Butoh Dance and Psychosomatic Studies in Japan

- Itto Morita and T.Kasai -

Itto Morita/ Toshi Kasai has had Butoh performance,
body-oriented psychotherapy workshops,
lectures, and presentations in Japan and around the world.
Please feel free to get in touch with him,
when you get interested in these themes below.

[Butoh lesson in Sapporo] [studio map]

(updated. Jun.3, 2024)
Itto Morita

* A Butoh dancer, starting Butoh dance in 1988 by the name of Morita Itto. GooSayTen is a new Butoh dance group which Itto started in 1996 in Sapporo city. One of the ultimate purposes of his Butoh dance activities is soul healing of his own, and hopefully of others through Butoh performance.



Toshiharu Kasai

* Professor Emeritus of Department of Clinical Psychology, Sapporo Gakuin University (2004-2020), Japan, teaching Dancetherapy based on Butoh and doing research into the mind-body relationship as a psychologist. His experimental papers are concerned with difficulty of arm relaxation: The idea of de-socialization of socially conditioned bodily reactions by using Butoh Dance Method comes from these experimental studies.
  • Board member of Japan Dance Therapy Association: Vise president (2012-), President (2021- ).
  • Director of Sapporo Dance Movement Therapy Institute
Email: to Itto and Kasai





- the old materials for reference -

Butoh workshops and Psychosomatic Workshops
by Itto/Kasai

The north-east parts of main land Japan were attacked by big earthquakes and fatal Tsunami sea tides in 2011. We were watching on TV that people, houses, cars, etc, were swallowed by high sea wave, and lost nearly 20,000 people there. We did not have any direct damages in Sapporo, but cancelled our butoh workshops and activities.
We started butoh workshops in 2012, and are having workshops in 2013.


Butoh workshops in U.K. Spain, Holland, etc.2009-2010

In 2009-2010, Itto was staying near London, studying dance/movement therapy and giving
butoh workshops in U.K., Holland, Spain, Latvia, Eestonia.


Butoh workshops in Sapporo, Japan 2008

Butoh performance and workshops in Boston, Amherst, U.S.A. 2006

Butoh Live and workshop scenes in Bilbao,Spain 2005

Psychosomatic Learning and Butoh Workshop in Poland 2003


Psychosomatic Learning and Butoh Workshop in 2001

  • May 9-11 in Szczecin,Poland at Kana Teatr.

  • May 13 Lecture about Butoh dance in Szczecin, Poland at Kana Teatr.
  • Oct.7-0 in Kalamazoo, (MI) U.S.A at Wellspring Theater.
  • Oct.11-12 in Asheville, (NC) at Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre.

  • Oct.14 in Raleigh, (NC) for 36th Annual Conference of American Dance Therapy Association.
    experiencing autogenic reactions while rolling at ADTA2001 experiencing the peripheral visions

Psychosomatic Learning and Butoh Workshop in 2000 outside Japan

  • Oct.28 in Seattle, WA for 35th American Dance Therapy Association.
  • Nov.3-4 in Vancouver, Canada for Vancouver International Dance Festival.
  • Nov.6-7 in Asheville, NC, for Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre.
  • Nov.8 in Asheville, NC, at Warren Willson College

* Every workshop is based on Itto's Butoh Dance Method.

Seattle Butoh Workshops of Itto's Butoh Dance Method in 1999

Seattle, U.S.A., May 13-14, 17, 1999

Ex...it! '99 - 2nd International Butoh Symposium & Dance Exchange Project


Schloss Broellin,Germany. Aug.1-31, 1999

Psychosomatic Learning and Butoh Workshop by Itto's Butoh Dance Method

A month long integrating event of Butoh was carried out in Schloss Broellin and Berlin. Fourteen Butoh dancers (German, French, Russian, English, American, Canadian, and Japanese) exchaged their methods and ways of Butoh dancing each other for one week. Around fourty participants were trained and choreographed by the Butoh dancers for Butoh demonstrations.
An international symposium on Butoh was held, and journalists, philosophers and Butoh dancers/choreographers had a hot discussion.
Intensive performance events in Berlin and in Szczecin(poland) were held and attracted German and Polish audiences.



In 6th International Conference on Conflict Resolution

St.Petersburg, Russia. May7 - May14,1998

"A peaceful dimension of mind-body through Butoh dance method"

This was a Butoh dance workshop (4 hours) given by Kasai, with introductory relaxation methods called "Karada Hogushi (body untying)" and several basic exercises of bodily movement used in Butoh dance. As shown by the fact that two additional workshops were held at participants' request after the conference, Kasai's Butoh dance workshop was welcome and successful in St.Petersburg, Russia.


In 4th International Seminar for Humanistic Pyschology and Pedagogy

Rivne, Ukraine. Jun.14 - 18,1998
"Congruence of mind-body through Butoh dance method"
Kostiuk Institute of Psychology in Kiev organized the seminar in Rivne city, located between Kiev and the historical city Livov. Most of the participants were from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and one from Japan. After reading the paper, Kasai had Butoh dance workshop with 30-40 participants and more than 100 audience, showing relaxation method called "karada hogushi" and Butoh dance exercises. Another Butoh workshop was held at Kostiuk Institute, Kiev. Both were successfull and very much welcomed. As Butoh dancer, Ippei Yamada, taught Butoh dance and choreographed in Kiev Ballet Theater this year, my visit seems to be the second presence of Butoh in Ukraine, an introduction Butoh from the psychological point of view.


counter ( Since Oct.1 1999)