Yuri Kinugawa

Yuri Kinugawa is the Founder and Director of Impro Works (the longest-running improvisational theater company in Japan) and Yellow Man Group of Tokyo, Japan.

Her experience includes a BA in Theatre and Drama. She studied improvisation with Keith Johnstone and since 1996, has been teaching, performing, and developingtraining programs using improvisation skills. She created the program Business Impro Training™ to build Life/Business Skills through Improvisation. She advises and works with many organizations, throughout Japan,businesses, non-profit organisations, human services, government, health care, schools and Universities on the use of creativity. Yuri is also a special Staff Member for Coaches Training Institutes Japan, and part of the Co-Active Leadership Program in Japan. Under her guidance coaches in these programmes conduct over 200 workshopsevery year. Her international experience includes invitations as a professional improv performer and teacher to America, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Her approach to teaching is full of fun and joy aiming to peel off peoples fears to find and show their own truths. This is why Japanese people respond enthusiastically to her workshops. Currently she is training trainers, facilitators and teachers in the use of improv skills in their own work. 

She is the author of Impro Game, the first book about improvisation in Japan, and she published 4 books about improvisation and theatre. She is writing her fifth book focusing on Zen and Impro.

She is also a professional actress. She won Best Actress 1998 Stockholm International Film Festival and Best Foreign Performer 1998 New Zealand Film Award for her role as Sayo in Memory & Desire (Best New Zealand Film1998) Director Niki Caro New Zealand.

Yuri believes that impro training can guide people to freedom and the meaning of life. And always it must to be tasty and fun!

To contact Yuri, call +81-(0)-90-9391-7725
impro-works.com