Kentaro Kobayashi’s ‘Oort Cloud’ play opens in Osaka

The academic comedy play ‘Oort Cloud: The Observatory Problem,’ written and directed by Kentaro Kobayashi, has opened at the COOL JAPAN PARK OSAKA TT Hall. The production is the second installment in Kobayashi’s ‘academic comedy series.’

The story follows various residents of the rural village of Yoimachi, including Suika Amino (played by Saaya Suzuki), who returns to her hometown after leaving Tokyo. The plot centers on a plan to complete a mysterious, unfinished observatory built by Suika’s father, which is currently viewed as a financial burden on the village. Through humorous and comical dialogue, the play explores the theme of ‘belonging’ as the eight main characters grapple with their identities and places in the world.

The production features a cast selected through national auditions, including Saaya Suzuki, Daiki Kajimoto, and Issei Mihara. The play is designed to be accessible to audiences unfamiliar with astronomy, using the concept of the Oort Cloud—a layer of small celestial bodies surrounding the solar system—as a metaphor for ordinary people seeking their place in the universe.