ABOUT US

The Japan Opera Festival is an extraordinary opportunity to experience open-air opera performances on the stages
set right in front of the historical structures of Japan. This exclusive event has attracted worldwide attention.
Since 2015, the festival has been held in cooperation with an Italian opera house in order to provide the audience with the opportunity to view highly artistic opera performances while staying in Japan.
Our efforts to achieve a superb fusion with opera born in Italy have been greatly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad.

In May 2023, the Japan Opera Festival will come back for the first time in about four years! The venue this year is Horyu-ji Temple, a World Heritage site, which is the pride of Japan, and the program will be “ll Trovatore,” a masterpiece of Verdi’s middle period.

This open-air opera performed against the backdrop of the five- story pagoda of Horyu-ji Temple, the world’s oldest wooden structure with a history of 1,300 years, will be the one-and-only performance in the world. The conductor will be Hirofumi Yoshida, who is based in Italy, and the music will be performed by Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Modena from Italy. This will be a life-long memorable experience where
you will be able to enjoy the stage created by the stage director, Francesco Bellotto, in the Sai-in temple complex of Horyu-ji Temple!

Immerse yourself into what will be a deeply emotional and a once- in-a-lifetime experience.

Casts

Story

The story is set in Spain, at the beginning of the 15th century.
A count had two sons. The younger brother was physically very weak. An old gypsy woman was accused of being responsible and was burned at the stake. The old woman’s only daughter, Azucena, vows to take revenge and kidnaps the count’s younger son.

Then, twenty years later…

The elder brother, Count Luna, was looking for his missing younger brother. Leonora, the queen’s lady-in-waiting, whom Count Luna had feelings for, was in love with Manrico, a knight and troubadour. Count Luna threw down the gauntlet against Manrico, who was also his political opponent. Manrico believed that his mother was Azucena. Azucena’s resentment against the Count Luna’s family grew and she begged Manrico: “Take your revenge!”

PRECAUTIONS

The stage and seating for this performance are located in the Sai-in temple complex of Horyu-ji Temple. As this is a special outdoor venue, there is a possibility that the view of the stage and the sound of the music may not be adequate depending on the seating. The organizer has set the seat types after careful consideration. Please read the precautions carefully before purchasing tickets and purchase tickets only when you agree with the precautions. Purchasing tickets for this performance confirms that you have agreed to the terms and conditions, and no changes or cancellations will be accepted after purchase.

<Precautions about Ticket Purchase >
- The stage and audience seats are arranged around the “Keishoin Lantern” standing in the center of the Sai-in temple complex of Horyu-ji Temple. The lantern is positioned between the stage and audience seats, therefore, the view of the performers on the stage will be obstructed during some scenes regardless of the seat type depending on the position of the performers.
- All seats are pipe chairs. If you are not comfortable sitting on the chair for a long period of time, we recommend that you bring your own cushion.
- The performance is scheduled to end after 21:00. It is recommended to be dressed accordingly with consideration for temperature changes depending on the weather and time of day.

(About B Seats)
Depending on the position of your seat, the pillars of the corridor, Kon-do Hall or the Five-story Pagoda may obstruct your view, making it difficult to see some parts of the stage. Subtitles may be difficult to see from some seats, and some parts of the stage may be obscured.

(About C Seats)
Some of the view of the performers will be obstructed. These seats are located on the side of the stage meaning about half of the stage will be obstructed for the entire show. About half of the stage view will be obstructed for the entire show.
Subtitles are also difficult or not possible to see depending on the position of your seat. The sound also may be uneven.

<In Case of Bad Weather >
Since the performance will be held outdoors, it is possible that the performance will be cancelled due to bad weather. In such a case, tickets will be refunded in accordance with the conditions and methods stipulated by the organizer. The procedures for refunds differ depending on the place of purchase. For details, refer to the Sawakami Opera Foundation official website.


◆ Method of Announcement about Holding the Event
On the day of the performance, the latest information will be announced at 9:00, 12:00 and 15:00 on the official website, as well as FACEBOOK, TWITTER and LINE. Also, on the day of the performance, telephone guidance will be provided by voice guidance (0570-023-223). No individual contact will be made, so please confirm the latest information by yourself.
*Please note that even after the announcement of the event at 15:00, the event may be unavoidably cancelled due to sudden weather changes or other reasons.

◆ Decisions and Cancellations after Performance Begins
- In the event that a performance is cancelled before the end of the Second Act due to worsening weather conditions after the performance has begun, a refund will be made according to the refund rate determined by the organizer. No refunds will be made for performances that are suspended due a sudden deterioration of the weather after the completion of the Second Act.

◆ About the Free Concert
If the concert is cancelled before the performance begins, a free concert will be held featuring excerpts from the main arias and songs from the opera “Troubadour.”
*If the concert is cancelled due to bad weather, the free concert will not be held.
*Tickets will be refunded regardless of whether or not you attend the free concert.

◆ Amount of Refund
(1) 100% refund: Cancellation before the start of the performance or after the start of the performance but before the end of the Second Act (2) 0% (No refund): Cancellation after the end of Act 2 and the start of intermission
*The opera consists of Four Acts, and there will be an intermission between the Second and Third Acts.
*For those who purchased tickets with Rakuten Ticket, refunds will be issued by Rakuten Ticket. The method and details may differ depending on the performance. For details, refer to the “Performance Cancellation/Change Information” on the Rakuten Ticket website or read email about “Refund Information.”

◆ About the Replacement of Performances
Even in the event of a cancellation, performances and tickets will not be substituted. If you wish to see the performance on another day, you will need to purchase tickets for another date.

<Notes>
The ticket for the opera performance does not allow you to enter the Sai-in Complex of Horyu-ji Temple during the regular visit hours (8:00-17:00) and the usual admission fee of 1500 yen will be required to enter the temple. After the opening of the Nandai-mon Gate at 17:30, only ticket holders for the opera will be allowed to enter through the Nandai-mon Gate; there is no need to purchase a regular admission ticket.