Kazuo Ohno: Known as a pioneer of Japanese Butoh, he co-founded Japanese Butoh during its inception with the late Tatsumi Hijikata. Born in 1906 in Hakodate, Hokkaido, he was deeply influenced by performances of Spanish dance and La Argentina (Antonia Mercé) while attending Japan Athletic College (now Japan Sport University). He learned modern dance from Juro Ishii, Ryuzaburo Eguchi, and Misako Miya and debuted his contemporary dance performance at Kanda Kyoritsu Hall in 1949. His collaboration with Tatsumi Hijikata began after meeting him during his four self-produced shows until 1959. Under Hijikata's direction, notable works such as "La Argentina Eulogy" (first performed in 1977), "My Mother" (1981), and "Dead Sea" (1985) were created. He made his international debut at the Nancy International Theater Festival in 1980 with "La Argentina Eulogy" and "The Dream of the Plate or the Fetus," followed by numerous performances and workshops in Europe, North and South America, Australia, Asia, and Israel. Butoh, a style of dance, became known as "BUTOH," and Kazuo Ohno's performances gained worldwide attention. After Hijikata's death, Kazuo Ohno continued to present works such as "Sleeping Lotus" (1987), "Wriggle" (1988), and "Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon" (1990) under the direction of Yoshito Ohno. He appeared in the 1991 film "Landscape of the Soul," improvising poetry dances in nature. In 1993, he rapidly presented large-scale dances such as "Goten, Flying in the Sky" using the floor plan of Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. Continuing his active career beyond the age of 90, he received the 1st Michelangelo Antonioni Art Award in October 1999, the Oribé Award Grand Prix in November 2001, and the Asahi Performing Arts Award Special Prize in January 2002. In January 2007, he performed the "Hundred Flowers in Full Bloom" gala performance at the age of 100. Kazuo Ohno's dance continues to inspire, nourished by his old age.
Yoshito Ohno: Born in 1938 as the second son of Kazuo Ohno. In 1959, he appeared in Tatsumi Hijikata's "Forbidden Colors" (based on the original work by Yukio Mishima) as a boy. Subsequently, he became an indispensable dancer in Tatsumi Hijikata's dark Butoh performances. He studied classical ballet and mime under Hiromasa Oikawa, participating in performances such as Ballet Tokyo and Altos Hall. In 1985, he co-starred with Kazuo Ohno in "Dead Sea" at the Butoh Festival '85. In 1987, he participated with Kazuo Ohno in the Stuttgart World Theater Festival with "Sleeping Lotus" (directed by Yoshito Ohno). Since then, he has worked closely with Kazuo Ohno as a director and co-performer in various productions such as "Wriggle," "Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon," and "Tendo-Jido." In 1998, based on the posthumous manuscript of Masakatsu Gunji, he presented his solo performance "The Last Portrait of Dorian Gray." He authored the book "Kazuo Ohno: Soul's Nourishment" (Film Art Sha).
