Takeo Fujikura Featured in Japan Educational Press

Japan Educational Press, the oldest newspaper in Japan specializing in educational issues, featured an interview with Takeo Fujikura PhD’06 — a professional mime performer, educator, and University of Wisconsin–Madison alumnus (PhD in theater and drama) — in its February 16 issue. Here is the translation of the interview:

Showing Children the Example of an Adult Who Truly Lives Takeo Fujikura (Kanjiyama Mime)

For more than forty years, I have devoted myself to expressing emotion through pantomime. My stage name, “Kanjiyama,” embodies a simple wish: that our mime pieces be piled high with feeling — brimming over with layered emotion. My journey began with an American play I encountered in my university days. The events of an entire lifetime unfolded within the dialogue of a single day. I was struck by the revelation that when time is gently slowed, the essence of life rises to the surface. Not long afterward, I saw Marcel Marceau perform. In a matter of minutes, he portrayed the arc of a human life. I was profoundly moved. Soon after, I left university and resolved to study mime in earnest in the United States. A decisive turning point came when the son of a woman I had grown close to during my time abroad died suddenly. I felt utterly powerless. My mentor said to me, “Transform that experience into mime.” Yet tears and cries seemed too direct, too shallow. Instead, I chose to strip away overt displays of emotion. From that decision emerged my work, The Violinist. Wearing a gentle smile, I portray a father confronting the death of his son, speaking only through the body. I do not spell out his grief. Instead, I leave space — and in that space, the audience completes the image with their own memories and emotions. By refraining from drawing firm outlines and instead shaping the surrounding air, the figure slowly comes into view. It is an art that offers a guidepost without leading by the hand. In this, I discovered the true strength of mime. Pantomime communicates without explanation. A wall can be seen where none exists. Sobs can be heard in silence. When viewers step willingly into the imagined world, the invisible becomes visible. This principle extends beyond the stage. In communication, what matters is not the words themselves but the intention beneath them. If someone says, “I’m sorry,” yet inwardly means, “Be quiet,” genuine exchange cannot occur. When a child speaks rebelliously, we must look beyond the tone and ask: what is the child truly seeking? That shift in perspective alone can transform a relationship. Recently, through engaging with AI, I have learned another lesson: there is no need to appear impressive. Rather, one must calmly discern structure, seek to understand, and evaluate with clarity. Education requires the same humility. Teachers must set aside ego and listen carefully for the authentic intentions of children. Only then does real dialogue begin.What I most wish to convey to children is not technique, but the living example of an adult who can say, “Life is joyful.” To continue pursuing what one loves, even after failure. To cherish the present moment. When children witness an adult who genuinely delights in being alive, that image becomes a quiet guide — helping them recognize the worth of their own lives and step forward with courage.

Takeo Fujikura is a pantomime artist with over 50 years of experience. He earned a PhD in educational drama from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and teaches at Waseda University’s School of International Liberal Studies. He also choreographed and directed the physical expression segment called “Panto” for NHK’s Okasan to Issho (Together with My Mom).