A year of Lear: Four new stagings hone in on the tragedy’s timeless lessons
Four separate productions of "King Lear" in one year in Japan signal renewed interest in the Shakespeare play that hasn't always been the first choice.
The Saitama Performing Arts Theater is known for its Shakespeare productions and their Sainokuni Shakespeare Series, which cycles through all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays. | MAIKO MIYAGAWA
Sep 5, 2026
A rare alignment of stars formed on the Tokyo theater scene as four major productions of William Shakespeare’s “King Lear” unfold, all within the span of one year.
Two of those have already concluded. Last October, Shinobu Otake, three-time Japan academy award winner, stage and film actress, challenged the tragic and traditionally male monarch with a subversive twist.
This May, veteran Shakespearean actor and director, Kotaro Yoshida, who was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon (a biannual honor for accomplishments in academics, sports, culture and arts), played the tragic king in a string of performances at the Saitama Performing Arts Theater. The play is part of the theater’s acclaimed Sainokuni Shakespeare Series, which cycles through all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, and after its Tokyo premiere it toured domestically this summer.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
SUBSCRIBE NOW