We are an advanced theatrical company in Japan. Students of Waseda University (the birthplace of Tadashi Suzuki's SCOT and many other major theatrical companies in Japan) mainly established the company in 1984. We are trying to seek modern performing arts though some trial on the stage.
Dramas are nothing but theatrical experiences. Theatrical experiences are to feel sensuously the literary images created by directors and dramatists. All the elements that consist in the plays are texts, performers, scenic art, lighting, music and costumes, and all these elements should help the experiences. Under this idea, we, Yamanote Jijosha, keep presenting our unique performances." We are highly evaluated in Japan and Europe by our unique performing style named "Yojo-han," which means expressing modern Japanese by restricted bodies and motions in a narrow space.
We play classical dramas as well as modern dramas.
Recent plays are
- “Romeo and Juliet” written by Shakespeare, 2008;
- “Oedipus Rex” written by Sophocles, 2010;
- “Keisei hangonko” written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, 2011;
- “Dojoji” classical Japanese text, 2011
- “Troilus and Cressida” written by Shakespeare, 2012;
- “Don Juan” written by Moliere, 2014;
- “Hedda Gabler” written by Henrik Ibsen, 2014;
- “The Tempest” written by Shakespeare, 2015;
- “Titus Andronicus” written by Shakespeare, 2015;
- “The Woman Killer and the Hell of Oil” written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, 2015
We have attracted attentions abroad in recent years and invited increasingly to play and to collaborate from other countries.
- “Dojoji” at Suwon Hwaseong International Theater Festival in Korea, 2004;
- “Titus Andronicus” in Switzerland and Germany, 2005;
- “Oedipus Rex” in Poland, 2005;
- “Hikarigoke” at Daejeon Theater Festival in Korea, 2006
- “Titus Andronicus” in Sibiu International Theater Festival in Romania, 2009;
- “Oedipus Rex” in Sibiu International Theater Festival and Pecs Theater Festival in Hungary, 2010;
- “Keisei hangonko” in Sibiu International Theater Festival and Bucharest etc, 2011;
- “Dojoji” in Sibiu International Theater Festival and Bucharest etc, 2013;
We invited Mr.Piotr Cieslak who is the art director of Theatre Dramatyczny Warsaw in Poland and Ms.Julia Kijowska who is an actress in 2006 and produced "Princess Ivona" written by the famous Polish writer, Gombrowicz with them.
In 2012, our chairman Masahiro Yasuda directed“The Woman Killer and the Hell of Oil”written by Monzaemon Chikamatsu for Radu Stanca National Theater, Sibiu. And the piece has been added to the repertoire of the theatre.
Our own training system "Yamanote Method" is highly weighed by theater people and educators and they are offering to provide workshops all over the country.
We have our head office with training rooms in Ota,Tokyo.