Red Tent staging of Kara's 'Shitaya Mannencho' opens in Tokyo, 2026

The play "Shitaya Mannencho Monogatari" by Juro Kara will be performed from November 1 to 10, 2026, in a special "Red Tent" at Tokyo's Meiji Park, directed by Yoshinori Otsuru and starring Dai Watanabe. The production marks the inaugural performance of "Reiwa Jokyo Gekijo," a new theater company founded by Kara's son, Otsuru, who is directing a tent performance for the first time. Watanabe takes on the lead role his father, Ken Watanabe, played in the 1981 premiere, 45 years later. The play, set in post-war Tokyo, depicts the dreams and chaos of people living in the Shitaya district. Otsuru aims to carry on the legacy of the "Situation Theater" movement, while emphasizing that the demanding works should not exhaust actors but connect them to future generations.