is all the more important, therefore, that we begin this historic redevelopment project by clarifying the purpose of the National Theater and its place in the lives of the Japanese people. Does anyone really believe that the deliberations and discourse carried out to date have been sufficient to accomplish that? This unanticipated hiatus in the National Theater's operations is an unlooked-for opportunity to formulate a blueprint for the next 100 years, and it would be a shame to waste it. We should also seize the occasion to reassess Japan's cultural policy vis-a-vis the performing arts. This country lacks a stable cultural infrastructure where professional performers can securely train, explore their art, and earn a living. This requires the construction of multiple public theaters tailored to specific uses but available for sharing when one or another facility closes for renovations. The government needs to start looking at the performing arts as an industry, not a hobby, and implement policies that provide a sustainable working environment for the individuals and groups who rely on public performance to make a living. The search for optimal design solutions should proceed with this premise in mind. (Originally published in Japanese on May 15. Banner photo: The National Theater in Tokyo. © Jiji.)
The Independent
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Palace fires employee for stealing cash from Japan's royal family
The Imperial Palace in Japan has fired an employee for stealing cash totaling 3.6 million yen ($24,900) from Emperor Naruhito and his family over more than a year. In an announcement on Thursday, the Imperial Household Agency identified the suspect as an employee in their 20s who was one of about 80 attendants assigned to the palace or the agency building to serve the daily needs of Naruhito and his family. The case came to light in March during an internal investigation by the IHA that started in January when an assistant manager of the department noticed a discrepancy between the cash in the safe and the accounting book. When an agency official detected the loss of 30,000 yen ($207) in late March, the suspect, who just ended an overnight duty, was asked about the matter. He admitted stealing cash due to financial difficulty, the Imperial Household Agency added. The employee admitted to stealing a total of 3.6 million yen on a number of occasions from November 2023 to late March this year. He later returned the money by mid-April. The theft is an embarrassment for the royal household and officials said it's been unheard of in modern history. The money was part of a 324 million yen ($2.24 million) annual budget allocated as living expenses for the emperor, his wife Masako, their daughter Princess Aiko and Naruhito's parents — former Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. The IHA said it had filed a criminal complaint to the palace police and formally dismissed the employee. The assistant manager in his 40s, who initially noticed the cash irregularity in January, was given a one-month salary cut over his lax accounting management, the IHA said. IHA chief Yasuhiko Nishimura said the theft by the employee as a public servant and a staff serving the Imperial family was 'unthinkable' and 'extremely regrettable,' and apologized to the emperor and his family, NHK public television reported. He pledged to tighten discipline among the palace staff, according to media reports.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Some of the nicest gardens in Tokyo are hidden behind hotels
When searching for urban hotels, 'includes garden' is not one of the typical search attributes. After all, when that city happens to be Tokyo, by many accounts the world's most populous metropolitan area, a hotel with a garden seems impossible to find. However, you'll be pleased to know there are a number of hotels that come with their own green spaces, some of which date back hundreds of years. Closest metro station: Gotanda Even back in the Edo period (1603CE-1867CE), the hillside adjoining present-day Tokyo Marriott Hotel was popular for its sakura, or cherry blossoms. Perhaps as one consequence of that, Iemitsu Tokugawa, the third shogun of the ruling Tokugawa dynasty, had a palace built there in 1636. At the time, the neighborhood (in today's Shinagawa ward) was developing as an important rest stop along the ancient Tokaido trade route between the former imperial capital Kyoto and Edo (what came to be Tokyo). Whereas Shinagawa had become a bustling port, famous for boating and clam-digging at low-tide, Tokugawa shogun had availed of the new palace, called Shinagawa Goten, as a resting place, and for falconry. As a tribute to its regal past, the park was named Gotenyama, ('Mt. Goten'). Highlights include maple and gingko trees best seen during the autumn, rare (for Tokyo) white dandelion between March and May, and of course, cherry blossoms in early spring. Although there's no direct access through the hotel, Gotenyama Garden is right behind it. The garden is free to access, and has a nice modernist waterfall atop which one can sit on a rare Tokyo bench. Closest metro station: Takanawadai Teiji Kusuoka was a master gardener who made two lofty contributions to the Tokyo landscape. The first involved Kusuoka helping to create the new Imperial Palace gardens in the aftermath of World War II. Owing to his expertise, Kusuoka was then hired to plan and create a garden abutting a cluster of hotels close to Shinagawa Station. Inaugurated in 1971, the Japanese Garden, or sometimes the Prince Hotel Japanese Garden, is surrounded by four properties of the Prince Hotels & Resorts Group — Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa + the ryokan within Takanawa Hanakohro, The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo, and the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa. Some guest rooms in each of the hotels offer garden views. The garden is free to access, and all hotels have direct access to it. History enthusiasts will appreciate that this Japanese garden isn't merely known for its 17 varieties of cherry trees, 16 types of seasonal flowers, and central pond where strollers can feed the koi, or carp. There's a pagoda dedicated to Kannon, the Japanese Buddhist goddess of mercy, which possibly dates back as far as the mid-12th century. Additionally, a 17th century bell tower from the bygone capital of Nara, and a temple gate with Edo-era stone lanterns also augment the pleasant stroll through an otherwise heavily urban neighborhood. As a bonus, when the weather cooperates, visit during the nighttime to appreciate the symmetry of the take-akari, or bamboo lights, which add an ethereal touch to the walkways. (Related: Everything you should know before visiting Japan) Closest metro station: Edogawabashi As far back as the 14th century, the lush backyard of the contemporary Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo was called Tsubakiyama, or 'Camellia Mountain.' It is no coincidence that the hotel's Japanese name commemorates this history; the phrase translates as 'villa on Mt. Camellia.' Occupying the site of the current Hotel Chinzanso, the original villa retreat was built in the early Edo period. Then, in 1878, Aritomo Yamagata, future Japanese prime minister and patron of the arts, built the first formal garden on the grounds to accompany his mansion. After having witnessed widespread destruction during World War II, Eiichi Ogawa, a prominent businessman, planted more than 10,000 trees as an homage to Yamagata's legacy. Chinzanso opened as a garden restaurant in 1952, and has been a highly sought-after wedding and photography venue since. A number of guest rooms also offer views of the garden. Chinzanso Garden is free to access; one must enter through through hotel. Although there are 20 varieties of cherry trees, the camellia, the garden's main event, typically bloom between February and April. Fun fact: to simulate unkai, or a sea of clouds, mist is periodically released in the garden, adding a mysterious feel to an already photogenic setting. Closest metro station: Nagatacho Starting with the rule of daimyo (feudal lord) Kato Kiyomasa in the late 16th century, a significant plot of trees had been present in the precinct of the modern Hotel New Otani Tokyo. Eventually, the plot was given to the influential Ii clan, who resided there until the end of the Edo era. After, the land was inherited by the Fushimi no Miya imperial kinfolk, who added pine and camphor trees into the mix. Scuttling their plans to sell the property to foreigners after World War II, Yonetaro Otani, sumo wrestler-turned-hotelier, established residency there. At the request of the Japanese government, Otani devised the Hotel New Otani in 1964 — with the garden as its backdrop — to house Olympians for the city's first Olympic games. (Related: 10 of the best hotels in Tokyo) The Hotel New Otani Japanese Garden is free to access, and entry is only through the hotel. It's an excellent place to spend a couple of hours, given its impressive karesansui (rock gardens), tree fossils, strikingly vermillion Taiko Bridge, active koi pond, and vast waterfall that spans much of the park. Two of the garden's oldest living occupants are a Japanese nutmeg tree, and a Yew Plum pine; it is said that they both date to the late 18th century. The wabisabi (an aesthetic concept based on imperfection and impermanence) gets punctuated by seasonal nighttime lighting themes; for example, expect orange, red, and yellow colors during the fall, while white and pink signify early spring. Closest metro station: Suidobashi Although the more formal word for garden in Japanese is teien, another way to describe them is niwa. Employing the latter in both phrase and variety, the eponymous Hotel Niwa Tokyo is one of the newer properties on this list, having only opened in May 2009. In spite of being just a few minutes' walk from Tokyo Dome City, a theme park, shopping, and stadium complex, Hotel Niwa Tokyo has four different types of small gardens that guests can enjoy. The courtyard, replete with a babbling brook and a small grove, greets all visitors outside of the entrance. The Zen terrace highlights karesansui, better known as a rock garden, and the lounge terrace offers lots of natural light, and a place to sip freshly brewed matcha or coffee. Finally, the rooftop terrace is best known as a hot spot for yoga and meditation. Visitors are excited to learn that there's an actual secret garden at the top of the hotel. Once warmer weather arrives, expect to try herbs and vegetables grown on-site, as well as some outstanding honey produced by bees living in the apiary. To fully appreciate each of Hotel Niwa's gardens, one must be a guest. However, anyone can partake in the outdoor lobby-level garden and waterway leading to Yukuri, the property's Japanese restaurant. (Related: A culinary guide to Tokyo) Although originally from the NYC area, Jonathan DeLise has also lived throughout East Asia, and for spells in Jeddah, and Orizaba, Mexico. As a freelance writer, he has covered a range of history, travel, and food topics. One of his hobbies is studying languages, so as to better decipher menus; in fact, a dream title of his is "Fluent Eater." His portfolio can be found here, and his YouTube is @findingfoodfluency.
