This stage performance at Makunouchi Theater was the first major nationwide tour in Japan’s entertainment industry since the outbreak of COVID-19, and a production that drew attention not only from the kabuki world, but also from the entertainment industry, the media, and the national and local governments. It is a documentary work that connects, in a brisk tempo, the passion of Mr. Ebizo, the cast, the stage staff, and the people of Kumamoto for a long-awaited full-scale performance as it came together on stage, so that even those who are not kabuki fans can enjoy it. We produced this film with the hope of keeping the kabuki tradition that has been passed down from being brought to a halt, and of moving it forward even by one small step, as well as making this video an opportunity for people to become interested in kabuki.

The music for the film AKIRA was created based on the composer’s unique production methods and techniques drawn from world folk music collected through fieldwork, supporting the distinctive worldview of AKIRA. In this exhibition, the background behind its creation is explored through presentation videos, offering a high-resolution audio experience. Shoji Yamashiro, who created the music for AKIRA (head of Geinoh Yamashirogumi; real name: Tsutomu Ohashi), devised a method called the sound module specifically for this film score. By using sounds actually encountered during fieldwork in communities around the world—such as voices and folk instruments—he created a work unlike conventional film music. This exhibition examines the background of the music’s creation from an unprecedented perspective, one that reflects not only the position of a composer but also that of a researcher.