🌸 Hanagumi is performing Sougetsushou/El Deseo in Tokyo until Sunday
🌙 Tsukigumi is on break between Takarazuka and Tokyo
❄️ Yukigumi is rehearsing Poe Clan
⭐️ Hoshigumi is rehearsing Two Pieces of Silver and Hana Yori Dango II
🪐 Soragumi is performing Black Lizard/Diamond Impulse in Takarazuka
Visuals! 👀
⭐️RRR Rama ver. • 🌸Magician's Misfortunes • 🌸The Red and the Black
Taidans! 🎓
💎 Miho Keiko the queen the legend will retire with Poe Clan on Oct. 25. She debuted in 1989.
She will have post-taidan dinner shows on 11/29-30 and 12/5-6.
Takarazuka's response to the recent death of an actress
Following coverage of a press conference held by the lawyer of the family of the Takarazuka actress who passed away on Sept. 30, Takarazuka has published a report of findings from their 3rd-party legal team's investigation into the incident.
The following was a high-speed team effort of translation, editing, and translation notes carried out by a group of Takarazuka fans, myself included.
Summary and next steps: Original | Translation
Published report: Original | Translation
The content is legal language that was at times difficult to capture perfectly, and I'm happy to answer questions about the nuances of the original Japanese.
Takarazuka news: two additional follow-ups to the recent investigation report
Following a press conference held by the family of the recently deceased Takarazuka actress, and the company's release of their 3rd-party investigation report, some additional (positive!) updates have made the news:
Takarazuka Revue to survey all 400 actresses via interview, to probe into systematic issues of overwork, etc.
From Yomiuri. Translating select paragraphs that do not repeat already discussed information.
Following the death of a 25 year old member of Takarazuka Revue's Cosmos Troupe, the Revue is launching a fact-finding interview survey targeting all of the company's approx. 400 actresses, with the goal of investigating the problematic issue of systematically imposed excessive work policies, among other things—a company representative tells us. The Revue intends to establish an independent committee that includes outside experts before the end of the year. They intend announce a recurrence prevention strategy based upon the outcome of this study.
On November 14, the Revue published the results of an independent legal investigation conducted in response to the actress's death. The report identifies that based on the accumulation of her activities over an extended period of time, "the possibility that she suffered a severe psychological burden cannot be negated." Revue Chairman Koba Kenshi and other board members acknowledged responsibility and apologized for neglecting their duty to provide a safe and secure work environment, but also stated they were unable to confirm any accusations of bullying or power harassment by senior actresses.
The deceased's family criticized this stance, saying, "We cannot help but call out that [the company's] unquestioned approval of a trend that places excessive importance on hierarchical relationships, and refusal to recognize the actions of the senior actresses as power harassment, shows a thought process rooted in the values of a bygone generation." They are demanding a re-investigation.
Unlike the previous investigation, which focused on the circumstances and causes surrounding the actress's death, this next investigation aims to improve company culture as it relates to excessive work responsibilities and overly extreme leadership.
The Revue will proceed by expanding its interview process to members of the other four troupes—Flower, Moon, Snow, and Star—and will announce its recurrence prevention strategy only after the results have been audited by a third-party legal team.
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Chairman of Takarazuka's Music School to step down
From Kyoto Shimbun
Following the death of a 25-year-old member of the Takarazuka Revue, Hankyu-Hanshin Holdings president Sumi Kazuo will be stepping down imminently from his position as board chairman of Takarazuka Revue's preparatory academy, Takarazuka Music School, an official source tells us. Newly instated Revue chairman Murakami Kouji is his planned to successor, taking the position as of December 1.
As previously announced, Takarazuka Grand Theater performances have been suspended through October 22, and an investigation team of outside lawyers has been employed to conduct hearings etc. with relevant parties; however, at this juncture, more time is needed to adequately complete the investigation. We have taken into account the information we’ve received from the investigation team, and we have determined that until we are able to create an environment in which the performers can stand safely on the Grand Theater stage and audiences can be in attendance, we are unable to resume performances.
Affected by this announcement:
The entire remainder of Soragumi performances at the Grand Theater are canceled
Yukigumi is canceled through 11/23. Follow up announcement to come on the 17th regarding future performances.
“[The legal system] must change because the truth is that one in three women are sexually assaulted and their voices, they need to be heard, they need to be believed in order for justice to be done.”
Jodie Comer as defender barrister Tessa Ensler in Prima Facie (2022)
