(Minghui.org) Shen Yun Performing Arts concluded its Japan tour after presenting its last performance at the Fukuoka Sunpalace Hall in Fukuoka on February 16, 2024. This season, the company presented 42 performances in twelve major Japanese cities and special wards during its nearly two-month tour.
Shen Yun New York Company at the Bunkyo Civic Hall in Tokyo’s Bunkyo special ward on January 29. The company presented four performances in Bunkyo January 29–31, all to full houses. The local presenter had to add seats with partially obstructed view in order to meet the demand. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun’s curtain call at the Bunkyo Civic Hall in Tokyo on January 31 (The Epoch Times)
After presenting two performances to full houses at the Kamakura Performing Arts Center in Kamakura on January 20 and 21, Shen Yun New York Company returned to Kamakura for two more performances on February 2 and 3. Tickets were sold out days prior to the performances. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun presented four performances at the Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater Hitaru in Sapporo, Hokkaido, on February 6 and 7, all to full houses. This was the company’s first time performing in Hokkaido. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun New York Company’s curtain call at the Fukuoka Sunpalace Hall in Fukuoka on February 16, marking the conclusion of the company’s Japan tour. Shen Yun presented three performances in Fukuoka on February 15 and 16, all to full theaters. (The Epoch Times)
Masanori Inomata, CEO of Fibergate Inc., at the Shen Yun performance in Sapporo on February 7 (The Epoch Times)
Masanori Inomata, CEO of telecommunications company Fibergate Inc., saw Shen Yun in Sapporo on February 7.
“Excellent! As great as I expected,” Mr. Inomata said.
“When the curtain opened and the cloudy, heavenly scene came before my eyes, I was immediately deeply enthralled. That scene left an indelible impression on me.
“While watching the performance, I felt a warm and strong energy coming at me. I also felt that the performers emitted optimistic and positive energy,” he said.
Toshio Murakami, owner of a video production company, at the Shen Yun performance in Kobe on February 12 (The Epoch Times)
Toshio Murakami, owner of a video production company, saw Shen Yun in Kobe on February 12.
“Truly a top-notch show. Really great. Very skilled!” said Mr. Murakami.
“What I admired the most was the combination of the video and stage. The innovation of blending advanced imaging technology and stage was great. The scenes were vivid and powerful. There must have been an enormous amount of work that went into the design of the performance as a whole. You never get tired of watching it. As I was watching, waves of a feeling of being touched struck me. Truly great!
“There are ancient faiths in China. I think there are similarities with Japan. Humankind lives under the protection of the divine. The divine will help humankind at critical moments. I also have this kind of belief,” he said.
Keiko Kawazoe, media personality and documentary writer, at the Shen Yun performance in Bunkyo, Tokyo, on January 31 (The Epoch Times)
Keiko Kawazoe, a renowned Japanese media personality and documentary writer, saw Shen Yun at the Bunkyo Civic Hall in Tokyo on January 31.
“An extraordinary performance! It exceeded my expectations,” Ms. Kawazoe said.
Ms. Kawazoe is considered an expert in international affairs and Chinese issues. She has written over 20 books on Asian and international politics.
“Communism promotes atheism. It advocates the law of the jungle, pursues money and material enjoyment, and denies divinity. However, the Chinese have revered heavenly spirits since ancient times. The Japanese also believe in the divine. I resonate with this; I believe that humans live under the protection of the divine,” she said.
“In terms of artistic expression, the digital backdrops made the performance highly enjoyable and unique, providing an unparalleled experience. Such a performance required little prior knowledge, and even children could fully understand it,” said Ms. Kawazoe.
Regarding a scene portraying a great divine being coming to save good people during their time of need, she said, “The scene presented was like at the end of the world, where good people were saved, conveying the idea of ‘goodness reaps good rewards,’ giving hope to kind-hearted individuals about the future.”
Artist Ms. Chen at the Shen Yun performance in Tokyo on January 31 (The Epoch Times)
Ms. Chen, an artist from China, saw Shen Yun in Tokyo on January 31.
“Shen Yun’s stage presented pure kindness and pure beauty. I’m very touched,” she said.
Ms. Chen said she had seen some dance performances in mainland China. “Shen Yun’s pure kindness and pure beauty are another level. I finally understand what this ‘purity’ means. This stage’s lighting, including those color combinations, and ones that reflect the very noble and compassionate feelings of the heavenly realm – are completely different from the dances in mainland China.”
“I hope Shen Yun can perform in China as soon as possible... Mainland China now lacks faith and is morally degenerated. If this traditional culture and faith can be picked up again, people will become kinder and the Chinese society will definitely be different. If everyone is a good person, the communist party will naturally die out,” she said.
Miki Kikkawa at the Shen Yun performance at the Bunkyo Civic Hall on January 31 (The Epoch Times)
Miki Kikkawa, executive director of Kikkawa Corporation and chairwoman of the Cultural Heritage Town Development Education Foundation, saw Shen Yun at the Bunkyo Civic Hall in Tokyo on January 31.
“I was deeply moved! The beauty of the performance was beyond words, and it brought tears to my eyes,” Mrs. Kikkawa said.
“Each dance was unique and had its own characteristics. In the female dance, the performers’ steps were elegant, with graceful and beautiful long sleeves, creating a captivating scene.
“The male dance was robust and powerful, full of strength and beauty. I truly felt a great energy that was soul-stirring. I was deeply impressed by the fact that the human body, through training, can achieve such extreme beauty,” she said.
She also spoke about the vocal performances, “The lyrics made people feel the arrival of a new era. The concept of ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance’ will truly guide humanity back, and this message is strongly conveyed.”
She said of the live orchestra, “This was a perfect integration of traditional Chinese instruments and Western instruments. This was my first time experiencing it. The rhythm was moving, and the beauty of the music was indescribable.”
“I truly found healing in the music. Today’s performance comforted my soul, and my mind and body became relaxed and comfortable,” she said.
Takeshi Nagase, member of the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly, at the Shen Yun performance in Kobe on February 12 (The Epoch Times)
Takeshi Nagase, a member of the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly, saw Shen Yun in Kobe on February 12.
“The impression it gave me was both modern and elegant,” Mr. Nagase said.
“The match of the song and piano was very perfect,” he said of the tenor’s bel canto performance.
He spoke about the story portraying the CCP’s ongoing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, “Regarding this act of forced organ harvesting, we need to expose the truth. I also hope that Japanese media will report on this issue more widely. Although our power is limited, we still hope to make some contributions in this respect.”
“Now is the time to publicly express justice and the correct values, and also share with the international community. Otherwise, the ones that will be harmed in the future will be people of our country,” he said.
Mutsumi Nakano, director of a business consulting company, at the Shen Yun performance in Sapporo on February 6 (The Epoch Times)
Mutsumi Nakano, director of a business consulting company, saw Shen Yun in Sapporo on February 6.
“The cooperation between the music performed by the live orchestra and the dance was seamless. The music gave more content to the dance. Truly a perfect combination,” Ms. Nakano said.
“To reach the highest level of music and dance actually requires tempering of the heart. This process is like spiritual cultivation. I believe cultivating the heart is every performer’s goal, and they’re all cultivating their heart to make their heart more beautiful. I’m very touched when I think of these,” she said.
Ms. Nakano also thought that after the industrial revolution, even though human society became more developed on the surface, many precious things were lost. “In today’s world, people chase money and property. It is a kind of more materialistic value system. In fact, everything comes from the heart and comes down to the heart. I think Shen Yun is outstanding for being able to present this,” she said.
Hideka Minami, director of a real estate company, at the Shen Yun performance in Kamakura on February 3 (The Epoch Times)
Hideka Minami, director of a real estate company, saw Shen Yun in Kamakura on February 3. She is of Chinese descent and grew up in Japan.
“Very excellent, very touching. I saw the meaning of kindness in it!” said Ms. Minami.
“If they didn’t train hard every day, they couldn’t be accepted by the whole world. I can feel that for the performers, from diet to sleep, everything has gone through strict management. Plus strict self-refinement, that’s how they were able to achieve such high-level professionalism. I very much admire them!
“I, and many people, live busily among daily trivia every day. Shen Yun’s performance gave me the courage to continue to live with strength. The performance has left me with unforgettable memories!” she said.
Koichi Hara at the Shen Yun performance in Fukuoka on February 16 (The Epoch Times)
Koichi Hara, president of Fukuoka company Maruya, saw Shen Yun in Fukuoka on February 16.
“I’m extremely awestruck and deeply touched. The performance got your full attention. Although I’ve seen many performances, the perfection of the performance today exceeded my expectations,” Mr. Hara said.
“Shen Yun not only had gorgeous costumes, but every performer was full of energy. They collaborated and cooperated perfectly. We seemed to have been drawn in by an invisible force, and unconsciously blended into that vast stage background. This marvelous experience makes one feel extremely joyful. Besides saying ‘so great!’ I really can’t find any other vocabulary to describe my touched feeling.
“I feel that the Creator is to pick us up. I have a kind of feeling of being saved after watching Shen Yun. Really, I’m so lucky. I’m very happy,” Mr. Hara said.
For more information about performance times, locations, and tickets, please visit www.shenyun.com.