YPAM

Hiromi Maruoka
President, Japan Center, Pacific Basin Arts Communication
Director, Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting
Photo by Hideto Maezawa

This year marks the 30th edition of YPAM since its inaugural event in 1995. We are deeply grateful to all of you who have participated and supported us over the years, as it is thanks to your contributions that we have reached this milestone.

Throughout its history as an international platform for performing arts, YPAM has gradually adapted its programs in response to changing times and evolving needs.

For this edition, our core networking program, YPAM Exchange, and the open-call program featuring a diverse range of works, YPAM Fringe, have been further enhanced based on past initiatives, with the continued support and participation of many. At the same time, we have made some changes to the official performance programs.

First, YPAM Direction, which has previously taken various forms—experiments in programming by emerging producers, the presentation of domestic and international works in collaboration with guest directors, new commissions, and international co-productions—has been restructured as an experimental forum. In light of generational shifts among artists and presenters, rising travel and technical costs, the expansion of training programs and artist residencies, and changes in the ideological and economic landscape of the international performing arts sector, we feel that the very concept of “work” has been undergoing significant transformation. The new YPAM Direction is an attempt to examine this fundamental issue. For its inaugural sessions this year, we have invited three “supporters” who have recently engaged in international artist lab programs across East and Southeast Asia. Like in many platforms in Asia, this forum will be conducted in English without interpretation.

This year, we are also launching YPAM Showcase, a festival-style program presenting highly realized works to both professionals and general audiences. The program also reflects the question that YPAM Direction raises: it is expected to serve as a reference point for YPAM Direction, exemplifying works that achieve high degrees of materialization of the concept of “work.” This edition will feature a total of seven shows comprising nine works, including two presented in collaboration with the Yokohama Dance Collection, with which we have long been partnered. Among these, I would like to briefly mention North Korea Dance by Korean choreographer Eun-Me Ahn.

I first saw this work at its premiere in Seoul in 2018. Ms. Ahn noted in the production dossier, “Recently, both Koreas made a historical step that could put an end to a conflict that has lasted for over 65 years.” That year saw the first inter-Korean summit, raising hopes for reconciliation through dialogue. Regardless of whether those hopes were realized, we believe that the contemporaneity of performing arts realizes itself not only in reflections of the times but also how “hope” is presented within them.

In this 30th edition of YPAM, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, we are delighted to present this work to you. We also hope to share with you the significance of such opportunities being possible at all.

Finally, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all those involved in YPAM2025, as well as to all participants and registrants, and we look forward to welcoming you in Yokohama.

Yoshinori Isozaki
Chairman, Kanagawa Arts Foundation

This year marks the fifth edition of the Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting (YPAM) since its relocation to Yokohama. We are deeply grateful to all those whose support and efforts make this event possible, sustaining Japan’s only platform of its kind and one of the world’s leading performing arts gatherings held here in Kanagawa. As one of the organizing bodies, we remain committed to the continued growth of YPAM. In close collaboration with local stakeholders, we strive to foster the creation and dissemination of new cultural initiatives.

At KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theatre, operated by our Foundation, the YPAM Showcase, will feature contemporary performing arts from around the world, alongside YPAM Fringe programs in the theatre’s Atrium, making full use of the facilities to provide audiences with a rich and diverse artistic experience.

At a time when the world is marked by division and conflict, we sincerely hope that this event, which continues to explore the potential of performing arts, will serve as a new point of encounter between the local community and the arts, and as a bridge to deepen international understanding.

Seiichi Kondo
President, Yokohama Arts Foundation

The performing arts are deeply rooted in the history, culture, and everyday lives of people, while also holding the power to generate new values and revitalize society. Creative projects that take place in the community, together with collaborations among the people who live and gather there, not only expand the possibilities of the arts but also offer people an opportunity to appreciate the community in new ways.

Now in its fifth year since transitioning from TPAM to YPAM, the event has continued to reflect on locally rooted artistic expression, collaborations with citizens, and the role of the performing arts here in Yokohama, while incorporating an international perspective.

As a port city, Yokohama has long been a crossroads of diverse cultures, and its history and environment have nurtured fertile ground for artistic expression. Through the programs and projects featured at YPAM, an environment is fostered where performing arts professionals and citizens alike can freely engage with artistic expression, creating a space for collaboration and dialogue that gives rise to new forms of expression.

Each of us, whether as audience members, creators, or supporters, plays a part in shaping the future of the performing arts. I hope that the new experiences you have at YPAM will provide you with fresh perspectives and meaningful connections.

Takeharu Yamanaka
Mayor of Yokohama

The Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting (YPAM), one of Asia’s leading performing arts platforms, returns to Yokohama once again this year. I warmly welcome all performing arts professionals and audiences visiting from Japan and abroad, and I look forward to the many exchanges that will take place through YPAM.

Having begun in Tokyo in 1995 as an ‘Arts Market’, YPAM celebrates its 30th edition in this milestone year, featuring performances by world-class artists made possible with support from Taiwan and Italy. At the same time, YPAM Fringe, the participatory performing arts festival, will unfold across venues throughout the city, offering live performances that transcend both genre and national borders. I hope many people will take this opportunity to experience the moving performances and discoveries that performing arts have to offer.

For 17 remarkable days, the entire city of Yokohama will become a stage to savor the unique charm of international performing arts. Please enjoy this occasion to the fullest.