NISHINOMIYA, Japan—When Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company performed at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center on April 25, Wakayama Prefectural International Exchange Center chairman Naohisa Kashihata made an exclusive trip from Wakayama to Hyogo to see the performance.
Moved by the Chinese culture and history demonstrated by Shen Yun, Mr. Kashihata said: “As most of the Japanese culture originated from China, and the divinely inspired Chinese culture has influenced Japan, [I have] a strong feeling about the divinely inspired culture illustrated by Shen Yun.”
Enchanted by Shen Yun’s brilliant colors, Mr. Kashihata said: “The colors throughout the show were very unique. As soon as the curtain rose, I was overwhelmed by the brilliant and gorgeous colors. The Chinese history and culture were performed on stage piece after piece. Both the dances and solo vocalists were magnificent. They let me enjoy a wonderful evening.”
Mr. Kashihata enjoyed the approach of demonstrating legendary stories combined with the synchronization of classical Chinese dance and animated backdrops. He explained: “To most Japanese, the stories about the Shaolin Temple [When Shaolin Monks Protected the Emperor] and the Journey to the West, [Sand Monk Is Blessed], are not something strange to them. Among others, many of us have read the story about the Sand Monk in comic books when we were little. With the combination of animated backdrops and the performances on the stage, it is easy to understand and very interesting. The seamless coordination between performers and the backdrop made the show very vivid and lifelike.”
Mr. Kashihata said, “Since most of the Japanese culture originated from China, there are many similarities between the Chinese culture and the Japanese culture. Therefore, the traditional Chinese culture demonstrated [by Shen Yun] can deeply touch our hearts.”
Reporting by Niu Bin and Bill Xu
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
