One of Asia’s Largest Theater Events

The Toyooka Theater Festival in Japan is one of the largest events of its kind in Asia, hosting performances in Japanese, English, French, and other languages.

TOYOOKA, JAPAN, May 31, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — As a small city with a profound focus on the arts, ranging from Kabuki performances to bag craftsmanship and from traditional straw craft to modern art performances, it’s no wonder that Toyooka City serves as the epicenter of art in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture.

The Toyooka Theater Festival is scheduled to be held for the fourth year in a row from September 6 to 23, 2024.

As one of the largest theater festivals in Asia with over 23,000 attendees during its 2023 run, festival organizers are revving up for another busy month of various events ranging from official Director’s Programs, Fringe Programs, and festival markets. Last year’s festivities welcomed a wide variety of multilingual performances from theater troupes from around the globe, and 2024 festival runners aim to continue to carry out the goal of recruiting both local and international performances for a diverse and globally conscious lineup.

The Toyooka Theater Festival is one of the largest events of its kind in Asia. Hosting performances in Japanese, English, French, and other languages, the festival provides a sense of belonging and community among fellow art lovers who visit the area, regardless of language.

Strength in Diversity and Accessibility

In addition to Director’s Program multilingual performances, the Toyooka Theater Festival continues to make accessibility to art a main priority of its mission by holding public Fringe Programs around northern Hyogo Prefecture. Coupled with the natural and dramatic beauty of locations such as Takeno Beach and the hot spring town of Kinosaki Onsen, visitors can enjoy an assortment of performances ranging from interpretive dancing to traditional plays.

Festival Mission

The Toyooka Theater Festival’s mission according to the official festival website is three-fold: “utilize local community currency, come together and interact, both the audience and the citizens, and collaboration with students.”

An Empathetic Economy

The Toyooka Theater Festival aims to curate a festival-exclusive economic system “where feelings of empathy become part of the circulation of the local economy.” These “feelings of empathy” are realized in the form of CLAP coin currency, where one CLAP is equal to one Japanese yen. These CLAP coins can be used at participating stores and markets in lieu of Japanese yen.

Local&Global City

The ever-persistent identity of Toyooka City is found in its slogan: “Local&Global City.” In the words of the Toyooka Theater Festival, “Toyooka, which aims to be a “Local&Global City,” sees tourism as exchange. Performances by artists from all over Japan and abroad are included in the program for everyone to enjoy. In addition, a night market will be held as a place for local residents, tourists visiting the theater, and performers to interact with each other, creating opportunities and venues for dialogue among a variety of people to expand.”

Student & Youth Involvement

Since the opening of Toyooka City’s Professional College of Arts and Tourism in 2021, the city’s creative landscape has transformed to further encourage the inclusion of youth and up-and-coming creatives in artistic and tourism endeavors. Students at the college “will of course participate as staff members of the Toyooka Theater Festival.”

Danielle Leveille
Visit Kinosaki
[email protected]
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Toyooka Theater Festival 2023