

DUBAI: Eiko Minami is a Japanese sword dancer and stage actress who has been performing Japanese sword dances in Lebanon since 2014 and established a Japanese cultural performance group called ‘Dreamers Japan in Lebanon’.
Minami shared exclusively with Arab News Japan her inspiration regarding Japanese sword dancing, saying, “Since I was born in a house built in the Edo era, my heart is really connected to the traditions of that time. I really wanted to be a samurai, and that’s why I started to act as one on the stage and to perform Japanese sword dances”.
“The person I drew inspiration from was Kaori Kawabuchi, a renowned Japanese sword dancer. I adore and appreciate everything she does for the art of Japanese sword dancing. Particularly, she does not move the swords meaninglessly, but does so to purify and kill the evil present within each one of us, stating that it is the main reason why Japanese sword dancers perform that art,” she added.
Talking about the most inspirational fragment of Japanese culture that she internalized into her daily life, Minami said: “I believe that we shouldn’t bother others and that we should respect each other, as this is how we were educated when we were small. Consequently, in daily life, I try to avoid bothering others as much as possible and to respect them.”
“I heard that samurais in the Edo era were always thinking of the way their lives might end. Therefore, I wonder, every day, how will my life end? Will I feel fulfilled in my last moments? That’s why, while I’m still alive, I want to achieve things that will help others overcome their difficulties.”
The artist began her career in 2013 when she founded a Japanese-themed theatrical troupe named “Dreamers Japan in Lebanon” group was established thanks to her best friend, Junko Hoki, former Japanese language teacher of USJ in Beirut.
“Her students at the time started to love Japanese culture more and more as they got to know it through its language,” she shared. “One day, I went to her class and I had the idea that students could learn more about Japanese culture through drama and sword dancing. Because I was a stage actress back in Japan, I was confident that I could utilize my techniques to encourage students and the Lebanese population. That’s how the adventure began.”
In 2019, riots erupted in Lebanon, followed by COVID-19 and Beirut’s port’s explosion in 2020. “These events led the performers of the group to leave and I didn’t have anyone to practice with anymore,” she reflected. “At that time, I thought that I could practice sword dancing by myself, so that I could feel the Japanese spirit within me, to continue to dance and to inspire the Lebanese population through the strength of the Japanese spirit.”
“I have the freedom to use different methods to learn and practice Japanese sword dancing techniques, whether through inspiration from social media pages or from the martial arts that I have practiced. I cherish dancing with the sword. We have been acting in many places around Lebanon, and it is so delightful to be welcomed everywhere, to make audiences feel happy and to help them forget the difficulties they are facing in their daily lives. I also feel genuine joy whenever I see our members discovering their own talents, shining around others, and feeling bright,” she added.
Minami visited the Middle East in 2008, when she went to Jordan. She visited Lebanon for the first time in 2013 and has stayed there ever since. Prior to moving, her only knowledge of Lebanese culture was the 2007 movie Caramel.
“I loved this movie and saw it many times,” she said. “I then happened to go there and could meet many people who shared their love of Japan, as well as many young students who expressed their intentions to travel and live in Japan.”
“I went to different countries around the Middle East region, but I felt more welcomed in Lebanon than anywhere else, as it’s a small country that respects the Japanese culture a lot. This made me want to communicate elements of Japanese culture to everyone there,” she added.
Minami shared that that she is planning for future performances around Lebanon so that she can continue to encourage the youth and people in the country despite the situation. She would also like to perform with more people with disabilities so that she can contribute to promoting social cohesion.