Warabiza theater company will present Matsuri Theater HANA (premiered in Akita City in fall 2023), an all-audience participatory non-verbal stage show where spectators can experience the Tohoku Six Major Festivals, at Theater Soratoumi in Fukuoka Island City in April 2026. The venue is equipped with 279 drums and 64 lanterns in the audience seating.
This entertainment theater content, which showcases the essence of Japanese folk performing arts and can be enjoyed by both domestic and international tourists, will make its Kyushu debut. Up to 1,000 children will be invited to the performances for free.
About Warabiza
Warabiza is a theater company founded in February 1951 with the philosophy of "creating art that nourishes people's lives," depicting contemporary hearts through diverse expressions based on ethnic traditions. Based in Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, known as a treasure trove of folk songs, the company currently holds approximately 500 performances annually with four performance groups.
About Matsuri Theater HANA
Making its Kyushu debut, Matsuri Theater HANA is a theatrical work that transforms the folk performing arts of the six Tohoku prefectures, which Warabiza has cultivated through years of research, into non-verbal festival entertainment. Theater Soratoumi, the venue, opened in January 2025 within island eye. As a base for new expressions unconstrained by existing frameworks of theater, music, and stage arts, the theater transmits "heart-piercing emotion" from Fukuoka to the world.
This is an intuitive theatrical experience that transcends language barriers and can be enjoyed by anyone from children to adults, regardless of nationality, as Warabiza from Tohoku presents a performance where the sky, sea, and culture converge at Theater Soratoumi in Kyushu.
Performance Overview
Dates: April 11 (Sat) to April 19 (Sun), 2026 - 10 performances total (with rest days)
Venue: Theater Soratoumi (inside island eye)
6-6-6 Kashii Teruyama, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Organizer/Producer: Warabiza
Co-organizer: island eye Theater Soratoumi
Cooperation: Avispa Fukuoka
Support: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka City Board of Education
Ticket Information
Warabiza Paid Members Advance Sale
January 28 (Wed), 2026, 10:00 AM onwards
General Sale (General, Free Child Invitation, Half-Price Parent Tickets)
February 4 (Wed), 2026, 10:00 AM onwards
The theater transforms into a festival space. Play the drums! Raise the lanterns! Dance with fans! An all-audience participatory non-verbal stage show that everyone from children to adults worldwide can enjoy.
The Appeal of Matsuri Theater HANA
Point ① Spectacular Display of the Tohoku Six Major Festivals
The Tohoku Six Major Festivals are: Aomori Nebuta Festival, Akita Kanto Festival, Morioka Sansa Odori, Yamagata Hanagasa Festival, Sendai Tanabata Festival, and Fukushima Waraji Festival. This original stage production is created with motifs from these festivals. It's a luxurious stage where you can enjoy the essence of all six festivals at once.
Point ② Participate with Different Experiences Through 279 Drums and 64 Lanterns!
You can enjoy different experiences depending on three seat types: Drum Seats, Lantern Seats, and Fan Seats. The entire venue becomes one to experience the unique excitement and emotion only Matsuri Theater can offer.
Drum Seats
Seats with drums installed at each position. You can participate by beating drums, experiencing an unparalleled sense of immersion as if participating in the festival. The most popular seat type guaranteed to deliver great excitement.
Lantern Seats
Seats with lanterns installed at each position. Actually light them up and participate by waving the lanterns. A hidden gem seat type where you can also choose front seats. An essential seat type that transforms the venue into a festival space.
Fan Seats
Seats where you participate by dancing with fans. Set in the rear, these seats allow you to fully appreciate the stunning beauty of the signature flower blizzard. Overlooking the audience seating with 279 drums and 64 lanterns, you can leisurely savor the drama - an affordable seat option.
Point ③ Enjoyable for All Ages and Nationalities - A Moving Story Woven Without Words
Matsuri Theater is a performance that doesn't use words (dialogue). With a dramatic story where a young oni (demon) and Ohana meet and fall in love, it draws viewers into the world of the narrative. A performance that can be enjoyed by anyone across countries and generations.
Story:
A young oni and Ohana met, and fell in love—
This is the precious story seen by two souls.
A lone pine tree standing in the wasteland.
Daily life covered by masks.
The sound of bombardment echoing across the world.
Three times, the festival's voices, sounds, and lights
Were erased from the earth.
Rising from the barren wasteland that lost everything
Is that nostalgic sound.
This is the story of the festival's revival, as seen by two souls.
Point ④ Spectacular Flower Blizzard
Japan has festivals and beautiful flowers that the world can be proud of. "Matsuri Theater" was created through the fusion of the Tohoku Six Major Festivals and modern performance styles, aiming for a production that can compete in the global market. Don't miss the spectacular flower blizzard that envelops the theater.
Point ⑤ Powerful Staff Team and Warabiza's 75th Anniversary
The script and composition are by Kensuke Yokouchi, who brought innovation to the kabuki world with Super Kabuki II "One Piece" script and direction, and wrote scripts for the musical "V6" directed by Yukio Ninagawa, among many other works. For this production, he wrote his first non-verbal stage piece for Warabiza. Direction is by Ko Kuriki (Warabiza), who has directed numerous musicals set in Tohoku over many years. For choreography, Lucky Ikeda and Eri Ayaki, who have worked on numerous productions including the anime "Yo-kai Watch" and "Yokai Exercise," commercials, TV programs, and stage performances, are joined by Warabiza in a collaborative challenge to fuse tradition with entertainment.
STAFF
Script/Composition: Kensuke Yokouchi | Direction: Ko Kuriki | Music Director: Kenya Watanabe | Music: Kenya Watanabe, Takeshi Ozawa | Choreography: Lucky Ikeda, Eri Ayaki, Akio Morishita, Junko Suzuki, Miu Togashi | Set Design: Hiroshi Miyamoto | Lighting: Miyuki Mieno | Sound: Akiko Sato | Costumes: Ai Higuchi, Yukie Ichihashi | Props: Shinobu Hirano | Hair & Makeup: Keitaka Fu | Stage Manager: Sakurako Fukuda | Assistant Director: Yuko Iino | Video/Character Design: Ai Iseki | Flyer Illustration: Yukiko Saito | Cooperation: Katsuhiro Chiba, Junichi Noro, Morioka Sansa Odori Seiryu, Akita City Kamiyonecho 1-chome Kanto Kai
Cast
Warabiza:
A theater company based in Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2026.
Experience with overseas performances of Japanese folk performing arts in 17 countries.
Numerous achievements in original Japanese musicals including Studio Ghibli's first musical adaptation, and Osamu Tezuka works such as "Phoenix," "Astro Boy," and "Buddha."
Performance Schedule
April 11-19, 2026 [10 stages total with rest days]
- April 11 (Sat) 11:00 AM / 3:30 PM
- April 12 (Sun) 11:00 AM / 3:30 PM
- April 13 (Mon) Rest day
- April 14 (Tue) 6:30 PM
- April 15 (Wed) 2:00 PM
- April 16 (Thu) Rest day
- April 17 (Fri) 2:00 PM
- April 18 (Sat) 11:00 AM / 3:30 PM
- April 19 (Sun) 11:00 AM
[Performance time: Approximately 75 minutes] *Doors open 30 minutes before each performance
Ticket Information
For ticket reservations: https://www.s2.e-get.jp/warabi/pt/?s=wa0165
