Extract of 100th anniversary of the birth of OHNO KAZUO - an interview with OHNO YOSHITO

TOMOE SHIZUNE’s BUTOH Method had aroused OHNO KAZUO’s empathetic feeling.

It is true. OHNO KAZUO had felt a connection to TOMOE SHIZUNE after watching his BUTOH rehearsal. I haven’t yet told my students and followers that such a thing as theappearance of the top of fingers can begin the whole performance. I haven’t told them yet about there being such toughness in the performance. We need to master this. We are not ready yet because everybody cares only for themselves. I need more time to deliver this to my followers then I would be able to collaborate with TOMOE. I am definitely not ready yet.

OHNO KAZUO is an extremely ambitious man who never gives up until he grabs the whole soul of people including himself. It can be described as arrogance. He is never satisfied with his achievements saying “we have a long way to the goal” or “we haven’t reached there yet”. In addition to that, well, how I can say it… KAZUO knows the difference between fiction and fact very well. He also understands the need for something other than feeling as well as the importance of creation. I think these are common points between KAZUO and TOMOE. KAZUO had found them in TOMOE’s BUTOH method. TOMOE realizes these points in his method. I can confidently say that.

Creation itself is not enough. The term is meaningless without the souls of artists. We need the spirits or souls of artists to create something. It is vital. KAZUO will pursue the souls and spirits until the day he dies. He will never make conclusions. I think KAZUO and TOMOE are related to each other on this point. That’s why KAZUO was moved by TOMOE’s method.