Italiano
TRANSLATION: Natalie.mu - GACKT performance riding on a white horse at the Kenshin Festival
During the 89th Kenshin festival held on August 23rd and 24th in Joetsu, Niigata prefecture, GACKT playet the role of Kenshin as a guest of honor. GACKT played the same role in the NHK Historical TV drama "Furing Kazan" in 2007.
The kenshin festival is an event that has been held every year since 1925, dedicated to a hero lived during the Sengoku period called Uesugi Kenshin. Today, August 24th GACKT rode a white horse playing the role of Kenshin during the march and the reenactment of the Kawanakajima battle. The festival reached it's highest point when GACKT launched a cry of triumph to all his 500 men in the war company.
During the stage play ”MOON SAGA- Yoshitsune hiden” fully produced by GACKt himself, GACKT fractured his left ankle but, in despite of this he commented "I wish to pass on to as many people as possible that if you put your heart to it, despite all the disadvantages, you can accomplish any mission"
GACKT also said
“To me, Joetsu is like my second hometown, it's a very special place for me.
When Joetsu citizens, those who take care of my beloved hometown, asked me to make Kenshin live again by playing this role, I felt incredibly grateful.
So, to answer their expectations I was preparing the best Kenshin performance you've ever seen. But unfortunately, during my stage play, I broke my leg.
And so this year I had to face this mission in this condition.
Sure, it would be ideal to always be in perfect conditions to face a mission. But in real life, in most cases we are force to show our skills despite the obstacles that happen in life.
This time, I don't consider my difficult condition an obstacle, but the engine to pull up the combattive spirit and I would be very happy if I was able to transmit to as many people as possible that, if you put your will and loyalty into something, despite every disadvantage, someone can accomplish any mission"
『I wish that there will be a lot of people to visit this beautiful and peaceful country, I wish that everyone could learn the lyrical beauty of this place. And by doing this performance I hope to help passing on the Japanese soul.』
This was the thought that made me go on. I hope that, with this event, many people will fall in love with Joetsu.
I GACKT hope from my heart that the number of people passing on the wonderful "ancient Japan" will increase, it has a tradition of hundreds of years.
source: Natalie.mu
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
© GACKT ITALIA
TRANSLATION 25 Aug 2014: Sponichi Annex - GACKT Reprises His Major Role as Kenshin for 2 Consecutive Years, This Month's Fracture is "Also a Good Way to Raise Morale"
On the 24th the annual Kenshin Festival was held in the home territory of a general of the Warring States Era Uesugi Kenshin, and singer GACKT took part in the festivities.
Dressed as Kenshin, he lead around 500 armoured people though the streets in a road march. He is taking on this lead role as Kenshin for the second consecutive year. He first acted as this character in the 2007 NHK historical drama [Fuurin Kazan]. With emotion, he said "Joetsu is like a second hometown to me.".
Earlier this month, it was revealed that he had fractured his left ankle during a rehearsal for his stage play but he said, "It's not a handicap, instead it's a good way to raise morale." as he rode out to the streets on a white horse and to great applause.
Source: sponichi.co.jp
©GACKT ITALIA Team
TRANSLATION Asahi News - GACKT Performed as Uesugi Kenshin in a Kick-Off Procession Niigata/Joetsu
For the 89th Kenshin Festival of Niigata prefecture's Joetsu City's on the 24th, singer and actor GACKT performed as Uesugi Kenshin of the Warring States Era for their [Kick-Off Procession] and the [Re-enactment of the Kawanakajima Battle], energising and captivating fans and tourists.
For the Kick-Off Procession, it took place in the streets near the Kasugayama Castle Ruins and involved around 500 warriors who were split between the forces of Uesugi andTakeda Ryogun as they played out the picture scrolls which depicted the parade.
GACKT, who is taking part for the 6th time and 2nd year in a row, had fractured his left ankle during a rehearsal for his stage play and pushed past the pain for the [Kick-Off]. Appearing into the venue gallantly on a white horse, with awe-inspiring drama he said "To remind to world of the spirit of righteousness, against time, we have come forth to the land of Joetsu. Let's move out". Looking past his performance, the bystanders on the road side yell out "Oyakata-sama~!" in encouragement, reaching the festival's climax.
Source: asahi.com
©GACKT ITALIA Team
TRANSLATION Excite Music report: Gorgeous & Enormous "Pop-up Picture Book", Sequel to GACKT's Play Finally Begins
GACKT has worked on the original screenplay, casting and music production of the play, and in 2012, his life work [Moon Saga -Secret of Yoshitsune-] concluded. The sequel, [Moon Saga -Secret of Yoshitsune- Chapter 2], has since begun performances on 8 August (Friday) in Tokyo's Meijiza.
In the play, during the late Heian period, the magnificent historical drama depicts the story of a young hero, Yoshitsune, who is dealing with the anguish and murder of his cousin and childhood friend, Minamoto no Yoshikana (later known as Kiso Yoshinaka), and pursues peace for the Genji while avoiding war. The stage's set is completely different from the regular artistic sets, and is an innovation where many layers of white panels are used and background changes are projected onto the layers using projection mapping. The stage was like a kaleidoscope with projections of a starry sky, a lush bamboo forest, the seas on which a ship floats, a red moon in the night sky and more. As quoted from GACKT himself, "The stage is a pop- up picture book". The bravura of the fusion between traditional costumes and state-of the-art technology will leave you wide-eyed with awe.
In addition, huge slopes are constructed on stage makes for dynamic action scenes as the actors go back and forth doing acrobatics and tumblign around. GACKT's sense of aesthetics was prevalent throughout that space and spread out across.
The story is set in a world where apart from humans, there are other beings such as the Mononoke who possess powers, and the Mononofu who have powers passed to them from the Mononoke. It is a world where the Mononofu use these powers to rule the humans. Yoshitsune, acted by GACKT, contains the "hyakki" in his body, and out of fear of his powers, avoids using them for he may unknowingly hurt the people close to him. Yoshitsune, who fully grasps the emptiness of war, seeks peace with the Taira who his house has hostile relations with. He grows close with Taira no Tomomori (Kawasaki Mayo) and Taira no Noritsune (Yumi Hiro) but the strings of fate are not so easily broken, and in a turn of unfortunate events, new blood flows. In a conference before the opening night, GACKT said that Yoshitsune was portrayed as "a weak man" and will draw empathy from us who live in a world filled with hesitation, and he feels that it will bring a certain level of reality into this historical fantasy.
You can also strongly feel the presence of the music artist GACKT as you get drawn into the story with a variety of musical expressions and effects which range from heavy tunes, from Dubstep to quiet string music and piano music. Also, the well-projected dignified lustrous voice of GACKT came to good use in his stage play career. Even as it is dominated with a serious theme, heroine Hiyori (Hatsune/Kuroda Arisa) is a light-hearted fairy whose cuteness will calm hearts, and the pranks exchanged between Dennai Noriyoshi (Suzunosuke) and Noritsune will make you smile. Kajiwara Kagetoki's (Kinoshita) desperate political jokes are scattered everywhere and left a great impression and laughter when it happened. Also, Takarazuka Revue's well-known tallest Yumi stood side by side with GACKT and created an unprecedented colourful stage. In engaging wire-action scenes, sharp movements and elegant gestures will make you gasp. This is not a movie nor a television show, but the dynamic raw action that can only be tasted and presented on such a stage.
Performance will continue until October and I cannot give away the ending of the play but every character in this play grapples with hesistation and their struggles, yet are fascinating and filled with passion. Watching the tragicomically of these characters, you will begin to painfully realise the human foolishness of rushing into war out of paranoia. Thought-provoking to us who live in this modern age, please do experience this realistic yet beautifully tragic story.
Credits: excite.co.jp
©GACKT ITALIA Team
TRANSLATION: Joetsu News: GACKT Kenshin Performance - 89th Kenshin Festival, Performance of an Elegantly Brave Figure
On the 24th was the highlights of the 89th Kenshin Festival, the Kick-Off Procession and the Re-Enactment of the Kawanakajima Battle, which took place in the area of Kasugayama in Joetsu.
While the citizens and fans watched along the route of the Kick-Off Procession, he drifted by with a strong and powerful presence, and acted out the beautiful and brave character of the Warring States Era's strongest warrior. Giving out the order to move out, his voice, filled with the spirit of righteousness, rang out across the marching route. The audience returned it with loud cheers.
GACKT Kenshin wages war in the evening at the Kasugayama Historical Castle Square for the Re-enactment of the Kawanakajima Battle. The full-house audience was once again filled with awe.
*A 10 page feature article with pictures will be posted in this newspaper on the 25th.
Source: J-times
Translation: GACKT ITALIA team
© GACKT ITALIA