Author: hahparis

• October 9th – 13th, 2025 Setagaya Public Theatre, Tokyo
• October 17th – 18th, 2025 Dialog Festival, Wrocław
• November 1st, 2025 Biwako Hall, Ōtsu

85 minutes

The Final Work of
Ushio Amagatsu

The eponymous totem rises at the exact center of the stage, above four rectangular spaces that divide the floor into perfect quarters. Tall and striking, it is formed from three “pillars”, the central one capped with a small, inverted pyramid whose sharp tip points downward. Behind it, two large metal hoops sweep across the background, slowly traversing the space until they meet in the finale. 

Into this simple yet exquisitely arranged setting enter four figures—shaved heads, white-painted faces, and matching ceremonial costumes of white and red. They move slowly, with quiet dignity, to take their places. Once aligned, they begin a dance in which two truths are immediately clear: the four become one, and the totem stands as the ritual’s unwavering focal point. Thus begins an extraordinary performance. 

Ushio Amagatsu—the legendary founder of Sankai Juku, and the conceptualizer, director, and choreographer of the piece—explained: “There are several definitions of a totem. It can be a specific object serving as a sign or symbol of a group, tribe, or blood relation; sometimes it can be a wild animal or plant. The subtitle «Void and Height» refers to a work by stage artist Natsuyuki Nakanishi. It evokes the space that rises between four places.”