WOW released “BAKERU,” an interactive installation themed on traditional performing arts of the Tohoku region, in 2017. Since 2018, WOW has been working with its collaborator Tateito Yokoito LLC and local performing arts groups to develop “BAKERU School,” creating opportunities for children across Japan to enjoy and learn about regional performing arts. In the 2025 program, the project expanded beyond Tohoku and visited an elementary school in Hokkaido for the first time, encountering the Biratori Ainu Traditional Dance in Biratori, Hokkaido, and the Neko Bangaku in the Neko settlement of Ani, Akita. Ainu culture in Hokkaido is said to have had a significant influence on the culture of Tohoku. What common threads exist between these two distinct regional traditions? Through a project led by Tateito Yokoito LLC and with the cooperation of both regions, an exchange between the two performing arts was realized. WOW captured the thoughts, dedication, and shared spirit of the people who continue to preserve these traditions in a documentary film.

Documentary Film “Dance, Sing, Connect” Through its encounters with people who continue to preserve the songs and dances passed down in their communities, WOW has come to understand the meaning of cultural transmission and the many emotions behind it. Each gesture and costume in these performing arts carries its own significance and wishes, and it is said that people have long felt a connection to gods and spirits through dance. The fact that these traditions have been passed down to the present day is due to the hearts of the people who serve as their carriers—something WOW was reminded of through the performing arts and the lives of the people in these two regions. The joy of dancing. The feeling of becoming one with everyone. This documentary is not only a record of dance, but also a record of the moments when people connect with one another.

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Documentary Film “Dance, Sing, Connect” — Screening Information The film will be screened on Saturday, July 11, at the annual general meeting of the Sapporo University Urespa Club, an organization led mainly by Ainu scholarship students at Sapporo University. Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026 Time: Starts at 13:00 (Doors open at 12:30) -Part 1 — 13:10–13:55: Documentary Screening (45 min) -Part 2 — 14:00–14:55: Talk Session Venue: Sapporo University PREA HALL Address: SUcole 1F, 3-1 Nishioka 3-jo 7-chome, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido Admission: Free ▶ Application Form Produced by: WOW / Tateito Yokoito Cooperation & Appearance: Biratori Ainu Cultural Preservation Society / Neko Bangaku Preservation Society

BAKERU’s Journey — A Decade of Growth and Expansion WOW unveiled BAKERU, an interactive installation inspired by traditional performing arts of the Tohoku region, in 2017 at Sendai Mediatheque in Miyagi Prefecture, where the company was founded. Tohoku is known as a treasure house of folk performing arts, and its long‑preserved traditions and crafts embody the unique techniques, philosophies, and cultural worldview rooted in the region. For WOW, which has long created work in Tohoku, the 20th anniversary became an opportunity to reflect on its own creative practice, revisit the spiritual heritage passed down through local traditions, and learn from the culture anew—this process became the starting point for BAKERU. Since 2018, BAKERU has been continuously selected for the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ School Touring Program, visiting 43 elementary schools across Japan as “BAKERU School” (with 50 schools expected by FY2026). Through BAKERU, children experience local performing arts firsthand, sparking curiosity toward folk traditions, design, and technology. The project also includes collaborations with local performing arts groups and programs for parents and children. These activities have fostered an organic and expanding network—bringing joy not only to performers but also inspiring new interest among audiences, from children to adults, from those who perform to those who watch. In 2019, BAKERU was exhibited at Japan House Los Angeles, operated by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Through a collaborative performance between the Lakota people and Tokyo Shishi-Odori, the project explored the universal qualities shared across cultures—showing that, even across borders, traditions rooted in land and sustained by communities carry common spiritual values. As BAKERU approaches its tenth year, WOW will continue working with performing arts groups and educators across Japan to pass on the richness and joy of folk performing arts to future generations. We invite you to follow the continued growth of BAKERU. About BAKERU BAKERU is an interactive installation themed on traditional performing arts of the Tohoku region. By wearing a mask, participants see their on‑screen appearance transform, allowing them to experience an interactive world inspired by ancient “transformative” rituals and folk performance traditions. ▶ BAKERU