Dairakudakan Butoh Company’s The Book of the Dead has successfully completed its entire run.
It was a great honor to compose the music for this production.
The work was directed and choreographed by Naomi MUKU.
This marked my first collaboration with Naomi MUKU in eleven years, following Ashura (2015), the production for which she received the New Artist Award from the Japanese Dance Critics Association. Since then, she has continued to deepen and refine her unique artistic expression.
Born and raised in Nara, Naomi MUKU has long been driven by a profound question: “Why are we born, and where do we go after death?” Through The Book of the Dead, inspired by the novel of the same name by Shinobu Orikuchi, she explores this enduring question. For this production, I composed an entirely new score centered on the themes of death and rebirth, prayer, and transformation.
Throughout the creative process, we exchanged countless conversations, images, and ideas as I sought to respond musically to the world emerging from Naomi MUKU’s body and movement. During the performances, it was deeply moving to witness dance, scenography, lighting, performers, and the work of the entire production team come together as a single living work of stage art.
This experience reminded me once again that theatre is born only through the shared time, craftsmanship, and dedication of many people.
My heartfelt thanks go to everyone who attended the performances, to all the members of Dairakudakan, and to the entire cast and production team.
If this work offered each audience member a quiet moment to reflect on life, death, and prayer, I could not ask for anything more as a composer.
Promotional video:
Choreography, Direction, Art Direction and Cast: Naomi MUKU
Cast: Atsushi MATSUDA, Akiko TAKAKUWA
Azusa FUJIMOTO, Naoya ODA
Jongye YANG, Yuna SAIMON
Mai TANIGUCHI, Kenta SAKAZUME
Keita ARAI, Misako TANIGUCHI
Artistic Director: Akaji MARO
Based on the original work by: Shinobu ORIKUCHI
Music: Keita MATSUMIYA
Stage Manager: Kazuhiko NAKAHARA
Lighting: Genta IWAMURA
Sound: Yusuke KUBO
Costume: Mika TOMINAGA
Photography: Andrew THOMAS
Graphic Design: Akira MURAKAMI
Calligraphy and Stage Design: Katsuyuki SHINOHARA (KUMA)
Associate Producer: Yoshihiro KIM
Producer: Yoko SHINFUNE
