■Title: BENTEN 2024 Art Night Kabukicho
■Artistic Director Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group
■Date
November 2nd (Saturday) 15:00-5:00
November 3rd (Sunday) 15:00-5:00
November 4th (Monday&National Holiday) 15:00-24:00
*Please note that opening hours may vary by venue. For confirmation, please check our official website and social media channels.
■Venues: Throughout Kabukicho (including Ohjo Bldg, WHITEHOUSE, Shinjuku Kabuki-cho Noh Stage, AWAKE, Decameron, Bar Tokyo Sabaku, Kabukicho Park, and more)
Asian Dope Boysとして知られるチェン・ティエンジュオが、王城ビルの2フロアを使い、壮大なインスタレーションを展開する。彼とダンサーのシコ・スティヤントは、インドネシア・ラマレラ村の伝統捕鯨から着想を得て、儀式を公演とした。本展では、この要素を展示として構成し、雄大な風景を作り出す。鯨を追い、信仰と文化が交わる村の伝統が、今や近代化の波に脅かされ、共生と存続の危機に晒される姿が映し出される。
Cheng Tianzhuo, known as the Asian Dope Boys, will use two floors of the Royal Castle Building to create a spectacular installation. He and dancer Siko Stiyanto have turned a ritual into a performance, inspired by the traditional whaling in the village of Lamarela, Indonesia. In this exhibition, these elements are composed as an exhibition, creating a majestic landscape. The village tradition of pursuing whales and the intersection of faith and culture is now threatened by the waves of modernization, and is shown to be in danger of coexistence and survival.
◼︎ Chen Tianzhuo
ChenThianzhuo, known as Asian Dope Boys, will occupy two floors of the Ohjo Building to create a spectacular installation. He and dancer Siko Stiyanto have turned a ritual into a performance, inspired by the traditional whaling of the Indonesian village of Lamarela. In this exhibition, these elements are composed as an exhibition, creating a majestic landscape. The village tradition of pursuing whales and the intersection of faith and culture is now threatened by the waves of modernisation, and is shown to be in danger of coexistence and survival. https://tianzhuochen.com/
The title of the exhibition “messenger of hell” comes from Sayako Kishimoto, a neo-Dada organizer who ran for the House of Councillors in 1983 and called herself a “messenger from hell. Kishimoto accepted “hell” as people's suffering and expressed her readiness to bear that burden. Her struggle against the male-centered society in which she lived has become an important motif in art criticism in recent years.
In 2023, Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group will also present “Na-lucky,” a project in which Kabukicho will be likened to an abyss (hell). The project positioned Shinjuku's art history as an instantaneous one that occurred on the streets, in bars, and in abandoned buildings, and raised the affinity between physical expression and a city that has sold bodies and services rather than goods.
In 1994, “Shinjuku Shonen Art” was held, and about 84 groups of young artists hijacked Kabukicho. Most of the performances were staged on streets, bus stops, vacant lots, and coffee shops. The work that Makoto Aida will be performing again this year is part of this project. Ten years later, in 2004, Shiro Masuyama installed an experimental work next to the Ohjo Building, in which he allowed passersby to peer into his own image. This work explored the context of street aesthetics in Kabukicho.
This exhibition explores the meaning of “hell,” which has been the stage for happenings and bodies in this town where both positive and negative events continue to occur on a daily basis.
D COLLECTION” has been canceled due to concerns about a leak at the venue.
As an alternative, a group exhibition of artists related to Shinjuku, “messenger from hell,” curated by BENTEN, will be held.
2022年に惜しまれながらクローズした渋谷の人気クラブSound Museum VisionとContactを手がけ、他にもDJバー等を運営するGlobal Heartsがプロデュースする2夜。Contactにも出演してきたGoth-TradやJun Inagawaなど東京のシーンに欠かせないアーティストが集結する。
■GBACK TO CHILL
日時:11/2(土) 22:00-5:00
出演者:
REBEL FAMILIA(HEAVY×GOTH-TRAD)(LIVE)
公安 -KOAN-(LIVE)
KILLER-BONG(BLACK SMOKER RECORDS)
EVE
100MADO
CITY1
MØNDAIGAI
HELKTRAM
GOTH-TRAD
■GPuzzle pre「We Are The Night」
日時:11/3(日) 22:00-5:00
出演者:
Obabita -LIVE-
心源
Eichi Abe
Sound Brain
JUN INAGAWA
VC*
■GLOBAL HEARTS
11/2 BACK TO CHILL
11/3 Puzzle pre「We Are The Night」
Produced by Global Hearts, the company behind the popular Shibuya clubs Sound Museum Vision and Contact, which sadly closed in 2022, as well as other DJ bars, the two nights will bring together artists who have appeared at Contact, such as Goth-Trad and Jun Inagawa. and Jun Inagawa, who have also appeared at Contact.
Programs:
・Audible ORIGINAL Tomohiro Machiyama's “One Hundred Movie Stories” Volume VI
・Keigo Oyamada
・DJ:Chiro b2b ASIANDOPEBOYS(from 北京)
・VMO presents STROBE LIGHT KILL ALL SET
… and more!
A site-specific core satellite studio unique to Kabukicho, organized by DOMMUNE led by Naohiro Ukawa!
◼︎DOMMUNE
DOMMUNE, Japan's first live streaming studio, was established in 2010 by Naohiro Ukawa, a unique figure in the contemporary Japanese art scene, as a new cultural hub for the social streaming era. Since its opening, DOMMUNE has continued to exist as a one-of-a-kind cultural platform, with a variety of guests from around the world appearing each time they come to Japan. DOMMUNE has also influenced the London-based music channel BOILER ROOM, and BOILER ROOM TOKYO's Japan bureau is also operated by DOMMUNE. It would be no exaggeration to say that “DOMMUNE” has created the template for almost all of the sound and art streaming and culture streaming that exists in the world today. Ukawa also considers the daily production, filming, distribution, and recording of the programs produced in his studio to be his own “present art works. DOMMUNE has participated in numerous international exhibitions of contemporary art, including London, Dortmund, Stockholm, Paris, Mumbai, Linz, Fukushima, Yamaguchi, Osaka, Kagawa, Kanazawa, Akita, Sapporo. Sado Island. Over the past 10 years, he has distributed over 7,000 programs, 15,000 hours, and 300 terabytes of programming, with a total viewership of over 200 million people. His influence still remains undiminished, and in 2019, he moved his studio to the renovated Shibuya PARCO 9F. In 2021, he received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Art Encouragement Prize. This time, BENTEN has opened its newest satellite studio “DOMMUNE KABUKICHO” !!!!!!! https://www.dommune.com/
出店者:
11/2(土)
会田誠/UGO実行委員会/オフラインサロン・ノーウェア/すすきの夜のトリエンナーレ/京島駅/金三昧 (with: THE FOUR-EYED、ぼく脳)
11/3(日)
途中でやめる/オフラインサロン・ノーウェア(with: マジックカットどストレート、ノイズカレー、young国立公園&DJ神避、唐仁原伶、耐熱原人、ヒューマンマン、BARD)/京島駅/金三昧(with: THE FOUR-EYED、ぼく脳)
深夜枠「アー横」では、会田誠が重慶の友人からもらった火鍋を日本人向けにマイルドにアレンジした特製火鍋を提供するほか、途中でやめる(山下陽光)が服を通じた金儲けをお題に客のマッチングを図る「即実験ランド」を開店する。また、Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Groupの「金三昧」が、歌舞伎町最奥地のセレクトショップ「THE FOUR-EYED」とコラボしFAKE商品をリリース。金三昧ではカルト的人気のクリエイター「ぼく脳」の特製ドリンクも登場する。
As an alternative to Tokyo's ever-increasing number of side streets due to the redevelopment boom, artists and the art community will gather for a side street event that will feature food, drink, performances, and merchandise sales in the Ohjo Bldg. from 22:00 until the morning. Aiming to be a place where people can enjoy themselves loosely, the ideal is “as much as possible,” so there is a possibility of selling out or closing early, but on the other hand, there is also the prospect of lingering and spending the whole morning. Basically, the event will have its own unique charm, with artists who focus on good food and fun scheduled to open their stalls.
Vendors:
11/2(Sat)
Makoto Aida/UGO/Offline Salon Nowhere/Susukino Yoru no Triennale/Kyojima-eki/KANE-ZANMAI (with: THE FOUR-EYED、BOKUNOU)
11/3(Sun)
Tochu de Yameru/Offline Salon Nowhere(with:Magic Cut extra-Straight,Noise Curry, YOUNG NATIONAL PARK & DJ Kami Averted, Rei Toujinbara, Tainetsu Genjin, Human Man, BARD) Kyojima-eki/KANE-ZANMAI (with: THE FOUR-EYED、BOKUNOU)
“A-Yoko,” Makoto Aida will serve a special hotpot given to him by a friend in Chongqing, arranged mildly for Japanese people, and “Quick Experiment Land” will be opened by Quit Halfway (Tochu de Yameru/Hikaru Yamashita), which aims to match customers with the theme of making money through clothing. Group's “KANE-ZAMMAI” will release FAKE products in collaboration with “THE FOUR-EYED,” a select store in the innermost part of Kabukicho. Kinsanmai will also feature a special drink by cult-favorite creator “BOKUNOU”.
From the art space UGO, which used to exist in Okubo, the UGO Organizers Committee will provide white hot water (a concept) as “UGO's hot water room. Under the slogan “Let's drink some hot water and take a break,” an oasis will be created in the bustling Kabukicho area. Noise Curry” and ‘condom rice balls’ will be served at Offline Salon Nowhere from Matsudo while on Day 2, unintelligible performers have been booked to perform a wide range of genres, from special effects shows to punk, noise, and hip-hop.
In addition, Kyojima-eki, a socially-implemented art space in Sumida-ku, Tokyo, will also offer a portable shrine-like exhibit and “cosmic power nan” baked in a tandoor oven, and from Sapporo, the “Susukino Yoru no Triennale,” a counter exhibition of the Sapporo International Art Festival, will participate as the “Hokkaido Susukino Products Exhibition. An artist's alley, where diverse cultures and communities from all over Japan intersect, will appear for two nights.
Venue: Ohjo Bldg. 5F
Date:
11/2(Sat.)15:00-16:00、17:40-22:00、23:40-5:00
11/3(Sun.)15:00-5:00
11/4(Mon / Hol)15:00-18:30、20:10-21:30、23:10-24:00
Fee: 1DAY Ticket
*This exhibition contains sexually explicit works for artistic purposes, and those under the age of 18 and those with children are not permitted to enter. We ask that visitors who are uncomfortable with such works be advised of this before entering the exhibition.
This work was inspired by Edvard Munch's “Alpha and Omega” for the exhibition “Could This Be the Sleeping Room of Future Artists? This video work was inspired by Edvard Munch's “Alpha and Omega” for the exhibition “Could This Be the Room Where the Artists of the Future Sleep? Against the backdrop of Munch's cross-fertilization worldview, the film juxtaposes a nude performance at the National Museum of Western Art with the history of strip theater in Japan, and features Natsu Usami, an active stripper, and Endo himself.The film critiques Western art history and Japan's postwar strip culture from a feminist perspective, focusing on the female body. While the issue of the body remains deeply rooted in the entertainment district, the exhibition also emphasizes the peculiar context of the Kabukicho area, where the plans to invite the Kabuki-za Theater were abandoned and only its name remains. The exhibition makes us reconsider the boundary between art and entertainment in light of the historical context of postwar strip culture, which originated from the frame shows at the Teitoza theater in Shinjuku, and Kabuki, which spread from the brothels.
◼︎Mai Endo
Born in 1984 in Hyogo Prefecture. Graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Department of Painting (Oil Painting), and completed the doctoral program of the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the same university. While a student, he studied abroad at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, and in 2022, stayed in New York under the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Overseas Study Program for Emerging Artists. Her major presentations include the performance “I Am Not a Feminist! (Festival/Tokyo 17, 2017), and major solo exhibitions include “Burning Myself in Burning Thoughts” (Satellite Gallery SA-KURA, Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, 2021). Major group exhibitions include “Could This Room Be the Sleeping Room of Future Artists?” (National Museum of Western Art, 2024), “They Sing” (The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts, 2020), “Feminisms” (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, 2021), “Rules? Exhibition” (21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, 2021), etc. Since 2018, she has published the queer art zine ‘Multiple Spirits (Marsupi)’ with critic/curator Mika Maruyama.
Katsuben films are a unique culture found only in Japan, and are said to have developed from the traditions of rakugo and other forms of one-person storytelling, bunraku and other forms of storytelling that separate the audience from the subject, as well as from the demand for commentary on Western films. Although it was thought to be a form of the silent film era, it has been updated as a new form of expression by contemporary katsuben performers. The characteristic feature of this form is that it is not bound by a script, but transforms a single image into a variety of works.
At this year's BENTEN Film Festival, Koyata Aso will be performing katsuben. She and her father, Yata Aso, run the “Katsuben Class” and are active in a wide range of activities, including English-language katsuben overseas, scriptwriting, and directing. He is also a valuable katsuben scholar, having studied cultural studies at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Arts.
■Programs
「A TRIP TO THE MOON」
「Atom’s Light」
「ONE WEEK」
「A Duel in Takadanobaba」
「I Graduated, But」
◼︎Koyata Aso
A prominent Katsuben performer; a very rare and traditional style of Japanese performing arts. Was born as a daughter of a talented Katsuben performer, Yata Aso. Debuted at the age of 10 at the famous Mokubatei theater in Asaksua, Tokyo, Japan. Won the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology award at the speech contest in 2003. Started Katsuben school in Tokyo in 2005. Inaugurated as a member of administration officer of Nihon Benron Renmei. Completed the doctoral program without a doctoral degree of doctoral program in Culture and Representation Course, Interdisciplinary Cultural studies Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo in 2020.
Engages in a wide range of stage activities. Besides, she serves as the Deputy Editor of Monthly Asakusa. Also, the Tourism Ambassador for Konosu City, Saitama, and the Hometown Ambassador for Bungoono City, Oita. Contributes as a writer for the Taito City Website "TAITO Travel Guide". https://katsuben.com/whats-katsuben/koyata_profile/
◼︎A New Type of Immigrations B + Maki Nomiya
A new kind of band, born out of the community “A New Type of Immigrations” in the fall of 2023. The head of the community, Masamichi Toyama, is in charge of poetry reading. The original music is a mix of iPhone voice memo tracks of jam sessions in a home studio by Tomoko Sawada (guitar) and Andre Utao (16 years old), father and son on drums, boldly layered by Machiko Machikaku (theremin) with effects, and mixed by Junichi Moriwaki with his unique sense of balance, Junichi Moriwaki mixes them with his unique sense of balance, streaming them one after another.
◼︎篠田千明 / Chiharu Shinoda
2004年に多摩美術大学の同級生と快快を立ち上げ、2012年に脱退するまで、中心メンバーとして主に演出、脚本、企画を手がける。以後、バンコクに拠点を移しソロ活動を続ける。現在東京在住。美学校で「劇のやめ方」の講座を担当している。
2016年 Kyoto Experimentでマヌエラ・インファンテ原作の『ZOO』を上演。
2018年Bangkok Biennialで「超常現象館」を主催。2019年台北でADAM artist lab、マニラでWSKフェスティバルMusic Hacker’s lab参加。
2020年YCAMとオンラインパフォーマンス『5×5×5本脚の椅子』共同制作。
2022年東京・板橋区の一軒家で上演された『no plan in duty』を演出。
2023年ジョグジャカルタのマヤワンフェスティバルで『Mayokage/まよかげ』を上演。 https://shinodachiharu.com/
■Chiharu Shinoda Indah “Plaza of Emotion”
Venue:WHITEHOUSE
Date:
Exhibition
11/2(Sat)15:00 OPEN
11/4(Mon・Hol)21:00 CLOSE
Fee:Exhibition 1DAY Ticket
Permance show 1DAY Ticket+1000 yen
*Please issue a 1DAY ticket in advance at the reception of the Ohjo Building before coming to the event.
*Please pay 1000 yen at the WHITEHOUSE counter.
During the event, the WHITEHOUSE will be a 55-hour open plaza. Anyone can enter at any time, and it is also equipped with a rest area and a soup kitchen. It is a plaza where you or he can freely conceive of the public you think of.
The plaza is full of someone's memories, traces and signs. Words that have been and words that will be, folded like parchment that has been rewritten over and over again, await you.
Performances are held regularly in this plaza. First, “Twilight” by Chiharu Shinoda will be held at sunset. Then there is “XXX,” an unknown performance that will be created in the future.
For those of you who are exhausted and seeking healing in Shinjuku, I extend my heartfelt sympathy.
◼︎Chiharu Shinoda
In 2004, she founded Fai-Faii with his classmates at Tama Art University, and until she left the group in 2012, he mainly directed, wrote scripts, and worked on projects as a core member. Since then, she has been based in Bangkok and continues to work as a solo artist. Currently resides in Tokyo. She teaches a course on “How to Stop Theatre” at the School of Aesthetics.
In 2016, he performed “ZOO” written by Manuela Infante at Kyoto Experiment.
Organized “Supernatural Pavilion” at Bangkok Biennial in 2018.
In 2019 Participated in ADAM artist lab in Taipei and WSK Festival Music Hacker's lab in Manila.In 202, Collaboration with YCAM on the online performance “The 5x5x5x Legged Stool”. In 2022, directed “no plan in duty” performed in a house in Itabashi, Tokyo.
In 2023, she will perform “Mayokage/Mayokage” at Mayawan Festival in Yogyakarta. https://shinodachiharu.com/
Venue:Shinjuku kabukicho Noh Stage
Date:
11/2(Sat)15:00-20:30, 22:30-24:00
11/3(Sun)15:00-20:30, 22:30-24:
11/4(Mon・Hol)15:00-24:00
Fee:1DAY Ticket
*Please come to the reception desk at the Ohjo Building and issue a 1-DAY ticket before coming to the event.
A new Noh work “Iruma River” by Shiori Watanabe, Noboru Yasuda, Shingo Kato, and Dominique Chen, will be presented as a video installation by Kyoko Yasuhara a.k.a .Chinjao Rosu. Under the theme of “The Human Declaration,” “Iruma River” is a work that questions the liberation from the myth of the Emperor System and the illusion of a single race, as well as the coexistence of diversity and nature. The work depicts that the emperor, who was regarded as a symbol of anthropocentrism rather than a symbol of ecology after the modern era, returned to his human form after the defeat in World War II, but remains an official existence that differs from the common image of human beings.
The installation will also feature Watanabe's new series in which portraits of emperors are created as glass masks.
◼︎Shiori Watanabe
Born in Tokyo in 1984, she completed her graduate studies at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2017. Through works that create artificial ecosystems, such as a circulatory system using a water tank, she expresses her unique observations on the relationship between the extinction, protection, and elimination of species throughout all living things, the community of nations from the perspective of ecosystems, and the workings of nature and humans. Recent solo exhibitions include “BLUE” (SACS Shibuya, 2024) and “Kuchira” (Decameron Kabukicho, 2022). https://watanabe-shiori.tokyo/ https://www.instagram.com/shiori6876/
Venue:Shinjuku kabukicho Noh Stage
Date・Performer:11/2(Sat)21:00~
Part I: Moyang / Ancestor (perform by Siko Setyanto X Kakushin Nishihara)
11/3(Sun)21:00~
Part II: Seaman / Fisherman(perform by Siko Setyanto X Kadapat)
Fee:1DAY Ticket
*Please come to the reception desk at the Ohjo Building and issue a 1-DAY ticket before coming to the event.
Numbered tickets for the day's performances will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the Ohjo Bldg. reception desk beginning at 3:00 p.m. each day.
*You must present your 1 DAY ticket to receive a numbered ticket.
*Numbered tickets will no longer be distributed once the maximum number of tickets has been reached.
*Customers with numbered tickets will be admitted first, and if space is available, customers without numbered tickets will be admitted.
*Doors open every day at 20:45.
In this two-day performance series, Tianzhuo Chen and Siko Setyanto converge their distinct artistic visions to create a transformative experience on the Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh stage. Drawing from the rich traditions of Noh theater, each day presents an innovative exploration of movement and imagery, blending contemporary elements with traditional forms.
On Day 1, Siko Setyanto collaborates with Kakushin Nishihara, a performer of the Satsuma Biwa Tsuruta style, guiding the audience on a meditative journey that evokes the fluidity of oceanic narratives. Their soundscapes enhance the performance’s atmosphere, enriching the emotional resonance of the storytelling.
On Day 2, Kadapat will assume musical composition duties, introducing an idiosyncratic sonic landscape that complements and contrasts with the previous day’s experience. Together with Siko, they will explore the intricate relationships among the divine, fishermen, and ancestors, reflecting a complex ecosystem and spiritual connections.
Through simplicity and stillness on the sacred Noh stage, Chen and his collaborators create a visual and musical maelstrom that intertwines tradition, ecology, spirituality, and technology, where the boundaries between reality and the spiritual realm dissolve, ultimately inviting audiences to engage with the profound connections within this multifaceted narrative.
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
--- プログラム:東京砂漠(D)-①
Program:Bar Tokyo Sabaku(D)-① open/close
Venue:Bar Tokyo Sabaku
Date:
11/2(Sat)、11/3(Sun)19:00-5:00
11/4(Mon・Hol)19:00-24:00
Fee:1DAY Ticket
*Please come to the reception desk at the Ohjo Building and issue a 1-DAY ticket before coming to the event.
This site-specific exhibit takes advantage of the location of Shinjuku's deepest venue.
This three-dimensional work combines images of people who have obtained the same mirrors that influencers use within their social media posts and point their cameras at them (at tourist attractions in Tokyo, photographed back at the photographer from the perspective of the tourist attraction).
Cooperation: Kenta Ishige, PARSEL, Darai
◼︎tomotosi
Born in Yamaguchi prefecture in 1983. After graduating from university, he worked in architectural design and urban planning for several years, and began showing his work in exhibitions in 2014. He mainly produces video works based on the theme of “actions that transform human movement. He has also been running the TOMO museum since 2020, proposing new ways to use the city. He has held many exhibitions including “tttv” (Chuo Main Line Gallery, 2018) and “Hopeless Delay Plan” (TAV GALLERY, 2023). https://tomotosi.com/ https://www.instagram.com/tomotossi/
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
--- プログラム:東京砂漠(D)-②Program:Bar Tokyo Sabaku(D)-② open/close
◼︎岡田裕子
美術家。横断的な表現手法で自らの体験 ─ 恋愛、出産、子育て、介護─から着想した、社会へのメッセージある作品群、男性の妊娠を描いた「俺の産んだ子」、再生医療がテーマの「エンゲージド・ボディ」、自らの喪を体験するXR作品「Celebrate for ME」など。個人活動以外も「会田家」「W HIROKO PROJECT」「オルタナティブ人形劇団『劇団★死期』」等に携わる。2025年2月京都・春秋座でXRの劇場実験を予定。 https://okadahiroko.info/ https://www.instagram.com/hiroko10000/
■「Ochiru」「Inoru」Works of Sound and Place by Hiroko Okada
Venue:Bar Tokyo Sabaku
Tomarigi
Vacant lot along Sakura Street
PicPeck Building Exterior Wall
Date:All Days
11/2(Sat)15:00-5:00
11/3(Sun)15:00-5:00
11/4(Mon・Hol)15:00-24:00
*Tomarigi opens 11/2-4 15:00-23:00
Fee:Free
Walking around the hidden spots of Kabukicho listening to the sounds and voices. Listen closely to the sounds emanating from your smartphone and see the invisible landscape. Narration by Yuko Okada.
◼︎Hiroko Okada
Artist. Her works with a message to society are inspired by her own experiences of love, childbirth, child rearing, and nursing care, using a transversal method of expression. In addition to his personal activities, she is involved in “Aida Family,” “W HIROKO PROJECT,” and the alternative puppet theater company “Gekidan★Shiki” etc. She plans to experiment with XR theater at Shunjuza in Kyoto in February 2025. https://okadahiroko.info/ https://www.instagram.com/hiroko10000/
Venue:Decameron Kabukicho
Date:
Exhibition
11/2(Sat)18;00-24:00
11/3(Sun)18:00-24:00
11/4(Mon・Hol)19:00-20:00, 21:00-24:00
Performance:
The venue for the performance has been changed to the Ohjo Bldg.
11/4(Mon・Hol)
①18:00-・②20:00-
*Each performance lasts about 20 minutes
We regret to inform you that applications for viewing in the reserved priority area have closed due to reaching capacity. Viewing from outside the priority area is still possible, but please be aware that it may be restricted depending on venue conditions.
Fee:1DAY ticket
*Please come to the reception desk at the Wangjo Building and issue a 1-DAY ticket in advance.
Yukkyun, a pop icon who calls for the awakening of the DIVA that lies dormant in the heart, and Ayano Sudo, who has captured the desire for transformation and ideal images that transcend gender while visiting the world of beauty in all ages and cultures. These two artists, who have collaborated and shared a sense of beauty, will invite Kimishima Oozora, who performed with Yukkyun on her single “Private Superstar,” to present a performance and visual depiction of a relationship that respects and celebrates each other, despite the many contradictions.
◼︎Yukkyun(DIVA)
Born in Okayama, Japan in 1995.
Graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University with a degree in Comparative Arts in the Graduate School of Letters. A member of the soundtrack-based avant-pop unit “Cinema and Boy CQ,” he began his self-produced solo career “DIVA Project” on a full scale in 2021.He provided lyrics for “Denpagumi.inc” and “West, writes columns and movie reviews, and appears on the TBS Podcast “Y2K Shinsho.” His love for J-Pop divas and free aesthetic sense has broadened his activities.In September 2024, she released her second album, “UMAREKAWARANAI ANATA WO” (“I'll Never Be Born Again”).
◼︎Ohzora Kimishima
Born in 1995 in Ome City, Tokyo. Active as a songwriter, guitarist, and sound producer, involved in the production, recording, and live performances of various musicians, including Kayo Yoshizawa, Ainá the End, Yukkyun, Tokutaro Hosoi, Kisaki Sakaguchi, RYUTist, adieu (Moka Kamishiraishi), and Ibuki Takai. Began solo activities in earnest after releasing the EP "Gogo no Hanshakko" in 2019.
◼︎Sudo Ayano(Photographer/Artist)
Born in 1986 in Osaka, Japan, he received his MFA from Kyoto City University of Arts in 2011. She won the Canon New Cosmos of Photography Grand Prix in 2014 for her self-portrait “Gespenster,” in which she portrays a real-life missing girl. She has exhibited
会場:AWAKE 、歌舞伎町某所
日時:11/2(土)、11/3(日), 11/4(月・祝)19:00-21:00
Fancy Fantasy! by FAMEMEとは、あらゆるジェンダーに開かれた三夜限りのポップアップ・ホストクラブです。途中のご入店も可能ですが、19:00もしくは20:00にお越しいただけると、ドラグ・クィーン&キングによる華麗なショーを含む本プロジェクトの世界観をよりお楽しみいただけます。
料金:1DAYチケット+3,000円(飲み放題1時間)
★事前に王城ビル受付にて1DAYチケットを発券のうえ、ご来場ください。
FAMEME初の日本語シングル《Fancy Fantasy!》の一般公開を記念し、歌舞伎町の大型ビジョンにてミュージックビデオをお披露目するほか、新宿・歌舞伎町でホストクラブや飲食店などを展開する「Smappa!Group」が2018年にオープンしたホストクラブ「AWAKE」にて、2024年7月に実施しFAMEME旋風を巻き起こしたイベント「Fancy Fantasy! by FAMEME」のポップアップを実施する。いかなるジェンダーも受け入れる期間限定のポップアップホストクラブにて、異性愛規範の疑似恋愛をクィアの視点からときほぐす。
◼︎FAMEME
⻄洋のソーシャルメディアにおけるインフルエンサー現象や、セレブが生み出す文化トレンドを批判的に探求する台北のアーティスト余政達(ユ・チェンタ)が、2019年にニューヨークで生み出したキャラクター。「クレイジー・リッチ・アジアン」で、アジアの果物の王様であり強烈な匂いを放つドリアンを家業のために布教する。セレブリティ、起業家、デザイナー、そして歌手でもあるFAMEMEは、2019年から2022年にかけて、ニューヨークで「ドリアン美術館」、ソウルで「ドリアンジム」、そして台北で「ドリアン製薬工場」を設立し、事業を拡大。その後、歌手に転身し、台湾のラッパー春艷(チュンイェン)とのコラボでシングル「Rub a Dub Charlie’s Angel in the Tub」をリリース、同時にストリートウェアブランド「Durian Duty To Be Free」も手掛ける。2024年には初の日本語シングル「Fancy Fantasy!」をリリース、更にマレーシアでの銀幕デビューを控えている。 https://www.fameme.online/ https://www.instagram.com/famemenyc/
■Fancy Fantasy! by FAMEME
Venue:AWAKE ,Certain place in Kabukicho
Date:11/2(Sat)、11/3(Sun), 11/4(Mon・Hol)19:00-21:00
Fee:1DAY ticket+3,000yen(free drink for 1 hour)
*Please come to the event after issuing a 1DAY ticket in advance at the reception of the Ohjo Building.
FAMEME's first Japanese-language single “Fancy Fantasy!” will be unveiled to the public on a large screen in Kabukicho to commemorate the release of the music video. Group, a host club and restaurant operator in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, opened in 2018, and will hold a pop-up of the “Fancy Fantasy! by FAMEME” event, which was held in July 2024 and created a FAMEME whirlwind. The pop-up host club, which is open to all genders for a limited period of time, will unravel the pseudo-romance of heteronormativity from a queer perspective.
◼︎FAMEME
The character was created in New York City in 2019 by Taipei artist Yu Chengda (余政達), who critically explores the influencer phenomenon in Asian social media and celebrity-generated cultural trends. In “Crazy Rich Asian,” he evangelizes the durian, the king of Asian fruits and a powerful smell, for the family business. A celebrity, entrepreneur, designer, and singer, FAMEME will expand her business from 2019 to 2022, establishing the Museum of Durian in New York, Durian Gym in Seoul, and Durian Pharmaceutical in Taipei. He then turned into a singer, releasing the single “Rub a Dub Charlie's Angel in the Tub” in collaboration with Taiwanese rapper Chun Yan, while also working on the streetwear brand “Durian Duty To Be Free”. In 2024, he will release his first Japanese-language single “Fancy Fantasy!” and is also preparing to make his debut on the Malaysian silver screen. https://www.fameme.online/ https://www.instagram.com/famemenyc/
YUNIKA VISION, Shinjuku's largest street vision, will feature a site-specific video by contemporary artist and poet Natsumi Aoyagi. The artist's words, characterized by her observations of familiar objects, and the unconsciousness of people passing through public spaces will depict the moments and atmosphere that intersect in the city.
Details, including the date and time, will be announced later on BENTEN's Instagram and website.
◼︎Aoyagi Natsumi
Artist, Poet.
Born 1990 in Tokyo. As an artist of contemporary art using visual media, she creates project-based thematic works based on fieldwork and research. In 2016, she graduated from the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts with a B.F.A. in Media Imaging.Recent works include “Logbook of a Sea Goddess” (Towada Art Center, Aomori,2024)
“ICC Annual 2024: Faraway, so close”(ICC,Tokyo, 2024) NMWA Japan Committee Exhibition: “New Worlds” (Kodensha Space, Tokyo,2022), “TWO PRIVATE ROOMS – A Circle of Reading”(Online project, 2020-) “The Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions” (Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, 2018), Collection of poems “grow up” Awarded the 28th Nakahara Chuya Prize. She presides over Kohon and honkbooks, a practitioner-collective. Also works under the artist name “Datsuo”.
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
撮影:上原俊Photo: SHUN UEHARA
--- プログラム:歌舞伎町某所Program:Certain place in Kabukicho open/close
Venue:Ohjo Bldg. and others.
Date:11/2(Sat)
17:30 Open 18:00 Start
18:00~ Kazuki Tomokawa
18:45~ Mori Agata
Fee:Free
Kabukicho used to be a forest. The forest had a swamp, and Benten-sama was enshrined by the swamp. Benten-sama is the well-known “god of music” and the god of water. The former forest and swamp have now been reclaimed and sunk to the bottom of concrete. But even now, as if guided by Benten-sama, or rather like migratory birds sojourning in the swamp, people still gather and mist up. Instead of thinking back to “that time” in Shinjuku, we listen to the call of the folk to rebirth “this time”. I hope it will be such an evening.
◼︎Kazuki Tomokawa
Poet, singer, painter, and bicycle racing enthusiast. Born on February 16, 1950 in Hachiryu-mura, Yamamoto-gun, Akita Prefecture (now Mitane-machi). He began writing poetry after being struck by Chuya Nakahara's poem “A BONE,” which he happened to see in his junior high school library. He entered Noshiro Technical High School, where he worked as the manager of the basketball team and read a lot of literature by Osamu Dazai, Hideo Kobayashi, and others.
In the early 1970s, he began to sing songs to the poems he had written up to that point, releasing his first EP in 1974 and his first album, “Finally, the First One,” in 1975. His representative songs include “Ikiterutte Ittemiro” (“Say with Conviction, I am Alive”), “Shikizokonai no Uta” (“Song of Death and Destiny”), “Todo wo Korosuna” (“Don't Kill the Steller's Sea lion”), and “Yoru he Isogu Hito” (a song he wrote for Naomi Chiaki). His reputation has grown overseas, and to date he has performed in Scotland, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany, Ukraine, Beijing, Taiwan, South Korea, and the United States. In 2024, he released his 26th original album, “Ika wo Kaini Iku” (I'm Going to Buy Squid), his first album in eight years. https://tomokawakazuki.com
◼︎Morio Agata
Born September 12, 1948 in Hokkaido, Japan. Became a darling of the times with his debut song “Sekishoku Elegy" (Red Colored Elegy) in 1972. He has continued to create new wave, cutting-edge original musical expressions in step with the times. His representative songs include “Hoshizora Cycling” (Virgin VS ('82), which became the ending theme for “Urusei Yatsura”), “Haru no Arashi no Yoru no Tejinashi” ('85), “Itoshi no Dairoku Wakusei” ('85), “Bandoneon no Leopard” ('87), a unique tango expression, “Sato Keiko Sensei wa Zankoku na Hito desu” ('01), etc. He has directed three films for theatrical release. He has directed three films for theatrical release, and is also active as an actor and writer.Since 2011, he has released an ambitious series of original albums every year for 10 consecutive years under the motif of “2010s Rock.In 2022, he will celebrate his 50th anniversary and release 57 titles and 733 songs by subscription. 50th anniversary music party will be held at Shibuya Kokaido on September 22, Published his first biography book, “Ai wa aitte nani naru” (written by Morio Agata and Moriyuki Imamura) from Shogakukan.Released “Enshu Nada 2023” in 2023; held “Last Taruho Picnic” at Asukayama Park, Oji, in June 2024. Released his 52nd original album “Orion's Forest” on October 30, 2024. http://www.agatamorio.com
--- プログラム:新宿二丁目某所Program:A certain place in Shinjuku 2-chome open/close
Venue:A certain place in Shinjuku 2-chome
Date:11/3(Sun)22:30-、22:50-、23:10-、23:30-、23:50-、00:10-
About 10 minutes each performance, advance reservation required.
Fee:1DAY ticket
*Please come to the reception desk at the Ohjo Building and issue a 1-DAY ticket in advance.
Reservation: Advance reservations via ArtSticker have been closed. Please apply at the reception desk of the Ohjo Building.
*This ticket will be issued at the Ojo Building (1-13-2 Kabukicho).
*You will watch the performance on site by connecting your smartphone to zoom and listening to the audio through earphones or other devices.You need to install the Zoom app to watch.
*No smartphones, earphones, or Wi-Fi for Internet access will be provided. Viewers are requested to provide their own devices.
*Please be careful not to obstruct traffic when viewing the performance.
*Details of the venue and zoom URL will be given at the reception desk of the Ojo Building on the day of the event. Please present the QR code of your reservation at the reception desk. It takes about 20 minutes on foot from the Ojo Building to the venue. Please allow plenty of time for your visit and arrive at the BENTEN reception(Ohjo Bldg.) at least 30 minutes before the start time.
*To view the performance, you will need to purchase 1-DAY ticket.
*In the event of inclement weather, the event may be cancelled. Please understand in advance.
A short play “Summer Rental,” written by philosopher Masaya Chiba and contributed to an installation at the Arakawa Nash Medical Exhibition (The National Art Center, Tokyo), will be performed by actors on the street in Shinjuku 2-chome.
◼︎Ei Arakawa-Nash
Born in 1977 in Iwaki, Fukushima, Nash Arakawa is a US citizen queer performance artist who has lived in New York since 1998 and Los Angeles since 2019. Continually collaborating with a variety of artists, Ei Arakawa-Nash expresses the uncertainty of art as a group performance while redefining the subject of “I”. He is currently a professor in the graduate art program at Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles. https://www.a5rkw.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ei.arakawa.nash/
11/2(土)
◼︎Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group
2023年の展覧会「ナラッキー」でChim↑Pom from Smappa!Groupは、元カラオケボックスの歌舞伎町・王城ビルをリノベーションし、地獄を語源とした「奈落」に着想を得たカラオケルームを構築した。今回は、このプロジェクトを歌舞伎町全体に開放し、シネシティ広場で青空カラオケを開催する。有名人も無名の人も等しく参加でき、歌で人々を繋ぐ共有の場である。また、その様子を歌舞伎町タワーのサイネージで放映し、ライブ感とスペクタクル性を演出。誰もが無料でカラオケプロジェクトを楽しめる場を提供する。
11/3(日)
イベントプロデューサー:Oi-chan(OIP)
◼︎【東京QQQ】(performance)
アオイヤマダ / かんばらけんた / Kily shakley / KUMI / 高村月 / ちびもえこ / 平位蛙 / MONDO /山田ホアニータ
The Kabukicho Matsuri, which has been held at CineCity Plaza since 2021 and has attracted attention every year for its chaotic and energetic performances that allow visitors to experience Kabukicho's unique atmosphere, will be held at the same time as BENTEN 2024!
Organized by Kabukicho Shopping Disrict Association
Venue:Kabukicho Cine City Plaza
Date:
11/2(Sat)15:00-20:00
11/3(Sun)15:30 Open 16:00 Start -20:30 Close
Fee:Free
11/2(Sat)
◼︎Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group
For the 2023 exhibition “Na-Lucky,” Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group renovated the Kabukicho Ohjo Building, a former karaoke box, and constructed a karaoke room inspired by the word “abyss,” from which the word hell is derived. This time, the project will be opened to the entire Kabukicho area, with an open-air karaoke session to be held at Cine City Plaza. Celebrities and unknowns alike are equally welcome to participate, and this is a place for sharing and connecting people through song. The event will be broadcast on the signage of the Kabukicho Tower, creating a live and spectacular atmosphere. The project provides a place where everyone can enjoy the karaoke project free of charge.
■Area Relations
In addition to the official program, original events will be held simultaneously at stores in the Shinjuku/Kabukicho in cooperation with area relationship members who are engaged in various activities
Mugino Oto
Satellite event in collaboration with BENTEN 2024, an all-night art event in Kabukicho, inviting local multi-talented artists of the young generation, to be held on Sunday, November 3, the day before the national holiday, at the dining bar Mugi no Oto.
A satellite event in collaboration with BENTEN 2024 will be held on Sunday, November 3, the day before the celebration, at the dining bar Mugi-no-Oto. Toward the end of the weekend, when Kabukicho is crowded with performances, exhibitions, and club events in various parts of the city, we invited multi-talented artists of the young generation who are making a splash locally. DJs and artists from Kansai(West) to Kanto(East) who are active in street protests, Nichome, Internet radio, and other bottom-up activities will be gathered for a groovy and energetic night by youth who are not burnt out.
Open: 11月3日(Sun)23:00-5:00
Place: Mugi no Oto
Shinjuku No.7 Building B1F, 1-12-15 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku
DJ:
◼︎dj woahhaus https://www.instagram.com/sy1re/
Tokyo-based DJ, emo and swag of urban scenes and peripheries.
◼︎DJ Manabi https://www.instagram.com/kowaku_/
Born in 2002. Lives and works in Tokyo. Experienced DJ in many upper-class venues with a focus on noise/experimental music. Recently, he is into his own track making. Also active in B2B/collective “Systems” and online platform community “Mana Online”.
◼︎Giuseppe:https://www.instagram.com/giuseppeperoncino/
He has been DJing since 2020 and his music is sexy and fun, yet tight and badass, with a focus on Reggaeton and Dancehall. He has also made his UK debut in South London and Peckham in 2023, and his mixes have been featured on NTS Radio and Refuge Worldwide.
■THE FOUR-EYED
During BENTEN 2024, in addition to regular hours (12:00~21:00), special late-night hours will be held!
BOKUNOU will be selling a limited number of BENTEN's official “FAKE” goods made by Bokunou and BENTEN. For more information about the goods, please check our Instagram @the_foureyed and @bokunou.
Open:
11月2日(Sat)12:00-5:00
11月3日(Sun)12:00-5:00
11月4日(Mon・Hol)12:00-24:00
Place: THE FOUR-EYED (Palais d'Or Kabukicho 1F, 2-8-2 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku)
◼︎THE FOUR-EYED
A new world of freedom and borderlessness.The Four Eyed, a select store with an “aggressive” location behind a love hotel in Kabukicho 2-chome, Shinjuku, was opened in September 2016 by Keisuke Fujita, a former photographer and deputy editor for STREET, FRUiTS, and TUNE magazines. The shop was opened in September 2016 by Keisuke Fujita, a former photographer and deputy editor of STREET, FRUiTS, and TUNE magazines.It is said to have attracted the support of fashion connoisseurs and has many fans in the industry. Last September 2023, when it celebrated its 7th anniversary, an anniversary event was held at the Ohjo Building during the exhibition “Na-Lucky” by Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group.
■Gramophone Night
There is a little noise from SP records,
Why don't you enjoy listening to the nice sound of SP records in a leisurely manner?
It has been featured in media around the world as a hot spot in the LGBTQ town 🌈 Shinjuku Ni-Chome.This international bar is produced by “GOLD FINGER”, which has been introducing Japanese L-Girls culture since 1991.Tell the staff the password [BENTEN GACHA] and you can try GACHA GACHA once for free!
アートの現状でも協働性や体験性が重視されるようになった。
ドクメンタ15において芸術監督のルアンルパが打ち出したテーマは「Make Friends, Not Art」だったが、それは作品・作家至上主義から人間関係にアートをシフトさせるメッセージでもあった。考えてみれば、「パーティー」とは宴のことだけではなく、結社や会、社交、政党、野外活動のグループなどにも意味が広がる言葉である。Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group が展開してきた「Art is in the pARTy」は美術の普遍性へのカウンターであり、現在のコレクティビズムを表したテーゼとも言える。ただしそれは、「Make Friends, Not Art」とは異なり、「アートはパーティー(人間関係≒「make friend」)の中にある」と、芸術にこそ人間関係の可能性をみるステイトメントである。
1. Art is in the pARTy
Parties are the essence of the Kabukicho neighborhood.
The city has focused on party culture in order to serve a momentary and festive evening.
This can also be said from an artistic perspective. Postwar Shinjuku was the stage on which happenings such as “Zero Dimension (Zero Jigen),” “Neo-Dadaism Organizers,” “Shinjuku Shonen Art,” and “Jokyo Gekijo Theater” broke out in the public sphere and in crowded buildings. They were transient and performative events such as rituals, festivals, and plays rather than exhibitions. The fact that Kabukicho is not a town that has sold goods, but rather things, services, and bodies, the context of expression in ...... Shinjuku overlaps beautifully with the intangible nature of the town.
Even in the current state of art, there is a growing emphasis on the collaborative and experiential nature of the arts. At Documenta 15, artistic director ruangrupa's theme was “Make Friends, Not Art,” a message that shifted the focus of art from the supremacy of artworks and artists to human relationships. Art is in the pARTy” developed by Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group is a counter to the universality of art, Group's “Art is in the pARTy” is a counter to the universality of art and a thesis that expresses the current collectivism. Unlike “Make Friends, Not Art,” however, “Art is in the party (human relations ≒ ‘make friend’)” is a statement that sees the possibility of human relations in art.
2. Peace
Parties, however, can be a breeding ground for social problems because of their hedonistic nature. This is especially true when it is combined with the supremacy of sales. The entertainment districts have been criticized many times, but the aforementioned festival culture is rather an anarchic one that is at odds with capitalism and authoritarianism. In particular, the “Folk Guerrilla in Shinjuku” of the 1960s are legendary for their anti-war parties that confronted authority and shouted anti-war protests.
The background to the acceptance of such political and radical culture is the unique capacity of the entertainment district. The origin of the Shinjuku area in the 1920s was an area where prominent anarchists and communists lived, and where Japan's first black market was established after World War II. The context is supported by the fact that Shinjuku Ni-Chome, the largest LGBTQ+ town in Japan, has cultivated sexual diversity. Despite its dangerous aspects, Kabukicho has developed into a place that celebrates freedom, and can be seen as the embodiment of “symbiosis” in which people live with minorities and others. Peace from Kabukicho. This means that the “nightlife district,” which has responded to postwar democracy by consuming freedom, will step forward and become a party to renewing the existing image of peace. The unexpectedness of the message emanating from the entertainment district, which has a dark impression, will serve as a hook to propose a proposal for the tragic times.
3. Arts/Entertainment
The name “Kabukicho” comes from the fact that local residents tried to attract the Kabuki-za Theater to the area as part of a reconstruction plan for the town, which had been burned down after the war. As a result, the Kabuki-za did not come, and only the name remained. Considering how kabuki, Noh, and other traditional Japanese performing arts were originally born out of the integration of the sacred and the secular, as if they were beggars on the riverbanks, and grew up in the downtown areas such as Yoshiwara, the gap between the current conservative performing arts and their roots is strongly reflected in this case.
The beginning of the performing arts in Japan is said to be a strip by Amenouzume, the god of the arts in the Kojiki and Nihonshoki. It is said that when the sun goddess Amaterasu hid in Iwato and the world lost its light, the gods held a feast in front of Iwato, and Amenouzume danced naked on top of her body, which excited all the gods. It is described that light was restored to the world when Amateru opened the door of Iwato out of concern for its bustling outside. In considering the art of Kabukicho, high art alone is not enough. In addition to the entertainment district culture of pole dancing, drag queens, and striptease, there is also the underground theater of the Jokyo Gekijo Theater, which is set in the Hanazono Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the performing arts. In addition to such entertainment-oriented culture as pole dancing, drag queens, and striptease, the performing arts as a form of radical physical expression, such as the underground theater of the Situation Theater and the show tent, have continued to influence the arts. The redefinition of art and performing arts has long been shaking Japanese art as a uniquely Japanese issue (faith, ecology, social class, etc.) that cannot be interpreted in a Western context. The awareness of these issues that art in Kabukicho will continue to transmit to the world in the future will lead to a redefinition of the values of art concerning the West and the East.
4. Origin of the title
The title “BENTEN” comes from Kabukicho Park/Kabukicho Benzaiten, which has been protected as a sacred place in Kabukicho. Known as the god of entertainment, it is also the god of water, and is enshrined throughout Japan as a remnant of what was once a waterfront. The inscription on the erected monument reads as follows. The inscription reads, “Kabukicho used to be called Omura-no-mori (Omura Forest), and there was a large swamp, and Benten-sama was enshrined in the swamp area. Takako Okayasu, a believer, evacuated with Benten-sama on her back, and later moved it to the Mineshima family, who were the first to develop Kabukicho. After the war, Kihei Suzuki, the head of the town council, launched a reconstruction plan and worked with collaborators to rebuild the town, and it was decided that the Benten site would be preserved in its original state. The Benten-do Reconstruction Dedication Association was formed and pledged to worship Kabuki Benten as the guardian deity of the community forever.
BENTEN 2024 Artistic Director:
Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group
--- BENTEN 2024 ロゴについてAbout the BENTEN 2024 Logo open/close
The BENTEN2024 logo combines the image of the folding lantern, which originated in Japan, with the image of a spiral structure (DNA), which is reminiscent of something being spun, as well as the history of sedimentation and compression in Kabukicho, as shown in “Bill Burger”. The logo mark is a fusion of the image of the folding lantern from Japan, the image of a spiral structure (DNA) reminiscent of something being spun, and the history of accumulation and compression of Kabukicho as indicated by the “Bill Burger.
◼︎山本裕子
ANOMALYディレクター。老舗現代美術ギャラリーでの丁稚奉公を経て、2004年に独立、文豪の花街・東京神楽坂のワイルドな工場街に「山本現代」をオープン。以後白金、東品川のインダストリアルな倉庫街で活動。2018年、既存の枠にとらわれないギャラリーの運営スタイルを標榜し「URANO」「Hashimoto Art Office」とユナイトし「ANOMALY」を共同設立。
アーティストと協働し、音楽、演劇、アートイベントなど野外活動も精力的に行う。
◼︎Yuko Yamamoto
Director of ANOMALY. After working at a well-established contemporary art gallery, In 2004, she opened “Yamamoto Gendai” in the wild factory district of Kagurazaka, Tokyo, the flower district of literary giants. Since then, She has been active in the industrial warehouse districts of Shirokane and Higashi-Shinagawa. In 2018, she co-founded “ANOMALY” with “URANO” and “Hashimoto Art Office” to advocate a style of gallery management that is not bound by existing frameworks. In collaboration with artists, she is also actively involved in outdoor activities such as music, theater, and art events.
◼︎Tomohito Wakui
Born in 1990 in Niigata. Artist. Musician. director and curator of WHITEHOUSE. Major exhibitions include “nonno” (8/ART GALLERY/Tomio Koyama, Tokyo, 2016), “Dark Independants” (online/anonymous location in Tokyo, 2020), “JUNK'S PORTS” (ANOMALY, Tokyo, 2023 ), “A Personal View of Japanese Contemporary Art: Takahashi Ryutaro Collection” (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2024)
◼︎Sanghae Kwon
Curator at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, born in 1990. PhD in Arts Studies and Curatorial Practices, Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. His curatorial practices, platform management, and research activities across contemporary art and performing arts focus on exploring collectivity in performance and transnational historical practices of individuals and communities. Associate Researcher, Minato City Cultural Arts Hall (2022-23), Performing Arts International Co-Production Observer, Japan Foundation, Contemporary Art Coordinator, Saitama Triennale 2023.
◼︎Kaho Ikeda
Independent Curator. She has been researching collectives and DIY cultures that have developed from indigenous cultures and social conditions, mainly in East and Southeast Asia. She has co-organized exhibitions and workshops with local artists with her interest incross-disciplinary curation that combines exhibitions, performing arts, and educational programs. She gained experience as an assistant at the Mori Art Museum and became independent in the spring of 2023. Currently Co-Programme Director at Yamanaka Suplex and curator of Kobe Rokko Meets Art 2024 beyond.