This paper examines the transformation of the representation of “mother” in the works of Juro Kara. From the founding of the Jokyo Gekijo in the 1960s to the company's global expansion in the early 1970s, Kara's plays frequently depicted complex relationships with the mother figure. However, this theme gradually lost its centrality in his dramaturgy after the late 1970s. Focusing on Osen, Episode of the Giri-Ninjo Irohanihoheto —one of Kara's earliest plays in which the theme of “mother” is most prominent—this study analyzes the script and its performance to clarify what Kara sought to express during this formative period. To illuminate Kara's unique characteristics, his work is compared with Shuji Terayama's The Hunchback of Aomori, which also centers on the motif of the mother. According to prior studies and authors' statements, both plays are based on Shin Hasegawa's Mother of the Eyelids. Nonetheless, despite sharing the same source, Kara and Terayama developed entirely different conceptions of “motherhood.” This paper argues that these differences stem not only from their individual views of motherhood but also from their engagement with the literary and critical discourses of their time.

Sato's seminal study (1999) employed the metaphor of the “octopus trap” (tako-tsubo) to characterize the historical development of contemporary Japanese theater. This image captured the lack of institutional frameworks, which led to the emergence of isolated theater troupes with little mutual interaction or shared understanding, in the early stages of fringe theater. From the 1990s onward, such fragmentation was partially alleviated through structural shifts in the economy and cultural policies.

The purpose of this paper is to reexamine the process of “industry formation” in fringe theater by analyzing the internal discourse of an industry organization that actively promoted it. Building on organizational field theory (DiMaggio 1983, etc.) and Sato's (1999) neo-institutionalist account, the study analyzes the discourse within the “Bulletin (Kyokai-ho)” published by the Kyoto Performing Arts Organization during its founding years (1996-2003). As an internal newsletter, not intended for general circulation, the Bulletin recorded discussions of organizational activities and their evaluations. By examining this discourse, the paper traces how practices central to industry formation—such as lobbying, various educational programs, resource allocation, and public relations—were framed, negotiated, and recursively adjusted through the narratives of the leading members of the Organization.

This paper explores the structure, content, characteristics, and significance of the Japanese opera “Doctor Rizal” (1917), which was written by Kobayashi Ichizo. It was performed during the early period of the Takarazuka Revue. This play depicts the final day of the life of José Rizal, who influenced the Philippine independence movement. Kobayashi wrote the content of “Doctor Rizal” by referencing previous works about the last day of Jose Rizal's life. In the history of the Takarazuka Revue, the significance of “Doctor Rizal” can be seen as follows. First, the story of “Doctor Rizal” is only revealed through the dialogue and songs of the main characters, without any background vocals. This feature was not seen in early Japanese operas. Secondly, “Doctor Rizal” was the first tragic opera which was performed in the history of the Takarazuka Revue. Thirdly, “Doctor Rizal” was a play that depicted Rizal's inner conflict with his Christian faith. This opera has opened the possibility of plays on the theme of Christian faith in the history of the Takarazuka Revue.

This paper examines object theatre, a theatrical practice that emerged in the late 1970s where everyday objects—furniture, stationery, tableware, natural materials like vegetables, fruits, wood pieces, cotton, and stones—function as performers equal to or more significant than human actors. The development of object theatre resonates with the rise of posthumanist and new materialist philosophical currents that gained prominence in the late twentieth century. Object theatre practitioners, whether consciously referencing these theoretical frameworks or not, effectively visualize this philosophical shift regarding materiality on stage. This study aims to introduce object theatre to Japanese academic discourse by examining its historical development and social-philosophical contexts, particularly through recently published memoirs and secondary literature. The analysis proceeds through four sections: first, establishing the emergence and background of object theatre primarily in European and American contexts, while also examining the Japanese situation. While Japan witnessed artistic practices that embodied new perspectives toward materials, such as the Mono-ha movement from the 1960s to 1970s, and while the term “object theatre” gained attention, the actual practice of making non-human, non-animal shaped objects perform on stage did not spread as extensively as it did in Europe and America. Second, examining how object theatre transforms the modern puppetry's dual perception structure of life and matter; third and fourth, exploring how Bennett's advocacy for material sensitivity resonates with object theatre practices and reconsidering anthropomorphization techniques through Latour's and Bennett's theoretical lenses, thereby reassessing object theatre's significance as a theatrical form in the posthumanist era.

This paper examines theatrical relationship-building with older individuals with dementia through a comparative analysis of two theories influencing the theater unit OiBokkeShi's approach and practice. The study focuses on OiBokkeShi's “Theater and Aging Workshops,” conducted for caregivers and welfare professionals working with older adult populations, as a means of reconsidering engagement strategies with patients with dementia.

This paper particularly explores the impact of fictional “reality” enabled through theatrical acting for relationship-building with older individuals with dementia, analyzing this phenomenon through Kimura Bin's concepts of reality and actuality.

The findings reveal that older individuals with limited capacity to grasp their relationship with the self and world due to disorientation and behavioral symptoms can have their connection-seeking behaviors effectively actualized when caregivers respond theatrically, seemingly like these behaviors hold power and meaning. Such theatrical and fictional responses can affirm the existence of older individuals in relational contexts.

This represents a technique “for” others—acknowledging their existence by theatrically responding to their behaviors that seek connection with the world. OiBokkeShi's practice extends beyond older adult care. It can assist in examining the social application of theatrical practices for engaging with individuals who find conventional adaptive behaviors challenging within specific environments or situations.