Talk Sessions with Those Connected to Him

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of Shuji Terayama, a poet, haiku poet, tanka poet, playwright, filmmaker, novelist, and photographer who engaged in a wide range of inspirational activities. Among his many great works, his words continue to radiate a vivid energy, influencing countless people.

The exhibition "Shuji Terayama's Fantastical Library: Leave Your Books, Hit the Streets" offers a chance to encounter Terayama's words. The venue features posters for Terayama's works by Tadanori Yokoo, who was also part of Terayama's theater troupe "Tenjo Sajiki," and spaces surrounded by his film works. Within these, visitors can encounter messages from Shuji Terayama himself.



During the exhibition period, talk sessions featuring individuals connected to Shuji Terayama will be held on August 10 (Saturday) and August 20 (Tuesday). On August 20, actress Miyuki Matsuda and novelist Randy Taguchi will engage in a discussion titled "Thinking Now: Leave Your Books, Hit the Streets."

"Leave Your Books, Hit the Streets" is the title of Terayama's representative collection of essays, and it has also been used as the title for film and theater adaptations. In today's terms, it might be rephrased as "Leave Your Phone, Hit the Streets." With the spread of the internet and the energetic new roles of words as symbols, the messages from Shuji Terayama will surely offer us, living in the 21st century, a new kind of journey into an unknown "cosmos of words."