"We are just human sacrifices for southward expansion…"
A group performance of
ordinary people buffeted by a nation through the ages.

Our March 2013 production of Fukuda Yoshiyuki's "A Long Line of Grave Stones" was conceived as a vehicle for providing opportunities to graduates of the NNT Drama Studio. For our second such production, NNTT presents "History of Mizuho in Manila", a masterpiece by Akimoto Matsuyo. The play focuses on some of the many people who left Japan for other parts of Asia in search of an ideal world during the middle years of the Meiji era. It offers a perceptive look at the history of Japan and its people, buffeted by the winds of changing times, and explores themes still very much relevant to us living in modern Japan today.

The protagonist, Akioka Denjiro, is modeled after Muraoka Iheiji, who spent many years in Asia starting in the Meiji era and ending in the Showa era. Film director Imamura Shohei made a film called "Zegen", starring Ogata Ken, also based on the figure of Muraoka. And Akimoto Matsuyo herself, in addition to "History of Mizuho in Manila", also wrote a biography of Muraoka Iheiji. These two examples give an idea of the extent to which Muraoka has sparked the creativity of artists.

NNTT is proud to bring the epic tale of "History of Mizuho in Manila" back to the stage in a provocative production directed by Kuriyama Tamiya.