Actor Kengo Kora to Appear at Talk Show! "Kumamoto Reconstruction Cultural Festival" to Deliver Hope from Kumamoto, Marking a Milestone Year

At "MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives" (operated by JR East Culture Creation Foundation), an experimental museum of culture that opened on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, the opening commemorative event "MoN Festival" is currently being held. On Saturday, April 11th, and Sunday, April 12th, the "Kumamoto Reconstruction Cultural Festival" will be held as part of the MoN Festival. In this milestone year, 10 years after the Kumamoto earthquakes, Kumamoto Prefecture will take over the stage of MoN Takanawa, a new cultural creative hub. For the next 10 years and beyond, Kumamoto will deliver hope through cultural stages originating from Kumamoto. On Saturday, the 11th, a special talk show has been decided. Kengo Kora, an actor from Kumamoto Prefecture, will take the stage with Kundo Koyama, the creator of Kumamon and the general producer of MoN Takanawa, to discuss the 10 years since the earthquake and the power of Kumamoto's proud culture. Please experience the power of "forward-looking culture" from Kumamoto here in Takanawa. ■ "Kumamoto Reconstruction Cultural Festival" Special Talk Show: Kengo Kora × Kundo Koyama Actor Kengo Kora, from Kumamoto Prefecture, who has a deep love for his hometown and has continuously engaged in reconstruction support, will be welcomed as a guest. Together with Kundo Koyama, also from Kumamoto Prefecture and the general producer of MoN Takanawa, they will reflect on the 10 years since the Kumamoto earthquake and passionately discuss the power of culture and Kumamoto Prefecture's cultural charm, topics that can only be heard here. • Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026, 12:40 PM - 1:20 PM • Venue: MoN Takanawa 1F Park Terrace Special Stage • Admission: Free • Seating: 50 seats (first-come, first-served; numbered tickets distributed from 10:00 AM on Saturday, the 11th, at the 2F Entrance Lobby) • Performers: Kengo Kora, Kundo Koyama [Kengo Kora Profile] Born November 12, 1987, from Kumamoto Prefecture. Made his film debut in "Hariyo no Natsu" (06/Directed by Maya Nakamura). Received the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival Japanese Film, A View of Japan Special Award for "M" (07/Directed by Ryuichi Hiroki). Received the 35th Japan Academy Film Prize for Newcomer of the Year for "Keibetsu" (11/Directed by Ryuichi Hiroki), the 36th Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for "Kueki Ressha" (12/Directed by Atsuhiro Yamashita), and the 56th Kinema Junpo Award for Best Actor for "Yokomichi Yonosuke" (13/Directed by Shuichi Okita), among others. Recent appearances include Netflix's "House of Ninjas" (24), Prime Video's "1122 Ii Fufu" (24), "Rainy Blue" (25/Directed by Asuna Yanagi), "Umibe e Iku Michi" (25/Directed by Satoko Yokohama), NHK's "North Korean Abduction Incident" (25), and TX's "Oretachi Bad Barbers" (26). ■ Diverse Programs to Experience Kumamoto Prefecture's Culture In addition to the special talk show, a variety of contents to experience the culture of Kumamoto Prefecture, which continues to move forward powerfully, will be showcased. [Stage Program] ● Kumamon Dance Stage Kumamon, the PR character of Kumamoto Prefecture, will appear! He will energize the venue with his dance. ● Ningyo Joruri Seiwa Bunraku ONE PIECE Chojinroku Funade Fuyuzakura This is a performance of Ningyo Joruri, a collaboration between the rural performing art "Seiwa Bunraku," passed down for 170 years, and the popular manga "ONE PIECE" by Eiichiro Oda, a manga artist from Kumamoto Prefecture, as part of the "ONE PIECE Kumamoto Reconstruction Project" which the prefecture is promoting in collaboration with Oda. ● Amakusa Circus Amakusa Circus, consisting of world-class artists such as Cirque du Soleil, China Acrobatic Troupe, and Las Vegas artists, is creating new culture in Kumamoto with the themes "World-class entertainment in Kumamoto" and "Amakusa Blooms, Amakusa Circus." They will showcase magic, juggling, and more. Saturday, April 11 10:10 AM - 10:15 AM Opening 10:15 AM - 10:35 AM Kumamon Dance Stage 10:40 AM - 10:55 AM Ningyo Joruri Seiwa Bunraku ONE PIECE Chojinroku Funade Fuyuzakura 12:00 PM - 12:25 PM Amakusa Circus 12:40 PM - 1:20 PM Special Talk Show featuring Kengo Kora, Kundo Koyama 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM Ningyo Joruri Seiwa Bunraku ONE PIECE Chojinroku Funade Fuyuzakura 3:00 PM - 3:20 PM Tokyo Ushibuka Haiya-no-kai (Haiya Dance) 4:40 PM - 5:00 PM Kumamon Dance Stage 5:05 PM - 5:20 PM Ningyo Joruri Seiwa Bunraku ONE PIECE Chojinroku Funade Fuyuzakura 5:40 PM - 6:20 PM Nakae Iwato Kagura 6:20 PM - 6:30 PM Finale Sunday, April 12 10:10 AM - 10:15 AM Opening 10:15 AM - 10:35 AM Kumamon Dance Stage 10:40 AM - 10:55 AM Ningyo Joruri Seiwa Bunraku ONE PIECE Chojinroku Funade Fuyuzakura 12:00 PM - 12:25 PM Amakusa Circus 12:40 PM - 1:00 PM Tokyo Yoheho-kai (Yamaga Lantern Dance) 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM Ningyo Joruri Seiwa Bunraku ONE PIECE Chojinroku Funade Fuyuzakura 3:00 PM - 3:20 PM Kumamon Dance Stage 4:40 PM - 5:00 PM Tokyo Yoheho-kai (Yamaga Lantern Dance) 5:05 PM - 5:20 PM Ningyo Joruri Seiwa Bunraku ONE PIECE Chojinroku Funade Fuyuzakura 5:20 PM - 5:30 PM Finale [Merchandise] ● Kumamoto Reconstruction Marche Sales of Kumamoto Prefecture's specialty products and "Higo Zogan," a traditional Kumamoto craft nurtured as sword decoration. (Both days) 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Date: Saturday, April 11 - Sunday, April 12, 2026 Website: https://montakanawa.jp/programs/monfes_specialcollaboration_kumamoto/ ◾️Date: Saturday, March 28 - Friday, April 17, 2026 ◾️Venue/Address: MoN Takanawa (3-16-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073) ◾️Admission Method: Free admission, no reservation required Organizer: JR East Culture Creation Foundation Special Sponsor: East Japan Railway Company

• MoN Takanawa Official Website https://montakanawa.jp/ ■ About "MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives" - An experimental museum of culture, from tradition to manga, music, and space. The initials "MoN" in The Museum of Narratives carry two meanings: "Mon" (門), a gate to a new world where one encounters a new self, and "Mon" (問), a question for thinking about and creating the future. Official Website: https://montakanawa.jp/ Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/montakanawa/ (@montakanawa) Further details will be announced sequentially through the official website and social media. *Perspective provided by: JR East *Produced based on information from April 2026. Contents may change in the future. *"MoN", "MoN Takanawa", and "MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives" are registered trademarks of JR East Culture Creation Foundation. ■ About JR East Culture Creation Foundation This foundation was established on April 1, 2022, as an organization to contribute to the creation of Japanese culture through the planning and operation of "MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives." With the mission of "connecting culture to 100 years from now," the foundation aims to integrate modern values and technology with traditions and cultures that have been cultivated, and to promote international co-creation, exchange, and dissemination with a broader time axis and domestic and international partners.