From May 5–8, Shen Yun Performing Arts presented four consecutive performances over four days at Fukuoka Civic Hall in Fukuoka, Japan. The performances were sold out, and the artists returned for three curtain calls. Audience members expressed their appreciation of the performance.
China Hiraoka, a former classical ballet dancer, said, “Every single performer demonstrated an exceptionally high level of ability, and throughout the entire performance, there wasn’t a single performer who seemed lacking or less polished. They truly deserve to be called a top-tier professional company.”
“It was my first time watching the performance, and it was absolutely wonderful. Everyone moved in perfect unison and with great coordination. I was deeply moved,” said Tomoaki Umemoto, a vice chair of the Town Council.
Tetsuro Suwa, a local government official, said, “It was my first time seeing the performance. The dancing was lively and captivating, and the seamless integration of the digital backdrop with the dance felt incredibly fresh and enjoyable.”
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture from before communism, through classical Chinese dance and music.
Shiro Utamura, a vice speaker of the Hofu City Council, said, “[Shen Yun] uses art to convey a message of peace to the world, which deeply moved me. Shen Yun’s mission is precisely to revive precious traditional culture from China’s 5,000-year history that was destroyed by the Chinese Communist Party. This initiative began with the belief of bringing back China’s traditional culture.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun has been touring the world since 2006, and brings an all-new performance each year.
“I’m also involved in dance, and I was truly amazed by the physical ability and athleticism of the Shen Yun dancers. They must have gone through an unimaginable amount of training. Every movement and gesture was executed with incredible beauty and precision. From their fingertips to their toes, every subtle detail was absolutely beautiful,” said Mrs. Hiraoka.
Hidetoshi Koroku, an executive of an education-related company, said, “I had seen Shen Yun promotional videos on YouTube, but only by coming in person could I truly appreciate the performers’ extraordinary skills and the rigorous training they go through every day. I firmly believe that only those carefully selected from among many outstanding talents are able to stand on this stage.”
“Being able to hear a true live orchestra performance in a theater is a very rare experience, and I’m truly grateful for it,” said Mr. Suwa.
“In the use of costume colors, the arrangement and transitions of the group formations were perfectly synchronized and flawlessly coordinated. Before I even realized it, the formations had already changed. I plan to use the inspiration I gained from this as a reference when creating new works in the future,” said Mrs. Hiraoka.
Shen Yun has now concluded its 2026 world tour and will return with a brand new production next year.
NTD News, Fukuoka, Japan
NTD is a media sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts, covering audience reactions since 2006.
