“Hououchou no Hininhou” (“Rhythm Method”) by Sanae Iijima
Synopsis: The Taisho era story of how Kyusaku Ogino, an obstetrician and gynecologist from Niigata, revealed the “Ogino method” he developed to determine when a woman is most likely to become pregnant, based on her menstrual cycle.
The Ogino Method gave women a completely new reproductive choice in the 1900s, when a woman’s position and value in society was limited.
The play depicts the process of choosing whether to change or not to change from one’s current situation or location, though one may be confused by the difference with one’s own values to date.

Although modern society teems with choices, it feels as if many people remain in inconvenient situations, limiting their own options because they are caught up in the values of the majority.
Focusing on the similarities between inconveniences for people today and the inconveniences for women in the 1900s, this work presents an opportunity to take a step forward for people who are buried under or stuck in the middle of today’s diverse range of values and options.

Performed by: Yuya Tamaki, Ryota Horinouchi, Okuto Nakatake, Chihiro Takamiya, Shino Oikawa, Reo Akamatsu, Kyoko Takei
Directed by: Shuhei Ichinomiya