City Stories Circus Project Launches Site-Specific Immersive Theater Series Exploring Shibuya's 100-Year History - Chapter 1 to be Performed July 10-12, 2026 at Nanana Festival @ 100BANCH

The "City Stories Circus" project, active at "100BANCH," a future creation hub focused on fostering new value with the younger generation for a richer world 100 years from now, will embark on a new form of expression combining the memories of the city, contemporary circus, and modern art through a site-specific, immersive theater series exploring Shibuya's 100-year history. The first chapter of this series will be performed at the Nanana Festival 2026, held at Shibuya 100BANCH from July 10 (Fri) to 12 (Sun). A crowdfunding campaign for the performance has also been launched.

"We want to create a performance show that can only be done in this city."

City Stories Circus is a contemporary circus project born from this philosophy. It unearths the time and memories accumulated in urban spaces through physical performance and experiential art, transforming the city from a "place of appreciation" into a "place to experience stories."

Shibuya's alleys, bridges, walls—places we pass by daily—are layered with countless movements and stays, accumulating "layers of time" invisible to the eye. This project uses the streets of Shibuya as its stage, tracing the stories and memories born and passed down here through physical performance and experiential art. With the theme of "memories of 100 years ago and 100 years from now," it opens a space to encounter diverse expressions amidst the intersection of past and future time.

This performance is positioned as the first chapter of a series, with plans for expansion to multiple locations in Shibuya from 2027 onwards.

This is a tentative plan currently being conceived. We aim to realize this series of performances within a year.

Performance Overview

Performance Title

City Stories Circus ~City Memories x Contemporary Circus x Modern Art~

Dates

July 10 (Fri), 11 (Sat) 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM

July 12 (Sun) 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Venue

Shibuya River Street, Block B (along the Shibuya River)

Admission

Free

Performance Duration

Approximately 20 minutes per session

Performance Schedule

July 10 (Fri) 3:00 PM - / 6:30 PM -

July 11 (Sat) 3:00 PM - / 6:30 PM -

July 12 (Sun) 3:00 PM - / 5:00 PM -

Experiential Program Details

【Experience 1】Experiential Art Workshop Booth

A workshop and exhibition experiential art booth where participants focus on and collect the scenery of Shibuya as it passes by. Reflecting on the "present" that may disappear without a trace in 100 years, participants will create their own "specimens of city memories" through frottage and rubbings.

【Experience 2】Contemporary Circus Performance Viewing (Free)

Using faint traces left in the ever-flowing Shibuya as clues, this performance piece is created through juggling and physical expression. It brings to life the stories of those who may have once been here, cherishing absent presences, on the streets.

【Experience 3】Rubbing Workshop (Held July 5, Pre-registration required)

Participants go out into Shibuya and use ceramic clay to capture the textures etched onto the city's surfaces. The "fragments of the city" collected by participants will be fired and become part of the Nanana Festival exhibition.

Creative Team

Role

Name

Profile

Poetry, Direction,

Composition

Yuki Nomiya

Poet, director, co-creator. Born in Tokyo. Affiliated with Seinen Dan, director of the general incorporated association Zuzousounet. Active in multiple locations, primarily Fukushima. Engages in creative work mediated by the memories and activities dormant in the land, while questioning the boundaries drawn between artificial things (words) and natural things (people).

Choreography, Performance

Yosuke Meguro (Nagame Kurashitsu)

Juggler, contemporary circus director. Formed the juggling and music group "Nagame Kurashitsu," serving as director and composer for almost all their works. Currently collaborates with various artists as a contemporary circus company, presenting numerous productions.

Performance

Ako Yasuoka

Appears in numerous contemporary circus works with a versatile physicality based on ballet and jazz dance. Also expanding her activities as an aerial artist.

Contemporary Art

Kana Nishio

Creates installations using video and objects with the theme of "landscapes that remain only in memory," and develops exhibitions and art projects aimed at recording and inheriting disappearing activities and landscapes.

Cooperation

Yuko Okumura (Nagame Kurashitsu)

Active as a freelance production and operations staff specializing in street performance and contemporary circus.

Planning, Production

Yunoh Asaseishi

Traveled extensively both domestically and internationally during university, fascinated by the charm of different cities and contemporary circus. In 2025, formed the creative production unit "Tsuki to Yuzu" and produced an event to promote local apples in Aizubange, Fukushima. Active with a focus on creative production that utilizes urban culture.

Crowdfunding in Progress

To support the realization of the first chapter's performance, we are seeking contributions on the crowdfunding platform "MotionGallery."

Target Amount: ¥400,000 Deadline: July 17, 2026 (Thu) 11:59 PM

Support URL: https://motion-gallery.net/projects/city_stories_circus

Returns for Supporters: Participation rights for the rubbing art workshop (July 5) / Gift of rubbing artwork (on the day of Nanana Festival) / Performance pamphlet

Message from Representative (Yunoh Asaseishi)

In the summer of my third year of university, I encountered contemporary circus for the first time in Montreal, Canada. The experience, where story, body, and space became one, not just the technical marvel, changed something within me. Since then, I have held onto the desire to "create a show that can only be done in this city," and after four years, we are finally taking the first step with Chapter 1.

Inquiries regarding this matter

City Stories Circus Representative: Yunoh Asaseishi

Instagram: @yu_zu00ry

About 100BANCH

This is a complex facility that aims to enrich the world 100 years from now, working with the younger generation who will lead the future to create new value. Established on July 7, 2017, to commemorate Panasonic's 100th anniversary, with the belief that "gatherings of young energy unbound by convention will enrich the future 100 years from now."

Since then, we have supported ambitious young people in taking their first steps toward creating the future by providing a "place" where experiments can be conducted 24/7/365, advice from top mentors in various fields, and "opportunities" for dissemination through over 100 events and large exhibitions annually. As of March 2026, 404 projects have been selected out of approximately 1,220 applications, and acceleration support is provided.

Homepage: https://100banch.com/

"City Stories Circus" was selected as part of GARAGE Program Batch 105 and is active at 100BANCH. Project Page: https://100banch.com/projects/city-stories-circus