Aiming Toward A Brilliant Future

Takeshi Nikura   President Japanese Performing  Arts Association

There has been an increasing trend in recent years towards the revival of Japanese traditional culture and performing arts.

However,except in certain areas, it is still difficult to say that they are revived as living traditions observed in the daily lives of ordinary people in Japan. In the modern trends, based upon our history of the last forty-five years involved in the fields of traditional performing arts , we have started afresh as the Japanese Performing Arts Association with a group of interested people who have been newly assembled this time.

We are firmly convinced that culture is a force strong enough to[reinvigorate the local community and revive the spirits of lonely people in modern society . It is exactly like as a poet laureate once described as 〝a person who deny the significance of culture have to be adjudged as a barbarian .〟and also as 〝culture and performing arts are indispensable aspects to lent a touch of color to human life〟

Based on the powerful effects of culture and performing arts,the Japanese Performing Arts Association would be always aware of its own mission to meet the needs of the times and cheerfully advance together with the people bound by rigid ties of friendship towards creating such local communities in where each individual person could live a meaningful life .

With the aim of serving the society ,we have been promoting its own original productions of performing arts, community ourtreach activities , and performances by dance group WAKATAKE , as well as their international cultural exchange. Additionally contributing to the local communities, SHUREIKAI has delivered their performances of traditional folk song and dance as well as new-style Japanese dance, and also SHOHUKAI has conducted their classroom activities to introduce the traditional musical entertainment of Japan such as minyo , shamisen and taiko performances.

With the change of the times characterized by a shift from hard to soft power , the hopes for the significant roles of culture have risen. Under the slogan oh 〝the hearts of Japanese into our local communities and the world,〟the Japanese performing Arts Association wants to make our best endeavor to promote cultural activities contributing for regeneration of Japan.

We earnestly request your warm support and further assistance in the future.