Biwa reading play The Tale of the Heike "The Palace Beneath the Waves" 18th April(Sat) Re-enactment at Akama Shrine, dedicated to Emperor Antoku. [J/E with pamphlet]
Experience it at the sacred site,
or take a closer look online.
Saturday, April 18, ▽Reservations ▽
At the Venue QR Ticket
◎Entry with a QR code sent to your smartphone Please choose the MATINEE or SOIREE.
Biwa reading play The Tale of the Heike "The Palace Beneath the Waves"
“The Palace Beneath the Waves”,revived repeatedly since its premiere in 2018,
Akama Shrine — the sacred site of The Tale of the Heike, where Emperor Antoku is enshrined and the graves of the Heike clan are kept.
We will be performing there for the sixth time, and our first performance in three years.
Akama-Jinguu-Shrine, SuitenmonAkama-Jinguu-Shrine, Main ShrineAkama-Jinguu-Shrine, Ryugu-den
I didn't know—
The Tale of the Heike is
such a heart-wrenching story...
Of course, don’t forget to pray as well as watch the play.
After knowing The Tale of the Heike, Suitenmon and the colors of the straits will look different.
"The Palace Beneath the Waves" —Story
The story begins with the voice of Taira Tokuko, as if she were speaking to someone unseen, recalling the fate of the Heike clan.
Tokuko reminisces dreamily about the days of glory. Yet those days do not last long.
Fearing the advance of the Genji warrior Kiso Yoshinaka, the Taira abandon the capital and head for Dazaifu in Kyushu. But an order to hunt down the clan has already reached there, and they are driven out again. After wandering in search of refuge, they finally settle in the small harbor town of Yanagigaura, just before Mojigaseki (today’s Dairi in Moji Ward).
Even there, sorrow follows. The young noble Taira Kiyotsune, unable to bear the pressure, throws himself into the sea. Yet the Heike clan gathers allies, rebuilds its strength in Yanagigaura, and once again moves toward the capital.
They advance as far as Ichinotani (present-day Kobe), but are defeated by the surprise attack of Minamoto Yoshitsune. Another defeat follows at Yashima in Shikoku. At last, the Heike clan heads for the narrow strait of Dan-no-ura, establishing a base at Hikoshima and preparing to face the Genji in Japan’s most treacherous tides.
Finally, on the eve of the battle, the Heike clan moved their entire army to Tanoura on the Moji side and held a military banquet at Mekari Shrine, where Taira Tomomori warned his brother Shigemori, the commander-in-chief, that he sensed betrayal among their men…
And at last, the long day of that fateful battle at Dan-no-ura begins.
Her beloved child—the young Emperor Antoku sinks beneath the waves. The Battle of Dan-no-ura—the greatest tragedy in Japanese history. Without The Tale of the Heike, the story of Japan cannot be told.
The Tale of the Heike is one of the great foundations of Japanese storytelling— inspiring everything from Kabuki and Noh to modern anime and games.
Its famous opening line begins with the words: “The sound of the bell of Gion Shōja.”
Gion Shōja was in fact a temple in India. The bell was not the large temple bell familiar in Japan, but a small bell rung beside the ear of a noble person at the moment of death. The Palace Beneath the Waves begins with the clear sound of that bell.
Relief depicting the battle of Dan-no-ura (Mojiko Mekari No. 2 Observatory)
Emperor Antoku's mother, Taira Tokuko, jumps into the sea, and a warrior from The Genji Clan tries to catch her.
Here, at the real Dan-no-ura—the Kanmon Strait— this biwa storytelling performance brings The Tale of the Heike to life. After experiencing it, connections begin to appear— between Kabuki, Noh, anime, games, and the many stories of Japan.
Among them, the Battle of Dan-no-ura stands as the greatest tragedy in Japanese history: a child emperor sinking into the sea with his own grandmother. What did Tokuko, the mother of Emperor Antoku, feel in that moment? What did her brother, the Heike commander Taira Tomomori, feel?
If we can clearly imagine the people who stood here 800 years ago, the waves of the Kanmon Strait will begin to look very different.
Experience it at the sacred site,
or take a closer look online.
Saturday, April 18, ▽Reservations ▽
At the Venue QR Ticket
◎Entry with a QR code sent to your smartphone Please choose the MATINEE or SOIREE.
We have received the following unanimous feedback from audience members who have seen past performances.
◎So vivid, it feels like watching a film.
◎Their dialogue flows like a jazz session.
◎A local story I never knew.
◎The atmosphere was incredible.
—And now, the tide turns again—
As you witness this story,
what will it make you feel?
Performer
Story teller Kenreimon-in Taira Tokuko
Ehara Chika
A storyteller of grace and strength from Shimonoseki
Ehara Chika first drew national attention at just fifteen, when she was awarded Runner-Up in the Miss Japan Contest, a competition that values both inner and outer beauty. In the same year, she received the Grand Prize of the Kitakyushu Children’s Nonfiction Literature Award for her essay When My Father Was Gone. Since then, she has built a career as an actress, dancer, and model, while retaining the sincerity and sensitivity that first distinguished her as a young girl. She has also appeared in independent stage productions, including Inoue Hisaishi’s The Face of Jizo and Kishida Kokushi’s Monologue, continuing to grow as a stage performer.
Biwa performer
Takagi Seihou
The best biwa in Japan! Chikuzen biwa player from Fukuoka
In 2018, she won First Prize at the Japan Biwa Music Competition, the country’s leading contest for biwa performers. She has since expanded her work through major productions, including the large-scale stage performance “Chikuzen Biwa Live Theater — The Tale of the Heike in Sound and Image” at the Fukuoka City Science Museum. In July 2023, her powerful performance in “The Tale of Hoichi the Earless” at Akama Shrine captivated audiences. Now widely recognized as one of Japan’s foremost biwa performers, her commanding playing and voice are truly overwhelming when heard live.
A master of traditional music.
An actress reimagining Tokuko.
Two voices. One timeless Tale of the Heike. Don’t miss it.
Photo by Kiyoshi Kuzukami
■Performance Summary
◎Title: The Tale of the Heike "The Palace Beneath the Waves
Written & Directed by Tomita Tsuyoshi (tomitaproduce Co., Ltd.)
◎Date: April 18, 2026 (Saturday)
MATINEE : Doors 12:00 PM / Starts 12:30 PM
SOIREE : Doors 15:00 PM / Starts 15:30 PM
*Pre-school children are not admitted. *Elementary school students may enter with a parent or guardian.
