Julian Sedgwick teaches Japanese Ghost Theatre

Our very own Patron of Reading, Julian Sedgwick, once again inspired students with his wit and musings on Japan and the country’s fascination with terrifying tales. Not to be dismissed lightly, Japanese ghost theatre provides deep insight into the hazy boundary between life and death. Fascinated with this very subject, Julian led a series of workshops with Year 7, in which he shared anecdotes from his recent travels around the east coast, researching for his new book.

After recounting the devastation caused by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Julian asked students to consider ‘What does the mind do, to cope with disaster? Does it make our imagination work harder?’

The writer showed Year 7 eerie footage of a ghost town he had captured during his trip, which has significantly influenced his own work. Impacted by the Fukushima nuclear disaster and infected with high levels of radiation, echoes of life were only faintly distinguishable in the far distance; peeling paint, decay and a passing fox characterised the area, and covering the ground were strewn newspapers from the day of the tragedy, never to be distributed.

Julian remarked, “There has actually been a spike in ghost stories here… This book was never meant to be about ghosts, but somehow they weaved their way in there.” Returning to his earlier thought on the workings of imagination, he spoke about how it was the absence of life at an abandoned school in the zone, that he chose to write about.

Students were later intrigued to learn about Noh drama, a classical form of Japanese theatre that often involves a restless spirit, in addition to a number of bizarre creatures featured in Japanese folklore. From the haunting Noppera-bō or faceless ghost, to the amusing Karakasa; a disgruntled and worn umbrella, prone to biting onlookers, to Akaname, often depicted with long tongues for licking the filth from bathtubs and leaving a trail of poison behind.

Year 7 were eager to then put pen to paper as they were challenged to discuss and compose their own ghostly scenario. They are now looking forward to continuing these stories, inspired and aiming to enter BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words competition.