Closing Announcement: Performing Arts Festival: Autumn Meteorite 2025 Tokyo

We announce the conclusion of Performing Arts Festival: Autumn Meteorite 2025 Tokyo, which ran for one month from October 1 to November 3.
For its inaugural edition, centered around the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre in Ikebukuro, this festival program presented 14 stage productions from Japan and overseas under its “Performance Program,” along with lectures and workshops as a part of the “Non-Performance Program,” all supported by a “Hello and Welcome (Attendee Support),” which was designed to make attendance accessible and enjoyable. Approximately 22,300 people attended or participated in the events.

Message from the Artistic Director Toshiki Okada

Why do we hold a performing arts festival? How can we answer a question like this?

Of course, this is a question that we — the team programming this festival, Autumn Meteorite — constantly ask ourselves. But here, it is not about self-questioning.

Why hold a performing arts festival? Embedded in this question are underlying doubts: Does it mean anything? Does it have value at all? Probably not. As Artistic Director of one such performing arts festival, Autumn Meteorite, I suspect it is my responsibility to offer a clear answer as best I can.

I do not possess persuasive words that could change the mind of someone who believes that performing arts festivals — or perhaps performing arts or even art itself — have no value. Instead, for now, I will say this: I believe in the existence, the power, and the worth of the subtle yet undeniable ripples that this festival may have generated. And I can envision myself hoping to measure what this festival has achieved through those very ripples.

So, how much did Autumn Meteorite accomplish this year? What kind of movement or shock did this meteorite bring to Tokyo, to Ikebukuro, to the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre and its surroundings? Was it able to give something back to the community? To what extent did this meteorite become a celebration of different perspectives? How fully did it succeed in being welcoming? As the inaugural edition of an international performing arts festival held in a city as immense as Tokyo, was Autumn Meteorite able to present something never seen before — something beyond mere replication of existing festival formats or global trends? Was it able to accomplish, even to a small extent, something worthy of being called a meteorite, something that sets itself apart from the dominant vibe of the real world?

How did Autumn Meteorite affect people’s emotions and imaginations, how did it stimulate their sensibilities and curiosities, and how will people’s thoughts evolve to make subtle changes to our daily lives and to the world? Since we cannot attach GPS trackers to our audience, we will never know. But these emotions and thoughts will become ripples that spread everywhere, resonating quietly without ever being recognized as the meteorite’s own ripples. I can imagine such ripples, which may not always take the form of artistic expression.

The inspiration, the impact, the joy, and the ripples that arose from the encounters between our audience and the meteorites that we introduced this year are a tremendous source of nourishment and pleasure for us. They also motivate us beyond measure as we prepare for future editions of Autumn Meteorite. At the same time, it is a fact that not all perspectives and people were included in this festival, that we were not able to make everyone and every perspective feel welcome. This, I will not forget.

To the audience who came and experienced Autumn Meteorite, and in doing so became part of the meteorite itself, thank you. To the artists who joined us, thank you for allowing us to experience the meteorite. To our partners and supporters, I take this opportunity to extend my deepest gratitude. And to everyone who was involved in running this festival, I offer my heartfelt appreciation while also sharing with you a sense of relief. Now, leaving these ripples behind, I bring the Performing Arts Festival: Autumn Meteorite 2025 Tokyo to a close.

Performing Arts Festival: Autumn Meteorite 2025 Tokyo
Artistic Director Toshiki Okada