Hiromi Maruoka Concludes Her Tenure as YPAM Director
Hiromi Maruoka, who has served as Director of the Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting (YPAM; formerly Tokyo Performing Arts Market / Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama / TPAM) since 2005, has brought her tenure to a close, effective 31 March 2026. Moving forward, YPAM will operate with its current team under a revised structure, collectively assuming directorial responsibilities and leading operations.
Message from Hiromi Maruoka:
On concluding her tenure as Director
I have been involved with YPAM for 30 years, since its beginnings in 1995 as the Tokyo Performing Arts Market (TPAM) in Tokyo. Since 2005 I have had the privilege of serving as Director, a role I have held for more than two decades. As an international platform for performing arts professionals and the only one of its kind in Japan, YPAM relocated to Yokohama in 2011 and has, over the years, navigated numerous challenges while adapting to the changing times and evolving needs of the field. Through these efforts, we have continued to provide a platform where people engaged in performing arts from around the world come together on a regular basis. I believe this has been possible only through close collaboration with international colleagues and audiences, and I take great pride in all that we have achieved together. The COVID-19 pandemic brought profound changes across the globe. Amid these challenges, both new and long-standing staff have worked closely and effectively to bring YPAM into its next phase. With this team in place, I have decided to step down from my role as Director. YPAM will continue to promote the development of the performing arts and foster international exchange with the same team under a revised structure. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported YPAM over the years. Thank you very much.
About Hiromi Maruoka
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Maruoka produced and performed with the theater company Gekidan Kaitaisha from 1989 to 1998. In 1991, she joined the Japan Center, Pacific Basin Arts Communication (PARC), where she became President in 2011. She trained in New York from 2003 to 2004 under Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists. From 1995, she worked at the Tokyo Performing Arts Market (TPAM), later Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting (YPAM), serving as Director from 2005 until 2026. She is Vice President of the Open Network for Performing Arts Management (ON-PAM) and has worked on projects including the Postmainstream Performing Arts Festival, IETM Asia Satellite Meetings and Sound Live Tokyo. In 2024, she received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize.
■ YPAM Secretariat
Katsuhiro Ohira (Secretary General)
Tomoyuki Arai (Senior Program Officer)
Ryo Tanaka (Program Officer)
Hayato Okada (Program Officer)
Shiro Amemiya (Public Relations)
Felicity Chao (Public Relations)
Kimiko Arai (Operations & Systems Manager)
■ Next edition: YPAM2027
Friday, 5 February – Sunday, 14 February 2027
About YPAM
YPAM (Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting) is a platform where performing arts professionals from around the world connect through performances and meeting programs to gain information, inspiration, and networks for the creation, dissemination and vitalization of the performing arts. Established in 1995 as TPAM (Tokyo Performing Arts Market) and based in the “Creative City” of Yokohama since 2011, YPAM has become internationally recognized as one of the most influential performing arts platforms in Asia, with over 30 years of history.
