Child's Play

Co. Un Yamada, a dance company and creative collective established in Tokyo in 2002, returned to the New National Theatre Tokyo last week to reprise their popular family-friendly production from 2021, “Obachetta.”

Frolicking through various genres of dance, it’s a colorful, fantastical staging with a serious subtext: what happens in those boundaries between life and death, in dreams and imagination?

Performance

Co. Un Yamada: “Obachetta”

Place

New National Theatre Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, March 2025

Words

Kris Kosaka

Co. Un Yamada in “Obachetta.” Photograph by Akihito Abe, courtesy of NNTT

Ghosts, monsters, and mythical creatures visit a young boy, Yumeta (a name that plays on the Japanese word for dream) at bedtime, and the varied choreography, lively music and clever staging consistently entertains while provoking deeper reflection, at least for the adults in the audience.

The lights rise as the objects on stage seem to magically change position—an oversized lamp, a child’s bed, a small table with an oversized book, a door.

In the opening song, Yuki Nishiyama, as Yumeta, brings an engaging wonder to the role, and Yamada’s choreographic blend of ballet, acrobatics and modern steps capture the essence of childhood.

The title of the work, “Obachetta,” is a nonsense word that references the Japanese word for ghost, but it’s also the name of a mythical creature in Yumeta’s oversized, bedtime picture book. Once Yumeta finally settles into bed, the real fun begins.

Photograph by Akihito Abe, courtesy of NNTT

The first ghost to visit the sleeping Yumeta is a Zashiki-warashi, a child spirit, popular in Iwate Prefecture and known for its mischievous pranks. The energetic music and rousing, hip-hop infused steps, (danced by Shotaro Yamaguchi) wake up Yumeta. More ghosts and mythical creatures gradually join, and the first act is a celebration of the imagination through a variety of fantastic creatures and their original songs, pre-recorded for the production.

Favorites included the comical Dust Fairies (Mayu Yamazaki, Mion Yamane, and Asako Tanaka) the Kappa (a water spirit resembling a turtle, danced by Yu Kuroda) and Medusa (Akiyoshi Nita).

The stage is in constant movement, dancers coming in and out of the single window or the flowery toilet, when the door is reversed. Medusa’s song, a Balinese-infused piece choreographed with sinewy movements and comical timing, was a highlight. Medusa was a clumsy monster, not to be taken too seriously with her pink and purple snake-head, and her comedic dance segues into the “Obachetta Theme Song” to end Act One.

Llon Kawai and Yuki Nishiyama in “Obachetta” Photograph by Akihito Abe, courtesy of NNTT

Act Two is more sedate—although no less enjoyable—as the spirit of Yumeta’s grandmother (Hanakabe Grandmother, danced by Llon Kawai) appears to join the dancers onstage.

Un Yamada, director and founder of the company, first wrote out the idea as a play. In addition to direction and choreography, she also wrote the lyrics for all the original songs, composed by Satoru Wono.

The set, designed by the Cabin Company, deserves special note for its clever stagecraft and set changes, adding another layer of whimsy throughout. Even as the lights dim and Yumeta sleeps once again to end, the bed shifts into a banana, a final comedic twist to finish the day with laughter.

Thriving contemporary dance companies are rare in Japan, especially one with so much international experience. Before the pandemic slowed their travels, Co. Un Yamada performed overseas regularly in a variety of tours from Spain to Helinski to Beijing with their more avant-garde works, like the long-running “One Piece” or more recently, “The Seven Deadly Sins.”

After watching “Obachetta” it's easy to see why: it’s a company that cleverly combines entertainment with the profound.

Kris Kosaka

Kris Kosaka is a writer and educator based in Kamakura, Japan. A lifelong ballet fan and studio rat in her youth, she's been contributing to the Japan Times since 2009. She writes across culture, but especially in dance, opera and literature.

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