Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

Circle of life: Japan's homeless banish despair through dance

by

TOKYO Sep 12, 2017 - 12:00 am GMT+3
Tokuchika Nishi (L), a 38-year-old homeless man and a member of the dance group, performs with another member in front of Tokyo Sky Tree.
Tokuchika Nishi (L), a 38-year-old homeless man and a member of the dance group, performs with another member in front of Tokyo Sky Tree.
by Sep 12, 2017 12:00 am

Penniless and subsisting only on water for three weeks, Tokyo street-dweller Tokuchika Nishi thought he had come to the end of his life.

"My money ran out and I thought it would be fine to just die a dog's death," said Nishi, 38, who had spent two years homeless in the Japanese capital after going into debt.

Then his life changed with the discovery of dance group Newcomer "H" Sokerissa! that includes homeless people, and some who have made it off the streets.

"Many of the limitations I used to put on myself are gone," said Nishi, who joined the group in July. "I'm more excited about what I'm capable of and how far I can go. I want to express all that swells up inside me through dance."


Masayoshi Koiso, a 69-year-old homeless man and a member of Newcomer "H" Sokerissa! - a group of current and former homeless dancers, performs at a park in Tokyo.

Dancer and choreographer Yuuki Aoki, who founded the group ten years ago, says he was intrigued by the weather-battered bodies of the homeless men, and the kind of artistic expression they might produce.

In 2004, Aoki saw a crowd gathered around a street performance in Tokyo. A man slept nearby, his buttocks exposed to passers-by who passed him without a second glance, recalls Aoki. He wondered what would happen if the man were to become the performer.

People initially warned Aoki his project would fail if it were known the dancers were homeless, but the group now performs everywhere across Japan, from parks to museums. Aoki and two troupe members travelled to Rio de Janeiro to perform with homeless people before the 2016 summer Olympics.

Their dances are not choreographed. Aoki said he stopped trying to teach specific moves to avoid restricting the men's self-expression.

Instead, he gives each a string of expressions - such as "swallowing the sun" or "exposing the meat to the wind" - to serve as a guide.

Despite being new to dance, Aoki said, the perfomers seek to use it to uncover what lies at the root of human expression, and think in new ways of what it means to be human.

The "H" in the name stands for human, hope and homeless.

Sokerissa has become a way of life for some.

Masayoshi Koiso, 69, said he had spent his life running away from family and work.

"I started thinking that maybe the only place left for me to run away to is death," Koiso, who has been homeless for nine years, recalls thinking around the time he joined up five years ago.

"If that's the case, I wanted to fully use up the body I have until then - then maybe, I'll have a good end."

Masato Yokouchi, who has been dancing for nine years, said the group sustains him.

"I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have Sokerissa."

About the author
Research Associate at Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    life
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    In photos: More than 20 dead after flash floods in Tennessee
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021