During the July 2018 Heavy Rains, rivers overflowed after heavy rain continued across western Japan, causing extensive damage to Mabi, Kurashiki City.
About five years after the disaster, in Mabi, the mountains of piled-up rubble have disappeared, and the roads are busy with cars and houses line the streets, suggesting that everyday life is gradually returning.
Although it is heartening to see Mabi return to its normal appearance, we must not forget the irreplaceable things lost to the flooding, or the memories of the community supporting one another as it worked toward recovery.
In Japan, where disasters repeatedly strike close to home, keeping the memories of disasters from fading can also help save lives.
Marvy Recovery Musical “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It” is a community musical conceived to keep the memories of the disaster in our hearts, as they begin to grow uncertain about five years after the July 2018 Heavy Rains.
It will be performed on March 19, 2023, at the Marvy Fureai Center in Mabi, Kurashiki City.
The overall director is Asamatsu Kira, who works mainly in Okayama Prefecture as a director of community musicals and local theater groups.
The heroine is Yosoi Miki, a sixth-grade student who lives in Okayama City and has appeared in numerous community musicals and films.
Along with introducing “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It,” we also share the thoughts behind the recovery musical through an interview with its heroine, Yosoi Miki.
The information provided was current when this article was published in March 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is Marvy Recovery Musical “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It”?
What kind of musical was conceived to preserve memories of the flooding?
Here is an overview of Marvy Recovery Musical “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It.”
Overview of “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It”
On March 19, 2023, the musical “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It,” themed around passing on memories of the disaster across generations, will be performed at the Marvy Fureai Center in Mabi, Kurashiki City.
During the July 2018 Heavy Rains, record-breaking rainfall that continued mainly across western Japan caused rivers to burst their banks, resulting in extensive damage to Mabi, Kurashiki City.
About five years after the disaster, Mabi’s streets are gradually returning to a peaceful state, but it is also important to keep memories of the disaster alive in order to protect the community from future disasters.
“Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It” tells a story intended to pass these memories on to future generations, so that memories of the disaster do not fade.
Synopsis of “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It”
The protagonist is Kenjiro, who works for a homebuilder in present-day Kurashiki City.
One day, when he visits Mabi, where his niece Sakura’s future home is planned, Kenjiro is enveloped in a mysterious light.
When he comes to, he is adrift at sea, off the coast of Kurashiki just after the flood of 1893.
Kenjiro’s consciousness is inside Jirokichi, who lived in the Meiji era, and he experiences firsthand the flooding that struck Mabi during that era.
Together with a girl he meets after traveling through time, Yoshida Tomoyo, he encounters various people and overcomes the disaster of that time.
Disasters in the present day, and disasters in the Meiji era.
Through Kenjiro’s story of experiencing two disasters, the memories of the disasters are passed on to future generations.
Free audio-guidance support is available for people with visual or hearing impairments and older adults.
How to buy tickets
Tickets to see “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It” cost 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for elementary school students and younger.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the Marvy Fureai Center counter or the Ars Kurashiki Ticket Center.
You can also reserve tickets by phone at the numbers below (tickets will be held for pickup at the venue on the day).
Phone reservations are accepted until 5 p.m. on March 16, 2023, so be sure to call with plenty of time to spare.
| Contact | Phone number |
|---|---|
| Marvy Recovery Musical Mabi Executive Committee, Okuma | 090-3639-0993 |
| Marvy Recovery Musical Mabi Executive Committee, Fujiwara | 090-7373-3005 |
Online streaming will also be available. Tickets can be purchased via this link.
If you use a wheelchair, please let us know when reserving your ticket that you will be attending in a wheelchair. On the day, please go to the main reception at Marvy Fureai Center.
The creators of “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It”
“Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It” is produced by the Marvy Recovery Musical Mabi Executive Committee.
Here we introduce the people creating this musical to pass on memories of the disaster.
Overall director Asamatsu Kira
Asamatsu Kira is the overall director of Marvy Recovery Musical “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It.”
Born in Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, Asamatsu entered the world of theater after joining a local theater group at around age 20.
After studying theater techniques in Tokyo and Osaka, he has worked mainly in Okayama Prefecture as a director of community musicals and local theater groups.
Since 2010, he has directed an opera group in Kurashiki and worked as an instructor.
In July 2022, he directed “Ancient Shooting Star” by Kojima Jeans Musical, a group formed to energize the Kojima area.
According to Asamatsu, rather than depicting the flooding directly, Marvy Recovery Musical “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It” portrays the personal growth of its protagonist, Kenjiro, as he faces the flooding.
Some people in Mabi have strong memories of the disaster, and find direct depictions difficult to accept.
He told us that the production appeals to the heart through the story of Kenjiro and those around him, who learn about two floods that occurred in the present day and the Meiji era.
Heroine Yosoi Miki
The role of heroine Yoshida Tomoyo is played by sixth-grader Yosoi Miki.
She has appeared in local musicals and films set in Okayama Prefecture.
Her first acting role was in “Little by Little, Okayama,” an Okayama Prefecture promotional video released in 2019.
In the 2021 film “Ishidan,” she played the childhood version of the high school girl protagonist who makes a pilgrimage to the 88 temples of Kojima in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
In 2022, she also appeared as the protagonist’s younger sister in “Charihen♪,” a work set, like “Ishidan,” along the 88 temples of Kojima.
She has also excelled academically as well as as an actor, winning second place in the Okayama Prefecture Governor’s Cup Children’s English Presentation Contest when she was in first grade.
In fifth grade, she received an Excellence Award in the 27th Notre Dame Cup English Speech Contest.
She passed Eiken Grade 5 at age three, Grade 3 at five, Pre-2 at six, and held Eiken Grade 2 by age 12, in sixth grade.
She is a super elementary school student with many talents: she became interested in sign language and learned finger spelling at age five, and can solve all six sides of a Rubik’s Cube in 90 seconds.
Cast of “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It”
The important role of Kenjiro is played by Kitahara Masaki.
He is an actor who has appeared in NHK morning dramas such as “Massan” and “Asa ga Kita.”
In addition to television dramas, he has worked widely in films, theater, and as a variety-show host.
About 40 people appear in “Memories of the Sun / Never Dreamed of It.”
The cast includes aspiring actors, amateur performers who have continued in theater, and people taking part for the first time. People with very different ages, occupations, and lifestyles have come together to create this musical.
Full rehearsals with the script began in August 2022, and the cast has continued rehearsing twice a week in preparation for the performance.
Interview with heroine Yosoi Miki
The role of heroine Yoshida Tomoyo is played by sixth-grader Yosoi Miki.
How did Yosoi enter the world of theater, and what are her thoughts as she takes on a musical that passes on memories of the flooding?
In our interview with Yosoi, we asked about her thoughts on theater.
Entering the world of theater
What was the first film you appeared in?
Yosoi (surname omitted)
My first involvement in the world of theater was in “Little by Little, Okayama,” a short film promoting Okayama Prefecture.
It is a story about a picture-book author who can no longer draw and a high school girl who can no longer smile, both rediscovering their smiles in Okayama.
I played the heroine as a young girl in a flashback scene.
How did you come to appear in a film?
Yosoi
Actually, my older brother was the one who got me started in the world of theater.
My brother found a newspaper ad seeking actors and submitted an application.
The real reason my brother noticed the ad was the prize money offered at the actor auditions, but he didn't want to appear himself, so he had me apply (laughs).
In the end, I didn't win the prize money, but I got to play an important role as the heroine's younger self.
It was a slightly impure motive, but I feel that thanks to my brother, I had a valuable opportunity.
Were you nervous about stepping into the world of theater?
Yosoi
At first, I was worried about whether I was responding accurately to the director's instructions.
But as I continued acting, I experimented and gradually got a feel for it.
Eventually, I also came to feel the joy of theater, which led to me appearing in my next production.
Experience as a Performer
Are there any roles you've played that left a strong impression on you?
Yosoi
I've played an Austrian, an American, and a Canadian.
In the musical “The Sound of Music,” a true story about a family who encouraged people through song in Austria just before World War II, I played Gretl, the youngest child in the family, who is Austrian.
In “Sakigake: Dreams Drawn with a True Friend,” a musical created by Kurashiki City about Ohara Magosaburo (Ohara Magosaburo), who laid the foundations for Kurashiki's modernization, I played a child actor portraying an American tourist visiting the Bikan Historical Area. All my lines were in English.
In the Natsume Soseki musical “Kin-chan Has Arrived!,” based on an incident from when the great writer Natsume Soseki (Natsume Soseki) stayed in Okayama, I played a Canadian child living in Kanata, Kaneda, Okayama City.
The Canadian part at the end is a pun (laughs).
Still, it was a curious coincidence that I played overseas characters one after another.
There were scenes where I spoke English in my roles, and I feel that the expressive skills I developed in English speech contests came in handy.
Was there anything you kept in mind when appearing in a musical about the Mabi floods?
Yosoi
The musical deals with a sad event, but we must not cause distress to those affected by the disaster.
So, to learn what happened in Mabi during the heavy rains of July 2018, I visited an exhibition about the flooding.
Looking at photographs showing the disaster—the homes engulfed by muddy floodwaters, people forced to live in evacuation shelters, and the town as it moved toward recovery—I came to understand the devastation caused by the floods.
I also researched the impact of the disaster on Mabi online.
The character I played, Tomoyo Yoshida, who lived during the Meiji era, is a girl with a strong desire to save Mabi.
I feel that seeing what the town was like after the disaster helped me express Tomoyo's feelings.
Thoughts on “Memories of the Day / Never Dreamed of It”
What did you feel when you found out you would be appearing in the disaster-themed musical “Memories of the Day / Never Dreamed of It”?
Yosoi
When I was entrusted with a role in this musical, I realized that even my own memories of the flooding in Mabi had faded.
It may be inevitable, but unless you were directly affected, your memories may grow hazy as time passes.
That's precisely why opportunities to look back on disasters, like this musical, are important.
I wanted this musical to be a performance that would help people remember Mabi.
What do you hope to convey through the musical “Memories of the Day / Never Dreamed of It”?
Yosoi
About five years ago, Mabi was inundated by up to five meters of water and suffered catastrophic damage, but today it is gradually returning to a clean and restored state.
We can share a record of the disaster through a musical because about five years have passed.
And perhaps only now can we look back on the two major disasters that occurred in the Meiji era and in the present day as real events.
I hope people will look back on the record of the disaster in Mabi, which is being restored.
Listening to an Elementary School Student Pass on the Story of the Disaster
The Marvy Reconstruction Musical “Memories of the Day / Never Dreamed of It” focuses on two disasters that occurred in Mabi in the present day and during the Meiji era.
It is difficult to regard a disaster that occurred more than 100 years ago as a real event.
And unless you experienced a disaster firsthand, even memories from just five years ago can become uncertain.
By depicting two disasters that occurred in the same place in different eras, the musical may be emphasizing the fact that memories fade.
Japan, where we live, is known as a country prone to disasters because of its geological and weather conditions.
Even as we go about our peaceful daily lives, passing on memories of disasters plays an important role in a disaster-prone country and helps protect the people who live in the community.
And to keep memories of disasters alive over the years, we must pass them on from one generation to the next.
In “Memories of the Day / Never Dreamed of It,” which depicts the disaster in Mabi, I feel that there is meaning in people of different generations creating a musical together.
By having an elementary schoolgirl heroine pass on memories of the disaster, the story will also be passed on to the children who will shape the next era.
Visit Mabi on March 19, 2023, and listen to the performers as they pass on the memories of the disaster.
Marvy Reconstruction Musical “Memories of the Day / Never Dreamed of It” Information
| Name | Marvy Reconstruction Musical “Memories of the Day / Never Dreamed of It” |
|---|---|
| Date | March 19, 2023, two performances at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. |
| Location | 40-1 Yata, Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture 710-1301 Marvy Fureai Center, Take Hall |
| Admission (tax included) | Adults: ¥1,000; elementary school students and younger: ¥500 |
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