Index for a Obake Tokyo: Introduction, Dual Screen Version

A lecture performance that was first staged at Theater Commons Tokyo ’21, based on research into OKAMOTO Taro’s discourse on Obake Tokyo (Ghost Tokyo) from 1965, was reworked into a video installation. A negative image of sorts, or something like an antithesis to Tokyo, “Ghost Tokyo” was an urban concept proposed for those dissatisfied with the city during the high economic growth period. The work ends with a “Ghost Tokyo” proclamation, and connects that to present-day Tokyo by following the trajectory of Godzilla, the monster that was wreaking havoc in Tokyo (on the movie screen) when Japan had just entered the period of rapid economic growth around 1954.

The video starts every hour on the hour.

Created, directed and performed by: SATO Tomoko
Videography: KAWADA Jun, IIOKA Yukiko, NAGATA Fuka
Sound recording/Mixing: MASUDA Yoshiki
Lighting: YOSHIDA Yukio (RYU inc.)
Editing: AOYAGI Natsumi
Video direction: WADA Shintaro
Video production: thoasa inc.
English translation: KITAGAWA Mitsue (Koharu Kisaragi part), IKEDA Kay Eriko (Taro Okamoto part), YAMADA Kyle (English translation supervisor)
Legal supervision: SUDA Yohei
Props Cooperation: AWABEES
Cooperation: Arts Commons Tokyo, Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Film and New Media, RAM Association, UEDA Tsuyoshi (RYU inc.)
Lecture performance premiered and produced by Theatre Commons