- The festival proposed by Mr. Ninagawa, a member of the Tokyo Council of Art and Culture, is about to become a reality.

Ninagawa

If a large city like Tokyo does not host any high-quality festivals, it will be seen as failing to recognize the importance of culture. When we visit high-quality festivals outside Japan, we enjoy meeting other people and new audiences, don't we?

Noda

During the Edinburgh International Festival in Britain, it was as if the whole city was there for the performing arts. Even ordinary shops and banks allowed their spaces to be used as stages.

Ninagawa

As there are lots of shrines in Tokyo, we should perform outdoor plays there. I can think of many shrines and temples where we could perform plays, like Hanazono Shrine and Zojoji and Tsukiji Honganji temples. People can move from one theater to another. It should be fun.

Noda

That sounds like a good idea. In Edinburgh, the plays tend to gather around the castle, but it would be interesting if you used shrines and temples as Tokyo is a large city.

- You are participating in the festival as head of a theater company for seniors, Saitama Gold Theatre, aren't you, Mr. Ninagawa?

Ninagawa

I thought it would be ambitious for a group of seniors to travel from Saitama to Tokyo. After all, we can't perform normal plays since elderly actors sometimes forget their lines. The director must always be ready to apologize to the audience and ask for their permission to start over if an actor stumbles over a line. I figured it would be interesting for such a play, which can't be seen under normal circumstances, to come to Tokyo.

- What do you remember most about festivals of performing arts overseas?

Ninagawa

Someone told me in Edinburgh, "We've discovered Ninagawa." When I was walking in the rain, someone put up an umbrella and walked me to my hotel. I was amazed by the ripple effects caused by the plays.

Noda

When I was running Yume no Yuminsha, the chairman of the Edinburgh festival asked me if I wanted to bring a play to Edinburgh, although I had absolutely no interest in going overseas back then. I was surprised at his broad-minded attitude.

Ninagawa

I ran into the art director from Edinburgh in a subway station somewhere in Tokyo. He came looking for a new play. The Tokyo festival also should do something like this and import good plays from around the world. The festival organizers should first create an opportunity and then keep moving ahead, while taking all the advice and criticism on board.

Noda

The government is inconsistent in spending money [on cultural events]. It should concentrate a little more on achieving beneficial outcomes.

Ninagawa

I think it should not only rely on information from Europe. It pays close attention to avant-garde plays in Europe, but it also should turn its eyes to plays with potential and plays from Asia.

Noda

Since a festival is something that you should enjoy, you need to become energized. When you put on a really exciting play, you need to show the participants that a lot of people will come and see them, and that they can also meet people from abroad. To do this, we need actual achievements. It is easy to say, "let's share culture," but we need to show what we have achieved beforehand.

Ninagawa

It is also important to develop areas where young people can participate freely, apart from the main invited plays. We should try to stimulate and discover young talent, while considering what plays to invite.

Noda

It is important to send information on Festival/Tokyo to young people. For a start, many of them don't even know of the existence of F/T.