Kaze No Denwa, THE WIND TELEPHONE

An innovative and emotionally profound stage piece that delves into the human experience of grief through the lens of a Japanese daughter and her mother who is missing after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Created by Jennifer Jancuska, acclaimed writer Mieko Kawakami, and internationally celebrated musician Ben Gibbard, the project integrates physical storytelling, expansive interpretation of Japanese music, and contemporary sound design with Kawakami's distinctive and powerful text to create a theatrical experience that challenges perspective, empathy, and our relationship with death and memory. Gibbard’s mastery of emotionally resonant storytelling and his ability to craft globally relevant narratives make him an invaluable collaborator in bringing this transformative work to life.

Page Contents

1. Why These Collaborators

2. Ground Breaking Elements

3. Synopsis

4. Project Launch in Iwate

5. Why Now

5. Work Samples

6. Development Strategy

Why These Collaborators

• Mieko Kawakami:
  Kawakami is celebrated as one of Japan’s most influential and groundbreaking literary voices, a fierce and provocative force in contemporary literature. Her writing is renowned for its poetic qualities and its profound insights into the female body, ethical dilemmas, and the complexities of modern society. Kawakami's ability to challenge societal norms, especially those surrounding womanhood and identity, has made her a beacon of feminist literature worldwide.

  Her novel Breasts and Eggs—a powerful exploration of womanhood—catapulted her to international fame, sparking conversations that transcend cultural and geographic boundaries. Japanese author Haruki Murakami, a literary giant in his own right, has praised Kawakami as his favorite young novelist, describing her writing as "ceaselessly growing and evolving." This recognition, alongside numerous accolades like the Akutagawa Prize, underscores her impact as a writer who not only disrupts and redefines literary traditions but also empowers a new generation of female writers and thinkers.
  New York Times Article | New Yorker Article
  

• Ben Gibbard:

  Ben Gibbard is an internationally celebrated musician, songwriter, and storyteller, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for the Grammy-nominated band Death Cab for Cutie. Over a career spanning more than two decades, Gibbard has garnered critical acclaim for his emotionally resonant compositions and evocative storytelling, which have captivated audiences worldwide. His ability to weave deeply personal narratives into universally relatable themes underscores his artistic brilliance and global appeal.

  Gibbard’s work with Death Cab for Cutie has solidified his place as one of the most influential figures in contemporary music. Albums such as Plans, Narrow Stairs, and Kintsugi have earned both critical and commercial success, with chart-topping singles like "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" becoming timeless anthems of introspection and connection. Beyond Death Cab for Cutie, Gibbard’s achievements with The Postal Service further highlight his versatility. The band’s debut album, Give Up, featuring iconic tracks like "Such Great Heights" and "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, cementing his innovative contributions to the indie pop genre.

  Gibbard’s connection to Japan is both deeply personal and artistically profound, shaping much of his worldview and creative output. As a child, Gibbard lived in Japan while his father served in the Navy. This formative experience left an indelible mark on his artistic perspective and appreciation for Japanese culture. Gibbard’s commitment to building cultural bridges is reflected in Death Cab for Cutie’s frequent tours in Japan, where their live performances continue to foster a meaningful connection with Japanese fans. The 2015 Death Cab for Cutie album Kintsugi takes its name from the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, a philosophy that embodies themes of healing, transformation, and imperfection. These concepts are deeply woven into the album’s narrative and showcase Gibbard’s nuanced understanding of Japanese traditions.
  

• Jennifer Jancuska:
  As a director, choreographer and conceiver of new works, Jancuska brings Broadway tenure to an experimental approach of driving the creative process of theatrical narrative with pedestrian and surreal physicality.  She collaborates across artistic genres, languages, and geographical locations, creating unexpected collaborations with artists who are typically siloed from creative dance making.

  Jancuska is the recipient of the Japan-US Creative Fellowship (2024/25), Jerome Robbins “Stories That Move” Residency (2024), CUNY Dance Initiative Fellowship (2024/25), and has been named to the "Women to Watch on Broadway" (2024) by The Broadway Women's Fund. Her work has been commissioned and presented by The Old Globe Theater, Berkeley Rep, The Public Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Goodspeed, Ars Nova, Little Island, Madison Square Garden, New York Musical Festival, The Drama League, The Skirball Center, Trinity Rep, and Universal Theatrical Group, among others.

  As Artistic Director of BringAbout for ten consecutive years, Jancuska has collaborated with more than 100 award-winning writers, composers and performing artists including Benjamin Velez, Joel Perez, Adam Gwon, Zoe Sarnak, Pig Pen Theatre Company, Taylor Iman Jones, Hannah Cruz, and Scott Wasserman. In this role, she continues to pioneer new methods of integrating dance as a fundamental narrative tool in the development of new musicals and plays.  During this time, she also created BC Beat, an acclaimed semi-annual event recognized by The New York Times as “the place to reimagine the possibilities for dance in musical theater.”

  Alongside a career of creating new work, Jancuska has held full-time positions with Broadway shows, including seven years as Resident Choreographer and Dance Supervisor of HAMILTON on Broadway. 

  Jancuska is a graduate of Cornell University.  She has spent time studying, teaching and creating in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, London, Rio, Paris, and Shanghai.  She loves live music, languages, jungles, rock climbing, collaboration, and living in Brooklyn as a family of four.
  Website
  

• Fumi Tanakadate:
  Tanakadate is a distinguished composer and performer, known for her expertise in taiko drumming, Japanese flute, and classical piano. For over ten years, she has been mentored by the acclaimed, world-renowned taiko drummer Kaoru Watanabe, who remains a guiding influence in her life and strongly believes in her ability to transcend traditional composition, fostering contemporary collaborations that are inspiring, inclusive, and unlike anything we've experienced before. Tanakadate's diverse range of performance experiences includes collaborations with artists like Watanabe and performances at prestigious venues such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music and The Met Gala. Her unique blend of traditional and contemporary sounds, combined with her innovative compositions, makes her a vital contributor to Kaze No Denwa. Additionally, she is an experienced educator, currently serving as a Visiting Instructor in Music at Wesleyan University. She is originally from the Iwate Prefecture.
  Website
  

• Aya Ogawa:
  Ogawa, a talented translator known for her translations of theatrical works by Japanese writers such as Toshiki Okada, Yudai Kamisato, Takeshi Kawamura, Yoji Sakate and Satoko Ichihara. Aya's expertise adds a unique and dynamic perspective to the project.
  Website

Groundbreaking Elements

Kaze No Denwa aims to spark communal and emotional dialogue about grief at a time when loss—environmental, communal, national, and personal—feels pervasive yet difficult to discuss openly. Setting the story within Japan's language, culture, and historical context intentionally moves audiences outside themselves, providing an opportunity to connect through a universally shared human experience. This is why we're creating a new, inclusive physical and musical language that fuses Japanese and Western aesthetics. We are also engaging audiences deeply with their own memories—encouraging them to be more present by seeing memory as foundational rather than something to leave behind. Ultimately, Kaze No Denwa aims to leave audiences feeling less isolated, with a deeper empathy, appreciation, and understanding for the diverse ways we collectively connect, love, remember, and grieve across cultures, generations, and languages.

The impact of Kaze No Dewna is being recognized and activated by several groundbreaking elements:

• Reviewed and Awarded by Prestigious Committees: This project was reviewed by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Japan-US Creative Fellowship Committee. Out of more than one hundred applications, Kaze No Denwa was the only project unanimously voted to receive the Japan-US Creative Fellowship, a testament to its unique and compelling nature.

• Unique Collaboration: Akutagawa Prize Winner & International Best-Selling author, Mieko Kawakami and Jennifer Jancuska, who was named to “Women to Watch on Broadway” for 2024 - two women, both mothers and leading experts in their fields - are working together across continents and languages. Their commitment to this project highlights the power of cross-cultural collaboration.

• Mieko Kawakami’s Writing: Bringing Mieko’s extraordinary writing to the stage will create a live, shared experience that is life-changing and singular. Her ability to alter perceptions and heighten senses through her writing will be amplified in a theatrical setting.

• Sonic Layering Process: The project's innovative sonic layering process, which is theatrical and expansive, plays a crucial role in transporting and inspiring audiences. This process builds on American Musical Theatre heritage and Japan's rich, deep cultural history with Fumi Tanakadate. The result is a soundscape that is not only immersive and evocative but also aspirational, bridging historical and cultural gaps to create a universally resonant experience.

Synopsis

KAZE NO DENWA, The Wind Telephone is a story of grief, memory, denial, surrealism, and the search for meaning in the wake of devastation. It is a meditation on the human condition, the complexities of survival, and the quiet, often painful steps toward finding a way to live with the unchangeable past.

Kawakami's signature and striking triangle of characters includes An Ono, a woman paralyzed by the guilt and unresolved grief of losing her mother, who went missing during the 2011 tsunami; Shun Imai, a childhood friend who returns to their devastated town after losing his father to cancer, struggling with the silence that surrounds his pain; and Maiko Toga, a former classmate whose entire family survived, but who remains tethered to the town’s collective trauma, introducing An and Shun to the surreal “Wind Telephone”—a place where the living attempt to connect with the dead.

Abbreviated Summary:

An Ono lives in an apartment on a hill in Ōtsuchi Town with her mother, a taxi driver. Mornings begin with waking up in their two side-by-side futons. For as long as An can remember, they have had a routine of doing rajio taiso (radio exercises) together, a ritual that even served to reconcile them after arguments. On March 11th, as usual, An was working part-time at a warehouse for a transport company located on a hill. She felt a strong tremor and, through the radio, experienced—and imagined—the unprecedented tsunami hitting her hometown and the Eastern Japanese coast. Although she was worried about her mother, she believed her mother was off duty that day. The apartment was barely safe. However, her mother had gone to work to cover for a colleague and has been missing ever since—a haunting absence that leaves An in a perpetual state of limbo.

Five years later, An is now 31 years old. She often wakes up to the sound of her own voice calling for her mother. The unresolved nature of her mother’s disappearance consumes her, trapping her in a cycle of grief and survivor’s guilt. An feels disconnected from the world, retreating further into herself as she struggles with the emotional paralysis that has become her daily reality.

Maiko Toga’s reappearance disrupts the fragile equilibrium between An and Shun. Now living in Sendai with her husband and children, Maiko’s entire family survived the disaster—a fact that casts a shadow over her relationships with An and Shun. Working at a small local newspaper, Maiko introduces them to the "Wind Telephone," a surreal, disconnected receiver where people seek solace by speaking to the dead. This encounter forces An and Shun to confront their unresolved grief, deepening the unspoken tensions between them.

As the trio grapples with the Wind Telephone’s eerie symbolism, their individual struggles with grief collide, pushing them toward the edges of their reality. An’s paralysis over her mother’s disappearance, Shun’s silent torment from losing his father, and Maiko’s attempt to reconcile her survival with the town’s trauma all spiral into a surreal and inescapable descent. Their interactions become charged with unspoken fears, pushing each of them to confront the unbearable weight of their existence in a world that offers no clear answers.

As An’s turmoil grows, she is haunted by surreal visions of the Wind Telephone engulfed in flames—a powerful and disturbing image that comes to her in dreams, symbolizing her deep frustration with the futility of her grief and the imposed narratives of recovery that she cannot accept. These visions intensify her sense of alienation, leaving her trapped in a cycle of despair. When she finally visits the Wind Telephone, its stark simplicity leaves her overwhelmed, realizing that what she imagined as a potent symbol is merely a modest, disconnected phone—highlighting the emptiness of her grief. Overwhelmed with emotion, An hangs her head before the phone and returns to town with Shun.

That night, Shun visits An’s room for the first time. They lie down in futons side by side, just as An used to do with her mother. They do not touch. They do not speak. What exists between them is an embrace of their backs facing each other—a silent acknowledgment of their shared, unspoken pain. And on this day, for the first time, An is able to fall into a deep sleep without calling out her mother’s name.

Project launch: Tokyo and Iwate Prefecture
with Mieko Kawakami & Jennifer Jancuska

Why Now

Kaze No Denwa is particularly relevant and timely for several reasons:

Kaze No Denwa aims to spark communal and emotional dialogue about grief at a time when loss—environmental, communal, national, and personal—feels pervasive yet difficult to discuss openly. Setting the story within Japan's language, culture, and historical context intentionally moves audiences outside themselves, providing an opportunity to connect through a universally shared human experience. This is why we're creating a new, inclusive physical and musical language that fuses Japanese and Western aesthetics. We are also engaging audiences deeply with their own memories—encouraging them to be more present by seeing memory as foundational rather than something to leave behind. Ultimately, Kaze No Denwa aims to leave audiences feeling less isolated, with a deeper empathy, appreciation, and understanding for the diverse ways we collectively connect, love, remember, and grieve across cultures, generations, and languages.

• Diverse Voices: As the conceiver of Kaze No Denwa, Jennifer is dedicated to telling and creating stories from diverse perspectives. The commitment to authenticity is demonstrated by having Mieko Kawakami as the project's writer and Fumi Tanakadate leading Japanese composition with Aya Ogawa translating. This ensures that the narrative is both genuine and deeply rooted in Japanese culture, providing a platform for voices that are often underrepresented.

• Post-Pandemic Grief: In the wake of the global pandemic, societies worldwide are still grappling with unresolved grief on an unprecedented scale. The prolonged period of isolation and social distancing has left many unable to mourn their losses collectively, disrupting traditional grieving processes and leaving emotional wounds unhealed. Kaze No Denwa aims to bring the topic of grief to the forefront, providing a shared space for audiences to process and reflect on their experiences.

• Acknowledging the Impact of Natural Disasters: Natural disasters, such as the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, have devastating and long-lasting effects on individuals and communities. Kaze No Denwa emphasizes the profound human impact of such events on a grand scale and individually, highlighting the need for time and space to grieve and to understand what grieving means to each individual. This project shares a powerful narrative to underscore the resilience of the human spirit and foster a deeper sense of shared global feeling and connection among diverse communities.

Development Strategy

• BringAbout Studio Residencies: 2023, 2024, New York City

• BringAbout Multi-Day Residencies: 2023, 2024, New York City

• Launch of Collaboration with Mieko: April 2024, Tokyo, Otsuchi

• Text & Music Research & Development: January 2025, Tokyo

• Research & Development (music, text, design, choreography): June 2025, Tokyo

• Japan-US Creative Fellowship: Recognizing the collaborators at the 2025 World Expo, Osaka