No.sm0033   2004. 1. 27

Suntory Museum“TEMPOZAN” 10th anniversary exhibition I
Suntory Museum “TEMPOZAN” produces
TAKARAZUKA:The Land of Dreams
— Artists fascinated by TAKARAZUKA and its era —

Suntory Museum “TEMPOZAN” is to hold “TAKARAZUKA: The Land of Dreams” exhibition from 17th of April, 2004 to 20th of June, 2004. The year 2004 is the 90th anniversary of Takarazuka Revue and the exhibition is to introduce the fascinating charms of these Japanese historical stage arts.

Takarazuka Revue troupe first performed in April 1914, by Takarazuka girls’ chorus at renovated Takarazuka Onsen theatre. Since then, the chorus has gradually won the admiration of audiences by taking various challenges, such as that advancing to Tokyo, starting revue performance, building mega theatre, holding overseas performance and other progressive activities.

In 1940, the troupe renamed as “Takarazuka Revue Company”. During the era, the troupe faced war time, but as soon as the war ended, they started their lessons again consistently and have flourished their activities until today. Takarazuka Revue is performed only by women. The stage performance is based on original Japanese stage arts, such as “Kabuki” or Japanese classical dance (Nihon buyo), and also combined with various factors of European revues, to create distinctive and glamorous world. It has enchanted the mass and also, has been paid close attention from abroad. The success of Takarazuka Revue is originated from the philosophy of the founder, Ichizo Kobayashi, which is to offer high quality entertainment to the mass.

The exhibition introduces the history of Takarazuka Revue, and focuses on various factors that created its foundation through numbers of valuable information, to find the origin of its fascination and the history of the glamorous stage formation.

Moreover, we exhibit the latest Takarazuka revue related artworks, created by 5 unique and spirited artists, who represents modern Japan now. The 5 artists approached the fascination of “Takarazuka Revue” from each of their own unique perspective, such as through fabulous stars, stories, stage arts and costumes viewpoint. Audiences are to experience glamorous theatrical space, fanciness, gender and other variety of themes.

There will be various events planned for visitors, such as drawing to win Takarazuka’s ticket. In addition, advance ticket purchasers are able to join drawing to win exhibition preview invitation and Takarazuka’s ticket. Please refer to pamphlet of ““TAKARAZUKA : Land of dreams” Win your dreams” for more details.

• Exhibition set up

The exhibition is set up starting from historical exhibits, which shows the 90 years history of Takarazuka Revue. In addition, visitors will be brought to 5 different rooms by turns, which exhibit each of the artists’ latest works, to gradually enter the core of Takarazuka’s fascination.

Rough sketch/Minako Nishiyama
(C)Minako Nishiyama
Suntory Museum “TEMPOZAN” produce
“TAKARAZUKA : The Land of Dreams”

Minako Nishiyama      Illustration, theme “Every girl’s dreams”
Mika Ninagawa      Photograph art
Yasumasa Morimura      Photograph, / Poster art, theme “Transforming to somebody else”
Miwa Yanagi      Visual art, theme “Women’s world”
Tadanori Yokoo      Paint / Poster art

TAKARAZUKA Now
The exhibition hold a section that introduces today’s each groups of the troupe. Images, latest stage photographs and posters of Takarazuka Revue are exhibited to bring the glamorous stages into life.

“Rose of Versailles” and its era
Takarazuka Revue has adopted various genres of literatures and comics to their original screenplay. “Rose of Versailles” was adopted from Riyoko Ikeda’s comic, and had become one of the famous revues until now. The exhibition exhibits original comic drawings, revue used stage costumes and its design drawings, posters, and pictures of the leading performers, and highlight the era spatially.

Takarazuka Revue’s cultural formation
The high quality finished stage performance of Takarazuka revue presents is originated from “Japan Folk Performing Arts Association”. This section introduces one of the masterpieces from “Folkloric Art Dance Series”, called “Firebird”. The revue is based on coverage of local’s traditional performing arts, and put a close up on the vanishing Japanese culture. The history of consistent studying of the troupe is excellently reflected in the revue.

Tetsuzo Shirai’s documents on traveling Europe and his stage
During 1920’s (beginning of Showa era),many of Takarazuka Revue’s staff took opportunities to visit Europe, and came back with various elements of European culture. Tetsuzo Shirai is known to be a stage director who created the prototype of present Takarazuka revue, by introducing full fledged Paris’ revue to Japan. The exhibition presents theatre programs, memos of his own hand writing, stage sketch drawing, pictures and others, to show how he reflected Takarazuka’s stages with glamorous air of Paris.

Hankyu Cultural Creation by Ichizo Kobayashi
Takarazuka Revue started as one of the Hankyu’s cultural space creation planning along its railway road. The founder, Ichizo Kobayashi, possessed excellent materials as entrepreneur, but at the same time, he was as well a great cultural person, who deeply comprehended arts. His creative imagination and by utilizing novel advertisements created railway management model of today, by relating to department stores, zoos, museums, theatre, amusement parks and other town facilities. The exhibition exhibits Ichizo Kobayashi’s sense of beauty as a scriptwriter, and also as a critic, to show the origin of Takarazuka revue.

* Price noted in ( ) is for special gallery entrance ticket & group rates for more than 20 persons

* Ticket will be sold at Suntory Museum “TEMPOZAN”. Special gallery entrance ticket is sold at JR West (West Japan Railway Company), Kintetsu station branch office, “PIA” internet, Lawson, CN Playguide and others.

* Ticket will be sold at Suntory Museum “TEMPOZAN“. Special gallery entrance ticket is sold at JR West (West Japan Railway Company), Kintetsu station branch office, “PIA“ internet, Lawson, CN Play guide and others.

Suntory museum attendants will commentate on works exhibited in the gallery. (Auditing free of charge) Please purchase gallery entrance ticket at the door, and gather around gallery entrance on the 5th floor.

Date: 30th of April (Fri) / 14th of May (Fri) / 28th of May (Fri) / 11th of June (Fri)
Time : 16:00 ~ (Approximately 40 minutes)

Suntory Museum staff will explain the attraction of the exhibition using slide show, at Gallery’s 5th floor lecture room (Duration: Approx. 10mns, Free of charge, Capacity approx. 40 persons)

Time : Everyday during the exhibition, starting 10:45, 11:45, 12:45, 13:45, 14:45, 15:45, 16:45 and 17:45.