FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAR 30, 2004 CONTACT: Dawn Singh 857-544-0739

Japanese Kabuki Theatre to Perform in North American Premier in Boston July 8-10, 2004

Heisei Nakamura-za Theatre from Tokyo Featuring Nakamura Kankuro V

Presented by the Japan Society of Boston for the 2004 Centennial Celebration

Cutler Majestic Theatre at Emerson College 219 Tremont Street Boston, MA

The Japan Society of Boston presents the North American premier of Tokyo[base ']s famed Nakamura-za Theatre led by highly acclaimed Kabuki actor, Nakamura Kankuro V, in four performances July 8[^]10. The 55-person cast and crew will perform two Japanese theatre classics, "Bo-shibari" ("Tied to a Tree") and "Renjishi" ("Lion Dance"). Following the Boston premier, the company will travel to New York and Washington, DC.

Ticket information: Japan Society of Boston One Milk Street Boston, MA 02109 617-451-0726 www.us-japan.org/boston

Publicity information and photos: Dawn Singh 857-544-0739 dawn@dawnsinghpublicity.com
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 30,2004 CONTACT: Dawn Singh 857-544-0739

Japanese "Benshi" Artist Midori Sawato to Perform at Harvard Film Archive During Ozu Film Retrospective

Harvard Film Archive, the Japan Society of Boston and the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University welcome Japanese benshi artist, Midori Sawato, for a special performance on Saturday, April 24, at 8 pm, as part of the Ozu Film Retrospective at the Harvard Film Archive (April 2-May 11). "Benshi" are performers of a silent film narration style called "katsuben," and were extremely popular in Japan from approximately 1899[^]1937 during the early days of cinematography. The special art of the benshi shares many characteristics with that of the onstage narrators in bunraku, the traditional puppet theatre.

Western-made films, often without subtitles, were shown throughout Japan in the early 20th century. The Japanese became movie fans from the very beginning and created a method for interpreting the story despite the language barrier. A benshi performer stood behind or next to the screen and read his interpretation of the script using a musical, rhythmic spoken word style (known as "bibun" or "beautiful prose") that Japanese audiences found very appealing. Each benshi had his own style of performance and audiences developed favorites just as they did with actors. As the popularity of benshi grew[^]eventually numbering 7,000[^]movie promoters learned to print posters with the benshi[base ']s name listed first and in larger type than the actors[base '] names. Long films were narrated by several benshi taking turns and a star benshi performer narrating the movie[base ']s climax.

Midori Sawato began performing as a benshi in 1973 under the direction of renowned film historian, Shunsui Matsuda, who began as a child benshi in 1925. Ms. Sawato is a member of a very small group of existing benshi performers in Japan and has been instrumental in re-popularizing the artform for the past 25 years. In addition to appearing at the Harvard Film Archive, Ms. Sawato will also perform at the Portsmouth Music Hall, Portsmouth, NH; Boston University College of Communications, Boston, and Tufts University, Medford, MA.

Midori Sawato will narrate the film, "I Was Born But[sigma]." ("Umarete wa Mita Keredo") directed by Yasujiro Ozu, (1932) on Saturday, April 24, at 8 pm, at the Harvard Film Archive. Advance tickets are required and are available at the Harvard Film Archive Box Office at 617-496-2222 or online at www.harvardfilmarchive.org. Tickets are $15 general admission ($12 students/seniors). The Harvard Film Archive is located at Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy St. Cambridge, MA 02138.

The Ozu Film Retrospective is a comprehensive retrospective of the work of master Japanese film director, Yasujiro Ozu, beginning April 2 and continuing through May 11. More than thirty films, many shown here for the first time, cover the director[base ']s expansive career from 1929 through 1962.

Additional support for the Ozu Retrospective was provided by Shochiku Company, Ltd., a leading film production company in Japan, the Japan Foundation, the Freeman Foundation, the Cinematheque Ontario and the Pacific Film Archive.

This event is part of the Japan Society of Boston[base ']s Centennial Celebration which kicked off January 1 and will continue through 2005 with dozens of special programs including Kabuki Theatre at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, an exhibition and symposium on John Manjiro, the first Japanese person to live in America, the 150th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship linking Japan and the U.S., with exhibitions of Japanese art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Children[base ']s Museum and Peabody Essex Museum, conferences and presentations at Harvard, Tufts, Wellesley and MIT, film retrospectives, sporting events and many more explorations of Japanese culture. For more information, visit www.us-japan.org/boston.

The Japan Society of Boston is a tax-exempt American organization whose mission is to promote cultural and economic ties and active interchange between Japanese and Americans for mutual understanding, benefit and enjoyment. As the oldest Japan Society in the United States, it serves as a bridge for a network of individuals, cultural and academic institutions and business and financial firms that are linked together by a strong interest in Japan and a shared recognition of the importance of the US-Japan relationship.

A complete listing of films, descriptions, dates, credits and photos of Yasujiro Ozu and movie stills are available. For more information on the Ozu Retrospective or Midori Sawato[base ']s benshi performance, contact Dawn Singh, 857-544-0739 or dawn@dawnsinghpublicity.com.
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