Join the team in welcoming renowned Japanese performing artists to discuss the gender roles in Japanese theater and performing arts! We will speak with Shunojo Fujima, a Japanese classical dancer trained as an onnagata, or male actors who play the role of females in Japanese kabuki theatre. He will be joined by Yoshinojo Fujima, "Rika Lin" to discuss the performance of females. This conversation will be followed by an exploration of Takarazuka Revue with actress Yuuka Shiratorii who has played the roles both of men and women in this all female musical theater troupe.

Gillion Carrara founding Director of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Fashion Resource Center and Professor Adjunct discusses Japanese fashion designers 1980-today. Tokyo House Party host Saira Chambers gave a brief introduction to artists that respond to Japan's Bubble Economy focusing on Takashi Murakami's consumer culture in the Superflat. Allan Ikesaka, "J-Canuck", joined us to introduce us to the music of the "Bubble" in the late Showa period. As the founder of Kayo Kyoku Plus and an encyclopedia of Japanese music history - Alan schooled us!

Killakuma joined the party to chat about virtual avatars and identities while the Japan Information Center (JIC) brought a very special guest, Mochi the robotic seal! TOTO USA joined us to talk about the technology of toilets, and we wrapped with a chat about gender identity in cyborgs as we streamed Mamoru Oshii's 1995 animated film, Ghost in the Shell together!

A night of year end traditions from Japan! Five Elements Home joins to talk about Lunar New Year animals, Hadley Go Luckey makes a kurisumasu keki, and Vine Connections shares their top sake picks as no Bonenkai is complete without spirits! Van joins with a VERY special KFC themed holiday City Pop DJ set!

We chat with author and folklorist Matthew Meyer in conversation about the Japanese fox or Kitsune as a Yokai. Onigiri Shuttle Kororin then joins the night to talk about Inari sushi and other fox approved snacks! Keep watching for the crew at the Midwest Shiba Inu Rescue to talk about some local kitsune you can support here in Chicago!

Join our team for a night of sweets, spooky stories, and shochu! We jump in with award winning author and Japanese folklorist Zack Davisson, spooky colored Japanese ice cream flavors with KURIMU, and the lesser known Japanese spirit - shochu - with Mesh&Bone!

While anime, manga, and J-Pop carved their niche on America’s pop culture radar, Puroresu - or Japanese Professional Wrestling - has been mostly absent. Join Tokyo House Party as we explore the brutal and beautiful art of Puroresu live through the decades with professional wrestlers, and more!

Tonight we explore this important figure in Japanese history, Yasuke, with the authors of African Samurai. We also get a preview of ‘Oni Fighter Yasuke’ - a brand new game in development by party host Derrick Fields of WakingOni Games , and a member of Mugai Ryu Iaido to talk swords and contemporary samurai stuff!

Join the Tokyo House Party team on the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in talking about the intersection between art and activism exploring art in the Atomic Age. See a separate video on how to fold a crane and join our call for art to be included in public installation of origami cranes!

From Tokyo geisha house to Tokyo House Party, this highly anticipated episode explores innovation through tradition in Japanese performance art with internationally renowned artist Tatsu Aoki. Learn about taiko, dance, shamisen and more from this legendary artist, and see performances by Tsukasa Taiko and Asian Arts Improv Midwest!

Tokyo House Party is bringing you yet another cool episode! This week's Art Hour explores Irezumi, or Japanese tattooing with renowned tattoo artist Andre Malcolm! We also chat with Justin Doggett, founder of Kyoto Black Coffee in Chicago to learn more about a Japanese, or Dutch, historical coffee making technique. It's a cool one with a very unique contest prize, don't miss it!