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Today we had the chance to visit a village in the south of West Bank, with Ms. Shirabe Yamada, a Japanese woman we met in Jerusalem. Engaged in fair trade of traditional Palestinian handicrafts such as embroidery, she is the most marvelous person. “Don’t think only Ramallah is Palestine – you’re missing so much!” We…

Today we went out with Amira, George’s daughter. Amira is an actress and mother of an almost 2-year-old boy. We first visited the Dead Sea. I was expecting a tourist site, but there were few people swimming at the coldest time of the year. Standing on the balcony, Amira told us: “20 years ago, the…

Muaz brought us to this valley. He explained how large amounts of money are continuously spent on excavation – the more they excavate, more ruins appear. And indeed, it was a deep valley. Ruins of a building in which someone lived – not even known in which century – remains. The Christian Quarter is packed…

Muaz took us to the kindergarten and primary school that he went to. This window, with a view of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, was his favorite. He would sit here and gaze, like this. He then took us to a small stage inside the school, and offered to tell us ‘another tale…

Next we walked inside the Old City. Muaz, born and raised in Jerusalem, was the best tour guide. Many of his friends and family live here. He took us into small alleys, and even inside houses. The Old City of Jerusalem contains holy sites and houses and shops, all in one district. This is a…

We first headed to the Dome of the Rock – one of the holiest sites in Islam. We went to the gate for Muslims with Muaz, but Israeli soldiers didn’t let us Japanese through. Instead we headed to the gate for tourists at the designated time. A long queue awaited us. After waiting in the…

Muaz, our lighting designer and technical director showed us around Jerusalem today. At 9am, we met at the theatre and decided to take the bus. The segregation walls. These thinnish walls give the impression that ‘the other side is Israel.’ In many places though, the wall itself stands on Palestinian land – so this statement…

Today’s breakfast— Flat bread, hummus, olives, vegetables, and yoghurt. Delicious! We went for a walk in Ramallah in the morning. The streets are bustling. Traffic is always busy. The honking horns never stop. The souq. The boys never failed to address us. – Welcome! – Ni Hao! I’m not Chinese but anyway, Ni Hao! “Yabaani,…

Entered Israel. No stamp on passport. From the airport in Tel Aviv, the car sped down the road, which felt excessively wide. After a sign and a tunnel, Ramallah, the Arab city, appeared suddenly. Even after the long flights – 20 hours in total, I still couldn’t believe I was in Palestine. Unlike Japan, the…