The streets and the corners of downtown Shizuoka
during the latter half of Golden Week holidays
will become a place full of wonders = a theatre,
where one would encounter the unknown
or stop to find oneself being so moved.
There are many events happening in Japan during the Golden Week holidays, but I can say with pride that there is no other festival like this “STRANGE SEED SHIZUOKA,” that will take place around Sumpu Castle in Shizuoka City. Plays, dances and performances will be presented simultaneously around the city, each occupying and transforming the spot into a one-day theater. The sun will become the lighting, the sound of the wind will play music, and the passersby will play background actors. Some of you may know the term “alienation effect.” This event will be a strange four-day festival in which alienation of landscapes and mundanities happening spontaneously. Theaters should not be secluded, but rather be more open and evolving. This is my concern and hope. Would you be part of this festival as an audience and a performer at once?
Program Director
Worry Kinoshita
Program Director : Worry Kinoshita
Conceptor : Masaaki Kohga
Festival Manager : Guriko Sawa, Yasuhito Wakabayashi, Yuki Takahashi, Akifumi Watanabe, Hisae Kageyama, Masaaki Koga, Kazuki Sugai
PR : Ryuichiro Mori
Art Director : Ryota Yamaguchi
Photography : Mayuko Yamaguchi, Saori Kawanishi
Illustration : Kotobuki Shiriagari
Sponsor : Shizuoka City
Coorganizer : SPAC-Shizuoka Performing Arts Center
“Otane-chan” is a character designed by a Shizuoka native cartoonist Kotobuki Shiriagari. “Otane-chan” symbolizes the festival’s will to grow in the hope that the sprout of art seeded in downton Shizuoka would be rooted and come to fruition.
Born in 1958 in Shizuoka City, Japan. After graduating from Tama Art University with a major in Graphic Design in 1981, Shiriagari joined Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd. and worked on packaging design and advertisements.
In 1985, he debuted as a cartoonist with the book Ereki na Haru, receiving attention as a new type of gag cartoonist whose humor centers on parody.
Working independently since 1994, Shiriagari continues to release fantasy and literary series works and other works in a wide range of genres, including satirical four-panel comic strips for newspapers and long-form narrative manga, as well as underground manga. While continuing to release original work, in recent years he has expanded beyond manga into a variety of media, including video and art.
WORRY Kinoshita: playwright and those who produce, festival director He forms theatrical company “sekaiichidan” in 1993 Kobe University under attending school. The group name is renamed to “sunday” after 2005 and it is acting now.He takes charge of the scenario of his own theatrical company and production, makes up other play festivals, and is a lecturer in the play workshop.In addition, he did the produce of the performance band named THE ORIGINAL TEMPO, and made the performance succeed in all over the world. (2005/Chuncheon International Festival. Taipei Art Village FES. 2009/Singapore Arts Festival, London BAC comedy festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival)