Overview

• Date and Time: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM (Doors open at 2:00 PM)
• Venue: Ono Memorial Hall, Waseda University (Building 27, B2F, 1-6-1 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
• Eligibility: Open to everyone, including students, faculty, staff, and members of the general public. Please note that preschool-aged children are not permitted.
• Admission: Free
• Seating: General admission (open seating)

Participation

Advance registration is required.
Registration Deadline: Thursday, November 26, 2026, at 5:00 PM (JST)
Please note that registration may close earlier if the maximum capacity is reached.

Click here to access the registration form.

Program

Program I

2:30 PM
A Muddy Bride (Fred Hibbard ,1921)
The Kid Reporter (Alfred J. Goulding,1923)
Benshi: Ōmori Kumiko
Piano: Makia Matsumura

Benshi & Music Comparison from The Art of the Benshi Blu-ray Disk
Darling of New York (King Baggot, 1923)
1. Benshi: Yamashiro Hideyuki
Piano: Torikai Ryō
2. Benshi: Nanako Yamauchi
Flute: Suzuki Makiko/Piano: Kaname Tambara

Peg ‘o the Mounted (Alfred J. Goulding, 1924)
Benshi: Ōmori Kumiko
Piano: Makia Matsumura

Program II

4:15 PM
That’s My Daddy (Fred C. Newmeyer, 1928)
Benshi: Kataoka Ichirō
Piano: Makia Matsumura

Films are provided by UCLA Film & Television Archives and San Francisco Film Preserve.

Performers

Benshi

　Kataoka Ichiro

Kataoka began studying under Sawato Midori in 2002. Since then, he has performed in 18 countries both in Japan and abroad, bringing the art of benshi (silent film narration) to international audiences.
To date, he has provided benshi narration for approximately 400 silent films across a wide range of genres, including Japanese, Western, and Chinese films, animation, and documentaries. In addition to his work as a benshi performer, he is active in kamishibai (traditional Japanese paper theater), voice acting, shosei-bushi (a traditional style of narrative singing), and writing.
His benshi performances include works such as Yukisada Isao’s Spring Snow, Negishi Kichitaro’s Yasuko, Songs of Days Past, the NHK historical drama Idaten, and Okuda Tamio’s DVD Ugokidashisō na Pamph Returns. For Suo Masayuki’s film Katsuben! (released in December 2019), he served as a practical performance coach for the principal cast, historical consultant, and cast member.
He is also dedicated to discovering and recovering lost silent films. His notable discoveries include the oldest surviving film adaptation of Chushingura and Watashi no Papasan Mama ga Suki, a film featuring Takamine Hideko. Through these efforts, he has made significant contributions to the preservation of Japan’s cinematic heritage.
In 2020, he published his book Katsudō Shashin Benshi-shi (A History of Benshi and Silent Film Narration). Since 2025, he has also served as the narrator for television commercials for Sushiro, a major Japanese conveyor-belt sushi restaurant chain.

　Ōmori Kumiko

Ōmori made her debut as a benshi performer in 2012. Based in the Kansai region, she performs at silent film screenings and film festivals throughout Japan. In autumn 2026, she is also scheduled to appear at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in Italy, as well as at international events in the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and elsewhere.
She also performs as a variety entertainer at traditional yose theaters, including the Tenma Tenjin Hanjōtei and the daytime program at Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan.
In the contemporary silent film I AM JAM: A Narrow Escape from the Pizza Planet! (2022), she took on both an acting role and benshi narration. Her distinctive storytelling style spans comedy and drama, skillfully incorporating the Kansai dialect into her performances.
She is also highly regarded for her screenings and benshi experience workshops aimed at children and students.
In addition to her work as a benshi performer, she is active as a radio personality and currently appears regularly on MBS Radio’s Konchiwa Kon-chan Ohiru desu yo! and Radio Kansai’s Tanabe Masato’s Radio Lecture.

Musician

　Matsumura Maika

She studied composition at Tokyo University of the Arts and The Juilliard School, and has performed her own piano concertos with orchestras in Japan and abroad.
In 2003, she began providing live improvised piano accompaniment for silent films and went on to become a resident accompanist at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. In addition to performing throughout the United States, she has expanded her international activities in recent years, appearing at events such as the Pordenone Silent Film Festival and screenings at the National Film Archive of Japan.
She has also produced numerous piano accompaniment recordings for DVD and Blu-ray releases. Films featuring her accompaniment have been streamed on Netflix and broadcast on TCM in the United States.
She is currently based in New York.(Photo: Haraoka Yoko)

Screening Films

　A Muddy Bride

Fred Hibbard, 1921 (23 min.)
One day, Peggy meets a girl from a wealthy family. When the two exchange clothes, Peggy finds herself experiencing a completely different way of life. The film humorously depicts the amusing chaos that ensues when the children play at having a wedding, along with other delightful misadventures.

　The Kid Reporter

Alfred J. Goulding, 1923 (21 min.)
Peggy works for a newspaper when a wealthy woman’s pearl necklace is stolen. The editor-in-chief promises to give his position to whichever reporter succeeds in recovering the necklace. Peggy takes on the challenge, launching an investigation using disguises, including dressing as a man. Set against the backdrop of women’s growing participation in society, the film is also considered a rare and valuable social drama that reflects the changing role of women in society.

　The Darling of New York

King Baggot, 1923
Young Santassa (Baby Peggy), who has lost her mother, becomes caught up in a dangerous world of diamond smuggling and conflicts among criminals. The film thrillingly portrays her journey toward finding love and affection. It is also a heartwarming human drama, highlighted by Baby Peggy’s touching and endearing performance.

　Peg o’ the Mounted

Alfred J. Goulding, 1924 (20 min.)
Young Peg (Baby Peggy) lives in a remote cabin surrounded by the vast wilderness of Canada. When a mounted police officer collapses at her doorstep, Peg sets out on her trusty horse to catch a gang of bootleggers in his place. Along the way, she faces one danger after another. Will Peg succeed in bringing the criminals to justice?

　That’s my Daddy

Fred C. Newmeyer, 1928 (71 min.)
Jimmy Norton is engaged to Sylvia Van Tassel, a young woman from high society. By chance, he meets Pudge, an orphaned girl, at a hospital, and she comes to believe that Jimmy is her real father. Desperate to keep Pudge a secret from Sylvia, Jimmy finds himself in one predicament after another as one lie leads to the next, until things finally come to a head…
A delightful comedy of errors, the film is also a heartwarming story about the true meaning of love and affection.