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This page introduces columns about art and culture from various viewpoints by Arts Council Board members, professionals in the field, etc.

Series: Arts, culture and expression in the age of coronavirus

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought major crisis and change to arts and culture on the ground.
In this series of pieces by individuals and experts active in different fields, we hear a variety of perspectives on the realities and challenges, as well as the future possibilities.

2021/03/29

Tokyo – Coronavirus, Year One

Tadasu Takamine

I’m an artist and an instructor at an art university. Incidentally, I’m also a husband and father. At the end of March last year I moved to Tokyo from Akita, and along with this major change in my living environment, I started teaching at a new university. In other words, I moved here just when the coronavirus was starting to spread in Japan.

2021/03/24

Creating for the stage under COVID-19

Kako Yamaguchi

Advanced Choreography vol. 2, an experiment in creating contemporary dance by computer-sampling dancers’ movements, was held on January 9 and 10, 2021 at Koto-ku’s Civic Center Hall (Toyosu Cultural Center).

2020/10/23

The film industry under COVID-19

Shozo Ichiyama

COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the film industry as well as other sectors. The first thing to be directly affected has been movie theaters. Almost all theaters nationwide were closed when a national state of emergency was declared on April 16. With audiences simply staring at a screen, movie theaters ought to carry less risk of infection than going to the theater or a music concert. But given the risk of spending several hours with strangers who may be infected, the closure of movie theaters was probably unavoidable.

2020/10/09

For all the kani kamaboko (fake crabmeat) of the COVID-19 crisis:
The Association for Studies of Culture and Representation Symposium “Culture and Expression under the COVID-19 Crisis”

Takeshi Kadobayashi

As part of The Association for Studies of Culture and Representation’s online research forum 2020, a symposium entitled “Culture and Expression under the COVID-19 Crisis” was held on August 7, 2020.

2020/08/21

Will you infect your co-performers?

Satoshi Miyagi

The performing arts world, the live entertainment sector and the world of sport have managed to resume operations to a certain extent, even as they face uncertainty as to just how long the coronavirus situation is likely to continue. However, as soon as they have re-opened for business, they have been faced with the next headache: fear of cancellation.