Top Creators from Japan and the UK Team Up! Non-Verbal Ninja Theater "Ningeki NARUTO" Launches at Minamiza in Kyoto

The non-verbal "ninja" live show project, Ningeki "NARUTO," has launched, and it has been decided that a long-run production will play at Minamiza in Kyoto starting February 2027.

Ningeki "NARUTO" is a non-verbal (non-linguistic, dialogue-free) live show that depicts "ninjas"—legendary figures from ancient Japan—using the manga "NARUTO," Japan's proud contemporary global IP, as its symbol. The ninja techniques of "NARUTO" will be expressed by fusing live action, physical expression through acrobatics and aerial arts by flesh-and-blood actors, with cutting-edge technology such as projection mapping and illusions, while utilizing all the stage mechanisms of Minamiza, which possesses numerous theatrical devices unique to a Kabuki theater.

While depicting the story of "NARUTO" Childhood Arc, where Naruto Uzumaki grows alongside his friends in the Hidden Leaf Village, the show aims to become a new staple of Kyoto tourism as a completely new "ninja" show that anyone can enjoy without relying on words.

The production is directed by Go Ueki, who has helmed numerous stage adaptations of globally popular titles, including "Attack on Titan" and "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon." In addition, Neil Dorward, known for his work with "Cirque du Soleil," joins as a global creative consultant. This powerful tag-team of top creators from Japan and the UK will generate an unprecedented immersive experience and excitement.

The stage for this mega-project is "Minamiza," standing in Shijo Kawaramachi, the center of Kyoto, which attracts global attention. It is a sacred place for theater with a long history and is loved as a landmark of the city. Ningeki "NARUTO," a hybrid entertainment combining traditional culture, pop culture, and ninjas newly born at Minamiza, is a non-verbal live show that anyone can enjoy without relying on words, making it the latest hands-on, experiential content that tourists from both Japan and overseas cannot afford to miss.