This is an archive article published on December 25, 2017

Piece of War

In her latest act, Japanese performer Yuko Kaseki vents her frustration with wars.

3 min readNew DelhiDec 25, 2017 11:15 PM IST

Yuko Kaseki during the performance in Goa. (Nikhil Chopra)

Yuko Kaseki neither looks like a woman nor a man. She has been living in Berlin for 20 years but isn’t German. She grew up near Tokyo but feels alien in Japan. Her hair is blonde but also back and silver. On stage, she is, at once, an elderly woman and a young girl. Kaseki, one of the world’s foremost artistes, floats outside perimeters of definition to scrutinise man-made strictures. At the recent Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, she presented a powerful comment on war, Shoot Jeez My Gosh!.

On a dark barge fitted with a long ramp, a spotlight picked up Kaseki in child-like poses. The recorded “music” was the sounds of war machinery and her postures were inspired by American recluse Henry Darger’s paintings of children in idyllic settings or being tortured and executed. As war overtook the narrative, Kaseki’s physical expressions extended to rolling, falling, scrambling and cowering. Her body turned into a fragile entity against the constant rattle of gunshots and swearing of soldiers. The spotlight slanting on her, as if from a helicopter, followed as she ran or fell. When the performance ended, there was silence in the audience before rounds of applause.

“Her work is very political and the ability to use her body as material to create images is outstanding. She is able to transform from an adult woman to a child at the snap of a finger and that technique is masterful,” says artiste Nikhil Chopra about her performance.

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Kaseki is trained in Butoh, a dance theatre form that originated out of the horrors of World War II in Japan. “The piece is inspired by children and women, who are the weakest people in a war. My family never talked about war and that is also a problem,” she says. Apart from using her androgynous body to make images of war, she also reconstructs ideas of time. The beginning unfolds slowly before the minutes begin to collapse on each other like a person rushing towards a finale. “I wanted to change time and travel from real to the unreal, or go slow or fast. This is because technology can manipulate time and reality today,” she says.

Kaseki did not perform until she was out of university and joined a theatre group. Works such as Unspelled, in which lifeless objects were used to comment on ideas about women, and Surnature, in which she “lifts a co-performer out of his wheelchair world, just as he jolts her out of her preset movements” show her insistence on exploring the “outsider experience”. “I like to stay outside groups that explain me as ‘Japanese of such-and-such age and gender’. These create a frame and we have one category fighting the other. I am very interested in what is outside. Art allows me to challenge and recognise myself,” she says.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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