Shinohara discovered dance while studying anthropology at International Christian University in Tokyo. He brought this education to his work as a choreographer and performer, creating interdisciplinary performances that also drew on childhood experiences of music, culture, crafts, and sports.

As a Japanese transplant in New York since 2009 and Los Angeles since 2019, Shinohara observed social conflicts that are quite different from the culture he was raised. He worked at restaurants and many other low wage jobs in New York, and eventually went back to school and formed/found a family in Los Angeles. This brought different perspectives and introduced him to diverse mentalities and lives, which led him to research the idea of identity.

In this autobiographical piece, Shinohara traces the cultural shift in his moving from Japan to the USA, the chaos and confrontation he experienced, and the (literal) plunges he takes as he navigates the war zone of identity and physical collisions.

‘Good Bye’ draws from all these experiences and reflections on the self, and has been developed for a small ensemble that explores and encourages dialogue about stereotypes of Asian people, masculinity, the body, gender, and feminism.

Engawa – A Season of Contemporary Art from Japan

‘Engawa’ is a programming that brings to Lisbon a set of creators from Japan and the Japanese diaspora, many of them for the first time in Portugal. More info