On August 23, a reading drama, "Reading Live: The Bankai no Monogatari," will be held at Hirosaki Civic Center (Shimohiragincho, Hirosaki City).

The first event organized by the Hirosaki Art Appreciation Society, which was established in June this year. The story of "Bastard Castle" is based on a manga of the same name drawn by Motoichi Chisaka, who is the principal of the elementary school in Hirosaki City, and was broadcast as a radio drama on Aomori Radio from 1995 to 2016. At the same live, the radio drama will be reorganized, and the history of Hirosaki clan's ancestor Ukyo Daio Tamanobu will build Hirosaki Castle and unify Tsugaru.

All performers are local residents and were selected from the open call for participants. Widely used from the first year of high school to the 80's, Toshimasa Kami and Minoru Kajino from Hirosaki, who belong to the theater company Mingei, will also appear. "Since the number of performers is small, we all have multiple roles," said Yoko Sasaki, the president of the association.

The director is the playwright and high school teacher Seigo Hatazawa. Mr. Hatazawa won the highest awards in contests such as a broadcast criticism gathering and an art festival by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and also presides over Watanabe Genshiro Shoten, a theater company operating in Aomori Prefecture. As an adviser to the high school drama club, he supported more than 10 national competitions and won the highest award.

Mr. Hatazawa said, "Sound effects are produced on the spot like a radio drama. Local people are themed to play the local theme, and it is entertainment of local production for local consumption. Local people know the history of the area unexpectedly. There are many things that don't exist, so I hope you will get interested in the reading plays."

Sasaki says, "I would like to carry out this project every year. In the future, I would like to continue about 5 times with the theme after the unification of Tsugaru."

The start time is 14:00 and 18:30. Admission is general = 3,000 yen, university students = 1,000 yen, free for high school students and younger.