More train travel (around 3 hours) to get to an Osaka high school (Katano High School) where we served the dual function of being performers but also judges in an English speaking competition.
Hapless contestants facing up to a panel of hardened and world weary judges. (Photo – Brenden Allen)
Japanese audiences are always so polite it is sometimes difficult to know if they are enjoying the show or not. Today was a case in point, with most students sitting very still and largely expressionless throughout the duration of our show, but showing enormous enthusiasm afterwards – exchanging cards, facebook details, phone numbers, emails etc. In Japan performers seem to talk a fair bit to their audience and we are fairly limited in our ability to communicate via words. I suspect often the audiences find our show quite different to their expectations of what a performance is going to be like. Fortunately, I have concluded that they really enjoy the experience, even if its not entirely evident to us during the performance! If you can read Japanese, you can see the blog from the Katano school website here!
Hope you guys are buying what we’re selling – we came a long way on the train this morning! (Photo – Brenden Allen)
Our customers overcome their initial shyness for a photo op with bunny ears. (Photo – Brenden Allen)
Following the performance we headed back to Takarazuka accomodation, via our other reliable mode of tour transportation other than the train – Mr Nishimura’s van. Everyone was fairly tired following the extensive travel through Kyushu to Shikoku and back, but a few of us managed to get in the mood for a bit of late night carousing.