Film Screening

“The Utter Darkness Version of Princess Kaguya”

One-year Anniversary of the Opening of Asbestos Hall: Asbestos Hall Performance in December: Paragon of Sacrificing Great Dance

Time: 1:00 - 2:30 PM
Venue: WHYNoT MNL
4F Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Ave. Makati
Audience: On-site (FREE)
Duration: 84 mins.
(there will be no moderation for the film screening)

“The Utter Darkness Version of Princess Kaguya” from the famous Japanese tale of Princess Kaguya performed by Hakutōbō. A very rare opportunity to witness this performance film for the 1st Anniversary of the Opening of the Asbestos Studio on December 10 – 17th, 1975, Work No. 11. Hakutōbō is a butoh dance company led by Yoko Ashikawa originally formed by the Butoh founder Tatsumi Hijikata.

The performance was shot as part of a video project known as the VIC (Video Information Center)*, which includes 1,200 tapes of performances, exhibitions, and events from the 1970s and 1980s. We will be giving researchers a chance to watch the materials normally only available at the archive, as well as situating the film within the context of the VIC collection and the Tatsumi Hijikata Archive, both held at Keio University Art Center.

*VIC (Video Information Center, 1972-present) is a movement that recorded various events to produce experimental television broadcasts, such as the 1978 ‘Paravision Ten’ CATV broadcast.

Credit: This archival screening is made possible through the collaboration of the Tatsumi Hijikata Archive and the Video Information Center (VIC) Collection (supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan Support Program to Promote Archives of Media Arts 2025: Digitizing and Cataloging of Performances and Exhibitions Video Records from the post-1970s Ⅲ), both housed by Keio University Art Center.

Lecture Presentation

History of Butoh in Japan and Tatsumi Hijikata Archives

Butoh dance is said to have started in the late 1950s in Japan, with Hijikata Tatsumi as its founder. Butoh places a special importance on the quality and energy of movement, seeking to encourage a localized sensitivity to movement, through connection with the imagination. It particularly interrogates ideas of an uncontrolled, distorted, or collapsed body, and is sometimes termed the ‘body in revolt.’ In this lecture, Kae Ishimoto who is an archivist of the Hijikata Tatsumi Archive will talk about Hijikata and his Butoh method called Butoh-fu. Hijikata’s butoh method specifically uses image-language as choreography, and engages with Japanese movement traditions as well as Western literary and artistic influences. And she will introduce the Butoh history in the domestic/ international fields and the recent phenomenon. 

The Hijikata archive was acquired by the Keio University Art Center in 1998, as the first initiative in constructing ‘research archives.’ The archive was also particularly lucky to receive a majority of the materials in an already collected and ordered form from the Hijikata Memorial Archive (Asbestos-Kan). Hijikata Archive functions as a research hub of Japanese avant-garde art in general, beyond the field of Butoh.

Speaker: Kae Ishimoto (Japan)
Time: 3:00 - 3:40 PM
Venue: WHYNoT MNL
4F Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Ave. Makati
Audience: FREE; Hybrid (On-site and Online)
Moderator: Jaya Jacobo

Lecture Presentation

Lecture Presentation: Byakko Sha’s Southeast Asian Tour

By centered on the concept of 'bright darkness,' BYAKKO―SHA‘ (1980-1994) was based in Kyoto and carried out unique activities internationally. In order to explore new possibilities of expression, they energetically embarked on intercultural journeys and the World Dance Caravan through the all continents, but BYAKKO-SHA's first target was Southeast Asia. This presentation, featuring photographs by photographer Jun Abe, will discuss their performance at the 1983 ASIAN THEATER FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE in Manila and the photo shoots conducted at various locations.

Speaker: Tenko Ima (Japan)
Time: 3:45 - 4:25 PM
Venue: WHYNoT MNL
4F Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Ave. Makati
Audience: FREE; Hybrid (On-site and Online)
Moderator: Jaya Jacobo

Lecture Presentation

Asia Butoh Tree Project

Launched around 2010, the "Asia Butoh Tree" project aims to cultivate the seeds of Butoh sown across Southeast Asia by establishing a sustainable network for observing, learning, and practicing this art form. Through workshop tours and immersive "Butoh Camps," we have created spaces where participants from diverse nations not only train together but also share their daily lives, fostering deep cross-cultural understanding. This presentation will discuss the achievements of these initiatives over the past decade and outline our vision for the future of the Butoh movement in Asia.

Speaker: Yuko Kawamoto (Japan)
Time: 4:30 - 5:00 PM
Venue: WHYNoT MNL
4F Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Ave. Makati
Audience: FREE; Hybrid (On-site and Online)
Moderator: Jaya Jacobo