Taishi Ukai is a Japanese magician living in Dubai. He started performing magic at a young age and is skilled in different types of magic, including stage shows for large audiences and close-up tricks done right in front of people. He performs at hotels, weddings, birthday parties, and other events to create unforgettable moments.
Ukai told Arab News Japan how his love for magic began: “When I was 11 years old, my friend showed me a very simple card trick where he snapped his finger to shuffled deck and suddenly my card was on the top of the deck. It’s still one of my favorite tricks this this day.”
He did his first paid magic show when he was in college. “The first time I did magic performance for work was when I was a college student. At that time, I loved card magic so I worked as a sleight of hand card artist,” he added.
Ukai is also a member of the famous Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood, also known as the Magic Castle. This is a popular place where VIPs and celebrities from around the world go to watch world-class magic shows.
Ukai explained how hard it is to get in: “In order to audition to become a Magic Castle magician member, you need to be recommended by two or more Magic Castle members,” said Ukai about the academy. “On the day of the audition, you will perform magic surrounded by many members all magicians and receive your pass/fail result.”
Talking about his journey as a magician, Ukai said: “Being a magician can make you mistakenly think you’re amazing. That’s because you get applause and praise every day, everywhere. But it’s the magic itself that’s amazing, not me. It took me a while to realize that. I use magic as a tool to have a positive impact on people’s lives. When I realized this, I felt like I became a richer person.”
He also said that magic is special because it creates different emotions in people. “The interesting thing about magic is that it can evoke a variety of emotions from the audience. Of course, it’s wonderful, but it can also be scary, fun, moving, or even creepy. It’s also interesting to see how audiences’ reactions differ depending on their country, race, and culture.”
Ukai is inspired by Wazuma (和妻), a traditional Japanese magic style from the Edo period. Wazuma uses items like fans, umbrellas, and paper to create beautiful, meaningful performances.
“Hospitality and compassion. Magicians tend to just show off their magic, but they need to think about why they are doing it. We must not forget that magic is just a tool to make people happy,” Ukai said.
He visited Dubai for the first time in February 2024. “The first thing that surprised me was the number of foreigners,” Ukai said. “Japan is a country where most of the population is Japanese, and the official language is only Japanese. The UAE is a country of great diversity, and I got the impression that there were a lot of very kind people, so it was a safe country.”
Now living in Dubai, Ukai hopes to perform more Wazuma shows so people in the Middle East can enjoy a new kind of magic that reflects Japanese culture and beauty.
His advice for those who want to learn magic is simple: “Magic is a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders, and even across national borders. Once you learn it, I believe it will brighten up your life. So, I hope many of you receive an invitation to Hogwarts near future.”
