① Opening Ceremony

On November 3rd, an opening ceremony was held prior to the first day performance. Members of the Awaji Art Circus Executive Committee attended the ceremony, and Katsunori Uesaki - Mayor of Sumoto City, who serves as the chairman, and Yoshitaka Fujiwara - Executive Director General of Awaji District Administration Office, who serves as the vice chairman, gave speeches. Following the opening ceremony, the premiere of "Alice in Awajiland" took place.

＜List of attending members＞

Chairman: Katsunori Uesaki, Mayor of Sumoto City
Vice Chairman: Yoshitaka Fujiwara, Executive Director General of Awaji District Administration Office
Vice Chairman: Yasuhiko Kado, Mayor of Awaji City
Vice Chairman: Kazuhiro Morimoto, Mayor of Minamiawaji City
Vice Chairman: Yoshitomo Higashimoto, Vice President of the Awaji Island Kuniumi Association (on behalf of President Takeshi Ishimura)
Vice Chairman: Yasuyuki Nambu, Pasona Group Inc. Group CEO and President

② Show Programme

Various performances throughout the show were used to demonstrate the theme of "Awaji Island" - viewers were able to understand and enjoy the charms of Awaji Island which were expressed abstractly through visual and musical means. An overview of the performances presented within the show can be found below.

In a search for her happiness, Alice setsout to reach Awaji Island, where many happy people live - yet, she didn't know how to get there. Suddenly, a white rabbit appeared who told her the way, which was by crossing the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge. Although the bridge is a place where pedestrians cannot pass, the rabbit asserts that with excellent balancing skills, anyone can make it across!

In the performance, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, the world's second-longest suspension bridge makes an appearance and serves as the gateway to Awajiland.

During a conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat, a loud noise is suddenly heard nearby. It seems that a miracle is occuring at Awaji Hanasajiki, a beautiful flower field on Awaji Island.

The miracle that Alice witnesses at Awaji Hanasajiki is conveyed through an energetic and powerful performance of jump rope and taiko drums.

Alice decides to seek advice from the god of happiness Ebisu at the Awaji Puppet Theatre, but must transform into a puppet in order to speak with him. After undergoing a miraculous transformation, Alice is able to talk to Ebisu and receive his wisdom.

During a dialogue between the two characters, they engage in an "Ebisu Dance", a performance with 500 years of history that connects to Awaji Puppet Theatre.

In one number, the performance depicts the jumping fish commonly seen near Awaji Island.

Upon discovering Alice's love for drinking tea, Ebisu recommends to her a specialty of Awaji Island: onion soup, made from Awaji Island's famous onions. In that moment, the joyful Mad Hatter makes an appearance, with a whimsical plate-spinning performance it's a delightful onion soup party!

Awaji Island is known for its sweet onions, and the performance is intended to celebrate their deliciousness.

In addition to Awaji Hanasajiki, Alice discovers another place where miracles occur —the Naruto Whirlpools. Alice is soon swept away by the whirlpools, which transform her back into a human.

The force of the whirlpools is expressed through a dynamic performance featuring freestyle basketball and taiko drums.

Alice meets with the Cheshire Cat once again, who tells her about a peculiar fragrance coming from nearby - it is the scent of incense! The Cheshire Cat tells Alice that Awaji Island's incense is special, and said to bring joy. Perhaps Alice might find her happiness through experiencing it. Soon, they discover a mysterious caterpillar living in a certain incense factory.

The performance introduces the fact that Awaji Island has many incense factories and highlights that 70% of incense in Japan is actually produced on Awaji Island.

Continuing her journey on Awaji Island, Alice encounters a lively procession of creatures and people who are playing with a curious instrument. The Cheshire Cat tells her that they are party horns, a tool for people to express their enjoyment. Alice decides to join in and play along, experiencing the fun for herself.

The performance showcases party horns, which are famously made on Awaji Island.

After joining the lively procession, Alice finds herself at Izanagi Shrine, where a grand ball is soon to be held. There, she witnesses a sacred dance of red-crowned cranes, as well as a dance performed by playing cards, before finally meeting the Queen and King of Hearts.

In this performance, utilizing footage of Izanagi Shrine, the production introduces one of Japan's representative shrines, including Awaji Island.

③ Alice in Awajiland Original Song Lyrics

⑤ Cultural Arts Program at Elementary Schools

Our Mission:

Since 2016, Awaji Art Circus has been conducting school outreach performances. Through this program, the aim is to deepen the understanding of the next generation about cultural arts and broaden the perspectives of children. Simultaneously, the program seeks to foster a broader understanding of the role and way of life as "performers." By appreciating various performances, the goal is to deepen the understanding of performing arts.

Program Content:

An original show created by the main performing cast of "Alice in Awajiland"

Target Audience:

Elementary and junior high schools on Awaji Island (information handed out to the board of education for each city, and performances were held at schools that applied)

Schools attended:

Awaji City Gakushu Elementary, Awaji City Taga Elementary, Sumoto City Dai-ichi Elementary, Minamiawaji Shitoori Elementary, Minamiawaji Fukura Elementary, Sumoto City Dai-san Elementary, Sumoto City Dai-ni Elementary, Awaji City Iwaya Elementary

Program Period:

Oct 30 (Mon) - Nov 16 (Thu)

Student participation:

Approx. 1,500 students

⑥ Cultural Tours Around Awaji Island for Participating Artists

As far as the aim of the Awaji Art Circus is to help revitalize Awaji Island, participating artists come to Awaji not only to perform at different locations, but also to learn about and experience the local appeal and culture and then spread the word about the island worldwide. That’s why we prepared various touristic and cultural programs for them during the downtime of the Festival.
　We took the artists around the island and showed them the key Awaji venues, including the historical and meaningful Izanagi Shrine, the magnificent Honpukuji Water Temple designed by architect Tadao Ando, the marvelous Naruto whirlpools etc.
　To help the artists get a better idea of Japanese culture and experience local traditions, we organized several workshops, such as Japanese drums, fukimodoshi – party horn making, Japanese paper-making, incense-making, Awaji puppets etc.