HISASHI
WATANABE
HISASHI
WATANABE
Body Research Artist /
Contemporary circus & dance
Body research|Circus|Dance|Contortion|Handstand|Juggling
During his elementary school years, he spent nights practicing quadrupedal movement. From the age of 20, he began independently studying juggling, flexibility, and movement, cultivating his own techniques and philosophy.
He works beyond the boundaries of dance and circus, and has performed and taught in more than 30 countries.
Since 2023, he has organized Japan’s first handstand festival, the Hallucigenia Handstand Festival, attracting over 100 participants for two consecutive years. He is also actively promoting an “upside-down culture” by establishing training communities across Japan.
In 2025, he won two gold medals and two silver medals at the Asian Yogasana Championship held in India.
2025
Yomotsu Hirasaka by Miwa Yanagi (Tokyo, Japan) / Leading Role
Apr 2025 — 2nd Asian Yogasana Sports Championship (Delhi, India) / 2 Gold, 2 Silver
Mar 2025 — Temporada Alta (Peru, via Japan Foundation) / Inverted Tree performance & workshop
2024
Jul 2024 — Jeju International Dance Festival (Korea) / Inverted Tree performance
Apr 2024 — Israel Juggling Convention (Israel) / Solo performance & workshop
2023
Organizer of the Hallucigenia Handstand Festival
Evangelion Beyond directed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Japan)
Sep 2023 — Circus by Kaiji Moriyama (Tokyo, Japan) / Performer
2022
Sziget Festival (Hungary) / Solo
CIAM (France) / Solo and Yokai Kemame
2020
APAC Festival (Australia) / Solo
2019
Yokai Kemame touring across Japan and various European countries (2019-2023)
EU Japan Fest – Matera 2019 (Italy) / Solo
2018
Recipient of the El Sur Foundation Newcomer Award
2017
Triple award winner at MASDANZA, including the Artistic Association Award
Festival Spring (France) / Solo
Mirabilia Festival (Italy) / Solo
2016
Toyota Choreography Award / Finalist