TOKYO FORWARD 2025 Cultural Program The Deaf and the Hearing encounter each other in: Breathe Move Don’t Be Silent
“Breathe Move Don’t Be Silent” is a stage production in which Deaf people and hearing people from different cultures and languages will meet on stage to explore their own “music” each group experiences. This will be the world premiere of a completely new work with an original story performed in Japanese Sign Language and Japanese.
The production was initiated in 2023 as a cultural program under the World Athletics Championships and the Deaflympics, which will take place this autumn. Since its launch, Deaf and hearing people have been working together to bring it on stage.
Its story features two cities: Kiri-no-machi, where Japanese Sign Language is the main language, and Hyakusou, where Japanese is the primary language.
Neither do citizens understand each other’s language.
As the cast members begin with no understanding of their counterparts, and gradually develop communication to learn about each other, we hope the audience members will also experience and enjoy this same process.
| Date |
Sat, Nov 29, 2025 15:00 (Open14:00) *Pre-show talk will take place at 14:45. |
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| Venue | Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Main Hall |
| Genre | Other |
| Admission Ages | Elementary school students and older |
Cast |
IMAI Akito, OGATA Ren, SHIMAJI Yasutake, YOKOO Tomomi, IGARASHI Yuya, INO Nagomi, KIKUZAWA Masanori, SAZAWA Shizue, SUZUKI Nana, NAKABAYASHI Mai, NISHIZAWA Maya, FUJIMURA Kohei ABE Aiko, IIZUKA Taishu, IKEDA Momoka, ISHIDA Michiko, ITAHASHI Renpei, UEDA Ai, UTODA Chiharu, OHASHI Yuta, OKUMURA Yasuto, ONO Kanon, ONOZATO Mitsuko, KIKUCHI Ken, KURASHIMA Satoshi, KONDO Tatsuya, SATO Mei, SANO Kazumi, TAKAYANAGI Ayumi, TSUNODA Lisa, NARIZUKA Haruka, HAYASHI Daigomi, HONMA Chiemi, MITSUHASHI Matoi, MURATA Yuko, Momo, YAOTANI Rie, Nicholas YUYAMA, YOSHIDA Miyuki, Leo, NISHIWAKI Shogo |
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Creators |
Artistic Director: HIBINO Katsuhiko Story Developer＆Director: MAKIHARA Eri Director＆Performer: SHIMAJI Yasutake Dramaturg: Dakei, NAGASHIMA Kaku |
Notice on this performance |
⁃ Please note that seat numbers cannot be selected when booking tickets. A confirmation email with your assigned seat number will be sent 1 week before the performance day at the latest. ⁃ Pre-school children are not allowed to attend this performance. ⁃ The 1st floor front area is suited for deaf people to follow the sign language on stage. ⁃ There is a scene with an extremely loud sound at about 90 dB* or higher. Individuals with certain health conditions, such as heart disorders or pacemakers, as well as pregnant women and small children, should carefully consider whether to attend or not. Earplugs will be available at the venue for those who need them. *Examples of sound levels of 90 dB or higher include the loud noise from heavy machinery at construction sites and inside running subway cars. ⁃ Attendees must agree to the term that photography and video recording occur on the performance day for publicity materials, which may be released on various media such as broadcasting, advertisement, prints, and the internet. ⁃ The program content, cast, and such are subject to change under certain circumstances. |
Accessibility Services |
The following accessibility services are available for this performance. You can book the services and tickets at the same time through the online ticket reservation form. (The reservation form is only in Japanese.) Anyone whose first language is Japanese Sign Language can enjoy the performance without using these accessibility services.
⁃ Captioning service (Spoken plots are displayed as captions through a dedicated app on smartphones. There are no services for captioning plots in Japanese Sign Language.) At this performance, captioning service is available through the free app “HELLO! Theater.” Please visit the official website for details. The link is only available in Japanese. ⁃ Hearing Loop (Reservation is required on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of people is accepted in a limited seating area.) The sound sent from the loop can be heard clearly through the T (telecoil) setting of the hearing aid, cochlear implant, or through a dedicated receiver. ⁃ Audio guide (Reservation is required on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of devices is available.) Visual information, such as scenes on stage and movements of cast members, is provided in spoken Japanese. ⁃ Free seating area There is a free seating area in the auditorium for those who feel uncomfortable returning to their seats or want to move from their seats for a while. ⁃ Chill-out space in the foyer Audience members can leave the auditorium during the performance when they need a break. ⁃ Child care service (Reservation and fee required. A limited number of children is accepted.) Event Child Care Service: Mother’s 0120-788- 222 Reservation must be made by Fri, Nov 21, 17:00. ⁃ Wheelchair accessible seats and seats for individuals with assistance dogs (Reservation is required. A limited number of seats is available.) Wheelchair accessible seats are located at the last row on the 1st floor of the auditorium. Please check the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Main Hall seating chart. ⁃ Should you need further assistance, please feel free to contact the performance secretariat in advance. |
Tickets
| Prices (tax included) |
Reserved Seats: Free Admission (Booking required) * Booking closed as the seat capacity reached the limit. |
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Other Information
Inquiries |
“Breathe Move Don’t Be Silent” Secretariat |
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Organizers
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Organizers: Tokyo Metropolitan Government/Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture)/Tokyo University of the Arts |