New Musical by Warabiza and Heralbony: “Midday Star Tour” the Musical – First Tokyo Performance Coming Soon –
Warabiza Press Release: October 15, 2025 “Midday Star Tour” the Musical, a new musical by Warabiza and Heralbony – The first Tokyo performance will open soon – Saturday, October 18th – Sunday, October 26th, 2025 / Kokumin Kyosai Coop Hall / Space Zero (Shinjuku) Akita Art Village Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Semboku City, Akita Prefecture), operated as the base for Warabiza General Incorporated Association, became a member of the APAMAN Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kai Yamazaki) Group, which operates “Apaman Shop,” the No. 1 rental housing brokerage business*, as of October 1, 2025. Warabiza will be presenting a new musical, “Ihatov Theater ‘Midday Star Tour’ the Musical,” in Shinjuku, Tokyo, as its first co-creation with HERALBONY (headquarters: Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture), which aims to change the image of disabilities and create a new culture based on welfare. *Survey overview and methodology: Desk research and interview survey targeting the “rental housing brokerage industry” Survey period: May 14th to May 28th, 2024 Survey conducted by: Excree Co., Ltd., Comparison companies: Top 10 rental housing brokerage companies *Overseas corporations are excluded (however, independent Japanese corporations are included)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgBVIxZPFXo Ihatov Theater “Midday Star Tour” the Musical PV2 | Warabiza | HERALBONY ■HERALBONY Co., Ltd. Comment from Co-CEO Fumito Matsuda “The lights, voices, sounds, and flickering colors of the stage—all of these awaken the ‘Kenji Miyazawa gaze’ that lies dormant within us. Perhaps true happiness is not the choice of righteousness, but of kindness.” (From a Facebook post on September 18th) ■Four highlights of this work 1. Immersive effects with glowing balls The light that each audience member holds resonates with the story, transcending the boundaries between the stage and the audience.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/97097/8/97097-8-8972d83a6dff5d8e46de0ff2e5e95cea-1999×1334.jpg 2. Stage Art by 11 HERALBONY Contract Artists A collection of distinctive works envelops the stage, depicting the fantastical world of “Ihatov.”
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/97097/8/97097-8-0c7aea15812fa46aace8e00f55c9fb2c-1999×1334.jpg 3. Warabiza: Fusion of Traditional Folk Performing Arts and
Contemporary Dance A stunning dance scene featuring the deer dance and the rhythm of drums.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/97097/8/97097-8-02720bcf6ae2772293681e539aba3e3d-1999×1334.jpg 4. Creating an “open theater” that everyone can enjoy This is an attempt to cater to a diverse audience, including “relaxed viewing etiquette performances” where people can enjoy the show regardless of whether they have a disability or not, and where it’s okay to speak out loud and move around.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/97097/8/97097-8-330a8c3ac27d0b3001b0e3f5cf2672dd-1999×1333.png ■STORY Synopsis Aoi Saejima, an honor student, and Meguru Aoki, who lives a hidden life in a flashy group. One day, a large dragon cat appears before the two of them and leads them to the mysterious land of Ihatov. During their journey, meeting the animals and people there, the two discover the “important thing they had lost”… (2 acts, 100 minutes) ■Main staff Script: Yumi Tokuno / Script and Direction: Higashi Suzuki / Music: Satoshi Takeuchi / Choreography: Maya Egami / Folk Performing Arts Composition: Hiroshi Kuriki / Art: Shotaro Hirayama / Accessibility Supervision: precog Inc. ■A New Challenge from Warabiza and APAMAN Since its founding in 1951, Warabiza has been based in Semboku City, Akita Prefecture, and has operated under the philosophy of “creating art that nourishes people’s lives.” In addition to performances both domestically and internationally, the group has also contributed to the local culture through programs such as the “School Trip to Warabiza,” which combines education and culture. Through our partnership with the APAMAN Group, we will create new value for local life, focusing on “housing” and “culture.” [Tokyo performance schedule]
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/97097/8/97097-8-a276eb98cfad6dcfcccfb9587ae56977-926×355.jpg ★…Performances with relaxed viewing etiquette (Ages 4 and up allowed in the audience) Preschool children are not allowed in performances other than those marked with a ★ (●) Ticket Sales Inquiries: Warabiza General Incorporated Association Performance Department TEL
0187-44-3332 (Weekdays 10-12:00/14-17:00) FAX 0187-44-3318
“Midday Stargazing” Special Site 【APAMAN Co., Ltd.】 APAMAN Co., Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kai Yamazaki) is pleased to announce the launch of EL CAMINO A consolidated subsidiary of REAL Co., Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Omura Koji), the company operates a rental brokerage franchise (FC) business under the “Apaman Shop” brand, which boasts one of the largest numbers of affiliated stores in Japan. URL:
https://apamanshop-hd.co.jp/corporate-group/ EL CAMINO REAL Co., Ltd. EL CAMINO REAL Co., Ltd. oversees the APAMAN Group, which consists of more than 20 companies. We contribute to society through two business segments: the “Platform Business,” which handles rental management and rental brokerage services, and the “Technology Business,” which creates systems such as AI and RPA that support real estate services. URL: https://apamanshop-hd.co.jp/ 【Overview of Warabiza General Incorporated Association】 Warabiza is a theater company based in folk traditions, using diverse expressions to portray the modern spirit. Founded in February 1951, the company is based in Semboku City, Akita Prefecture, known as a treasure trove of folk songs. Currently, four performance groups give approximately 500 performances per year, and the company has performed overseas in 16 countries, including the United States, Europe, Asia, and Brazil. His major works include musicals with themes rooted in Tohoku, such as “Oga no Onimaru,” “Ono no Komachi,” and “Aterui,” as well as musical adaptations of Tezuka Osamu’s original works “Phoenix: The Phoenix Chapter,” “Astro Boy,” “Buddha,” and “Jungle Emperor Leo,” and a musical adaptation of the Studio Ghibli film “Only Yesterday.” In 2023, he performed the non-verbal stage production “Matsuri Theater HANA,” which was based on the six major festivals of Tohoku. Akita Art Village, a multi-cultural area combining culture and tourism, boasts a hotel, hot springs, a craft brewery, a forestry arts museum, and more. Its central attraction, the Warabi Theater, produces and stages original musicals using materials from the Tohoku region, as well as various workshops on folk dance, taiko drumming, and theater. The “Warabi Theater School Trip,” which has been held at the intersection of education and culture for approximately 50 years, attracts 20,000 children from 150 schools every year to experience the Soran Bushi dance and farm work. Organization Name: Warabiza General Incorporated Association Location: 430 Waseda, Sotsuda, Tazawako, Senboku City, Akita Prefecture Representative: Representative Director Shinsuke Imamura Warabiza site: https://www.warabi.jp/ For more information about this release Press release attachments