Every genre of artistic expression in Japan is faced with the problem of an excessive concentration of culture in the Tokyo area, and theatre is no exception to the rule. Yet in recent years, creative individuals who dare to work in their local area and forego the capital while still receiving nationwide recognition, though perhaps few in number, are on the rise. Among these is Tori no Gekijo (Bird Theatre Company), which maintains its own theatre in the Shikano district of Tottori. A festival staged by the group last year drew over 1,500 viewers, an extraordinary number considering the location. Tori no Gekijo is without a doubt the most high-profile theatre company not only in Tottori but the entire Chugoku region.

Nakashima Makoto, the director of Tori no Gekijo, was born in Tottori Prefecture. After moving to Tokyo to attend university, Nakashima became involved in theatre and steadily made a name for himself after receiving the highest honors in directors' competitions and other events. Yet in almost inverse proportion to his achievements, Nakashima says he began to feel the limitations of theatre in Tokyo, "It started to seem strange to me that we were putting so much energy into creative activities that were so completely detached from the residents of the immediate area. Gradually, I decided I wanted to make some kind of contribution to the community through theatre."


To realize this ideal, rather than renting a different venue for each performance like a regular urban company, Nakashima decided that creating his own theatre as a base for the group would make it easier to establish roots in a locality. In addition, he "wanted to blend into the community by starting something at a thoroughly grass-roots level and avoiding the top-down methods of the government."


It was right around this time that on a trip to his hometown in Tottori he discovered a closed-down school in the center of the castle town of Shikano, a 30-minute drive from central Tottori. Nakashima explains, "At first, I only rented the gymnasium for two months for our practice sessions. But in the process of putting on a variety of productions, people in the area started to say, 'It looks like you're really serious about this. Why don't you just stay there?'" Then, in 2006, after realizing the exact model he had envisioned of "starting small and earning recognition from the community," Nakashima undertook the management of the company and theatre in earnest.

The plays that are performed at Tori no Gekijo are based on the idea of being "easy to understand," "deep," and inspiring "mutual feeling and thought." But looking back over a list of the group's productions, one finds a selection of works by writers such as Anton Chekhov and Mishima Yukio that most people would probably consider a bit "difficult." Nakashima explains, "People are always telling me that 'theatre is hard to understand,' but up until just a hundred years ago, it was at the forefront of entertainment and it was commonplace to watch things like Chekhov. So, provided we build the story properly and maintain the essential quality of the work, there's no reason why the audience should see it as something beyond their comprehension."


Nevertheless, local viewers "usually say they 'can't understand' the plays," Nakashima laughs. The group's aim to inspire "mutual feeling and thought," however, hasn't wavered. Nakashima recalls, "Once when we were doing a work by an absurdist playwright, an older woman who probably hadn't seen much theatre at all up until that point told me about how she had discussed the play with her son after the performance and that made me really happy. One reason I put on plays that are supposed to be classics is that they have the ability to supersede generations and inspire discussions of this sort." Nakashima's plays, which make use of a distinctive visual style that blends the rough and the refined, have not only been well received in Tottori but also in Tokyo and Zhangjiagang, China.


Perhaps one mark of the group's success is the fact that Tori no Gekijo has been included in a major tourist guide as one of Tottori's most famous "sights." In most books of this type, it would be hard to find any mention of a theatre that only seats 200 people.

Nakashima says, "In fields like politics and economics, the tendency to focus on Tokyo has already started to break down in various ways and we've entered an era in which people have to come to grips with their own region in their own way. Now, more than ever, there is a need to cultivate personnel who are endowed with "creativity" - the power to think and make something by one's self using art forms such as theatre. And by setting up a mental infrastructure for 'culture,' and making an effort to improve the overall creativity of local residents, the future of Tottori Prefecture is bound to be brighter."


Nakashima says that one of the first steps is to change the way that the government thinks about culture: "Basically, the aid that the city or prefecture provides to art projects goes to support the artist or the cultural enthusiast. But before they starting giving money out, they should give some thought to the people who normally never come into contact with art and do something like opening a prefecturally-administered art school. That would give regular people the chance to enjoy learning to play a musical instrument or making sculpture. From this sense of enjoyment alone, people's lives are sure to change a little and by extension, the entire town will also change. To do this, it is ultimately necessary for the region to establish a 'theatre' as a base where it's possible to come into contact with both sides of art - observation and creation. That will enable us to create work of our own that hasn't come by way of Tokyo, and through the recognition that we receive by sending it out into the world, people will gain confidence from being able to do something on their own without relying on Tokyo. This is the sort of precedent that we are hoping to set."

Nakashima's goals for the future also include the communalization of Tori no Gekijo. In Europe, for example, it's not unusual for an independently-operated theatre to be recognized by the municipal or national government and from the following year begin to be run with public money. Nakashima laughs, "To tell the truth, it's not easy to manage a theatre, but after gradually establishing a track record, the prefecture or city should join forces with people like us to help make a contribution to the region. That's the kind of thing I'd like to make happen."


In the 80s, for instance, the French regional city of Nantes, famous for events like the Festival des 3 Continents, fell into decline due to the decay of local industry. But by taking the initiative and "developing the city through culture," new life was breathed into the area, and in 2003, Nantes was even chosen as the "most desirable place to live in France." By making an ongoing effort to cohere with the region, Nakashima Makoto and his Tori no Gekijo may eventually be granted the status of a municipal or prefectural project, and like Nantes, this may one day lead to the rejuvenation of Tottori Prefecture through culture.

Profile: Nakashima Makoto
(Director, Tori no Gekijo)

Nakashima Makoto first became active in theatre while he was studying law at the University of Tokyo. After graduation, he founded and oversaw a theatre company in Tokyo. In 2003, he won the Grand Prix at the Toga Director’s Competition. From 2004 to 2006, he served as a member of the Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC). In 2006, he moved to Tottori to start Tori no Gekijo. Based on the potential of a cultural device with a history of over 2,000 years, Nakashima has set out to raise awareness about theatre and create a place for it in contemporary society.