The Face of Jizo
In commemoration of 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Venue: Reginald Theatre – Seymour Centre
Address: Corner City Rd and Cleveland St, Chippendale 2008
Date: 21 August – 6 September 2025
Time: Tuesdays at 6:30pm; Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm and 7:30pm
Ticket: $39 - $59
Buy / Ticket: https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/the-face-of-jizo/
Web: https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/the-face-of-jizo/
EMail: boxoffice@seymour.sydney.edu.au
Call: 02 7255 1561
Address: Corner City Rd and Cleveland St, Chippendale 2008
Date: 21 August – 6 September 2025
Time: Tuesdays at 6:30pm; Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm and 7:30pm
Ticket: $39 - $59
Buy / Ticket: https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/the-face-of-jizo/
Web: https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/the-face-of-jizo/
EMail: boxoffice@seymour.sydney.edu.au
Call: 02 7255 1561
Request Image Contact: kabukupr@kabukupr.com.au
After a sold-out, twice-extended season at the Old Fitz Theatre in 2023, Seymour Centre and Omusubi Productions are excited to present the highly-anticipated Sydney revival of Hisashi Inoue’s The Face of Jizo at the Reginald Theatre from 21st August to 6th September.
The Face of Jizo returns to Sydney’s stages in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and in celebration of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers’ Organisation) for their tireless advocacy for nuclear disarmament and peace.
Heralded by leading cultural figure Saiichi Maruya as “the greatest play of Japan’s postwar era”, The Face of Jizo is a heart-warming tale of courage, first love, spirited fathers, and learning to embrace the ghosts of the past, by one of Japan’s most celebrated playwrights.
The story takes place in Hiroshima some three years after the dropping of the atomic bomb on that city on 6 August 1945. Mitsue, a young librarian, arrives home to find her father Takezo there. She has not seen him for three years. As their story unfolds, she must confront the truth of what happened on the day the bomb fell, under the mushroom cloud.
Written with warmth and humanity, The Face of Jizo is a story of resilience and the quiet strength of love. It asks: How do we continue telling the hardest stories to the next generation?
Directed by Shingo Usami (Apple TV+’s Invasion) and David Lynch, and translated by Australian writer Roger Pulvers, the production features the original cast and creative team, including Mayu Iwasaki (Paramount+’s NCIS: Sydney, STC’s White Pearl) as Mitsue, and Usami as Takezo. Director and performer Shingo Usami Mayu Iwasaki said, “Presenting The Face of Jizo is not about denying the pain Japan inflicted on so many people during the war but about facing them with honesty and reflection. As playwright Hisashi Inoue articulated in the prologue of this play, we must continue learning from the past while also honouring the innocent lives lost to war. Through this deeply human story, we hope to share a message of love, resilience, and the urgent need to move beyond blame and denial.”
Tender, beautiful and seasoned with moments of familial humour, this powerful and ever relevant two-hander will also feature selected performances presented in the original Japanese with English surtitles.
The Face of Jizo returns to Sydney’s stages in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and in celebration of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers’ Organisation) for their tireless advocacy for nuclear disarmament and peace.
Heralded by leading cultural figure Saiichi Maruya as “the greatest play of Japan’s postwar era”, The Face of Jizo is a heart-warming tale of courage, first love, spirited fathers, and learning to embrace the ghosts of the past, by one of Japan’s most celebrated playwrights.
The story takes place in Hiroshima some three years after the dropping of the atomic bomb on that city on 6 August 1945. Mitsue, a young librarian, arrives home to find her father Takezo there. She has not seen him for three years. As their story unfolds, she must confront the truth of what happened on the day the bomb fell, under the mushroom cloud.
Written with warmth and humanity, The Face of Jizo is a story of resilience and the quiet strength of love. It asks: How do we continue telling the hardest stories to the next generation?
Directed by Shingo Usami (Apple TV+’s Invasion) and David Lynch, and translated by Australian writer Roger Pulvers, the production features the original cast and creative team, including Mayu Iwasaki (Paramount+’s NCIS: Sydney, STC’s White Pearl) as Mitsue, and Usami as Takezo. Director and performer Shingo Usami Mayu Iwasaki said, “Presenting The Face of Jizo is not about denying the pain Japan inflicted on so many people during the war but about facing them with honesty and reflection. As playwright Hisashi Inoue articulated in the prologue of this play, we must continue learning from the past while also honouring the innocent lives lost to war. Through this deeply human story, we hope to share a message of love, resilience, and the urgent need to move beyond blame and denial.”
Tender, beautiful and seasoned with moments of familial humour, this powerful and ever relevant two-hander will also feature selected performances presented in the original Japanese with English surtitles.