The Dragon Painter

Silent Film with Live Performance

Thursday, June 5 at 7:30 pm

Dir. William Worthington, 1919, 61 min, silent with live accompaniment. With Sessue Hayakawa, Tsuru Aoki, Edward Peil, and Toyo.

Last heard performing the drum score within the 2023 megahit jazz anime film BLUE GIANT playing alongside jazz legends Hiromi and Tomoaki Baba, percussionist Shun Ishiwaka gives his onstage debut at Japan Society in a live film-screening “concert.” Playing an improvised, original score on drum set and vibraphone, Ishiwaka infuses bursts of jazz-inflected color and dreamlike grooves into the classic silent film The Dragon Painter.

Starring Japanese matinée idol Sessue Hayakawa, the first actor of Asian descent to become a leading man in Hollywood and Europe, and self-financed by the actor’s production company Haworth Pictures Corporation, The Dragon Painter is a rare example of a silent-era American production with an almost entirely Asian cast. Hayakawa’s move into self-financing his films, motivated by his desire to better represent his culture and introduce more authentic depictions of Japanese characters in film, would result in this remarkable 1919 feature. Hayakawa portrays a brilliant reclusive painter obsessed with the tale of a dragon princess, becoming enraptured with his mentor’s daughter Ume-ko (Tsuru Aoki, Hayakawa’s wife) who he believes may be the princess incarnate. Far from an authentic vision, The Dragon Painter inhabits a dreamy fantasia of the Land of the Rising Sun—a fable that succeeds in its outright beauty and romanticism, imbued with the Japonisme and exoticism of its time.

About Shun Ishiwaka
Drummer and percussionist Shun Ishiwaka was born in 1992 in Hokkaido, Japan. Confidently straddling the jazz, pop and classical worlds and slipping into all the spaces in-between, he is rapidly becoming a worldwide percussion sensation. Ishiwaka has led music groups and projects such as Answer to Remember, CLNUP4, SMTK and Songbook Trio, and participated in numerous works and live performances by Quruli, CRCK/LCKS, KID FRESINO, Ohzora Kimishima, Millennium Parade and Ringo Sheena. His new orchestral concerto suite playgroundz (for percussion) had its premiere with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra at the annual Hokkaido Television Broadcasting New Year’s Eve concert in 2023. Ishiwaka has performed with many artists from outside of Japan and collaborated for performances and tours in Japan with such acclaimed artists as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jason Moran, Federico Casagrande, Tony Allen, Michel Reis, James Francies, John Scofield, Taylor McFerrin, Peter Evans, Fabian Almazan, Linda Oh, Richard Spaven, Corey King, Chris Potter, Montey Alexander and Daniel Garcia Diego.

Part of Shun Ishiwaka: Jazz Transcending
June 5 & 7, 2025

Save 20% when you purchase a ticket to both Jazz Transcending programs. Offer only valid for tickets purchased in the same transaction.

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Images: Shun Ishiwaka: Jazz Transcending © Kana Tarumi.

Shun Ishiwaka: Jazz Transcending is supported by Doug and Teresa Peterson. Support for the international travel of Shun Ishiwaka is provided by The Japan Foundation.

Japan Society’s 120th anniversary initiatives and related programs are generously supported by Champion Sponsor, MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Advocate Sponsor, Mizuho Americas; and Friend Sponsor, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas).

Japan Society programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

2024-25 Performing Arts Season Support

The season is made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Additional, major support is generously provided by Doug and Teresa Peterson, Howard Gilman Foundation, and Jun Makihara and Megumi Oka. Endowment support is provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund, John and Miyoko Davey Foundation, and a leadership gift from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Program support is provided by The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation; Hisamitsu America, Inc.; Cheryl Henson; Merit E. Janow; Paula S. Lawrence; Akiko Mikumo; Hiroko Onoyama; Richard and Momona Royce; Dr. and Mrs. Carl F. Taeusch II; Dr. Jeanette C. Takamura; Nancy and Joe Walker; Estate of Alan M. Suhonen; and other Performing Arts supporters.

All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. is the official airline of the Japan Society Performing Arts Program. Yamaha is the official piano provider of Japan Society.

Film programs are generously supported by ORIX Corporation USA, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Anime NYC and Yen Press. Endowment support is provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and The John and Miyoko Davey Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by The Globus Family, George P. Hirose, David Toberisky, Joseph Rajaratnam and Dharshini Iolanthe Sivakumarann, other Film supporters.

Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the official Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film Program. Housing assistance is provided by the Prince Kitano New York, the official hotel sponsor of Japan Society Film Program.

Additional support for Film programs is provided by Sendon and BuyJapon.