philosophy
In order to preserve the timeless TV puppet show "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" as a cultural heritage for future generations, our association will actively work to record and preserve all kinds of materials, as well as to allow as many people as possible to experience "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima."
In addition to using existing materials (scripts, videos, audio recordings, photographs, personal records such as Ito's notebooks, manga, film and story adaptations, merchandise, magazine and newspaper articles, etc.), we will also unearth interviews with people involved and related materials, aiming to pass on the story in a way that gives a concrete, three-dimensional picture of the entire story of "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima."
Furthermore, I believe that the extremely important message of "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" - "affirming and accepting all people as they are, not remaining silent in the face of injustice, but fighting in various ways" - is applicable in any era.
Therefore, one of our important goals is to appeal for the remake to be rebroadcast and streamed on demand. We will create opportunities to promote "Hyokkori Hyotanjima" in as many forms as possible, including events to learn about the series, screenings, performances by Hitomiza, publishing scripts and materials, and even creating remakes and new productions.
Through this "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" project, we hope to connect loosely, cooperate joyfully, and explore deeply, and to bring about a day when the world is filled with peace and a sense of human rights.
Co-representatives Junya Ohno and Satoru Ito
Activity details
Excluding reruns and special episodes, "Hyokkori Hyotanjima" boasts an astonishing total of 1,224 broadcasts. However, currently, only eight episodes, filmed by kinesthetic camera (directly on the television screen), remain on video. For this reason, Hyotanjima has long been considered a "phantom work," spoken of only in people's memories.
Nevertheless, calls for a re-broadcast or re-production continued, and in the early 1990s, the decision was made to make a remake. However, as mentioned above, there was little existing footage or other materials, and production ran into difficulties. That's when those involved remembered the existence of the meticulous records, commonly known as the "Ito Notes," kept by Satoru Ito (co-founder of Hatahaha), a young boy who was an avid viewer of the program at the time and had even been interviewed by NHK. The remake was broadcast based on these records.
More than 30 years have passed since then, and Hyotan Island has once again drifted smoothly off into the distant horizon of the sea of memories.
We decided to keep going, hoping that Hyoutan Island would suddenly appear before us again.
Organizing and storing related materials
We will unearth and organize all related materials, including scripts, videos, audio recordings, photographs, personal records such as Ito's notebooks, manga and story adaptations, merchandise, magazine and newspaper articles, and more, which have been left in various places.
For example, research has shown that over 90% of the 1,224 scripts still exist. These are being organized, digitized, and converted into text.
In addition, audio recordings of broadcasts from that time are the most reliable sources for learning about the actual contents of Hyotan Island. After sorting through these, we will explore how we can utilize them.
Dissemination and promotion
The quality of Hyotan Island content can be seen from the fact that it has repeatedly ranked highly in NHK polls on topics such as "programs people want to watch again."
It was also used in Studio Ghibli's film "Only Yesterday," and many creators and works still refer to the influence of Hyotan Island.
However, no matter how excellent the content, if you cannot access it, you cannot know it. Increasing opportunities to learn about Hyotan Island is one of our major activities.
For example, we will make the screenings and lectures of Hyotanjima, and the puppet show performances by Hitomi-za, which are still held regularly, known to even more people. We will also compile and publish scripts and related materials. Furthermore, we will not give up on the endless possibilities of remaking and creating new works.
