Kabuki

The Name-taking Ceremonies for
Ichikawa Danjuro and
the Achievements of the Next Generation
Yanai Kenji

The impact of the pandemic
From the beginning of 2022, the implementation of measures to control thespread of COVID-19 saw multiple reports of infections and close contacts at different theatres, leading to frequent performance suspensions and changes tocasts and productions. During the August run of performances at the Kabuki-za,
for example, the infection of several performers led to major and widely reported

047

cast changes to Tokaido dochu hizakurige Yajikita returns (Yajirobe and Kitahachion the Tokaido Highway Returns) and a new play, Shinsengumi (The New Brigade),based on the historical manga by legendary artist Tezuka Osamu. For theremainder of the year, the pandemic seemed to take one step backward for every
step forward, but national restrictions gradually began to be eased, and in
August, the Kabuki-za was able to return to virtually a full house. Since theKabukiza Theatre Special Program on October 31, even the distinctive kakegoe
calls from the back of the house were permitted to make a limited return.

Ichikawa Danjuro ⅩⅢ’s name-taking ceremony
Performances to mark Ichikawa Ebizo’s succession to the most important namein Edo kabuki, Ichikawa Danjuro XIII Hakuen, finally began at the Kabuki-za inNovember and December. Originally, they had been scheduled to take place fromMay to June 2020 but were postponed due to the outbreak of the pandemic.
Danjuro put in confident, graceful performances as Benkei in Kanjincho (TheSubscription List) and Sukeroku in Sukeroku yukari no edozakura (Sukeroku:
Theatre in Japan

Theatre Yearbook 2023

KABUKI

Flower of Edo) in November. In December, he tackled Sukeroku once again, thistime along with the Oshimodoshi (demon-queller, a traditional Ichikawa speciality) role in Kyoganoko musume Dojoji (The Maiden at Dojoji Temple). Audiences
had the increasingly rare opportunity to watch him performing with actors fromhis own generation, with Matsumoto Koshiro as Togashi and Ichikawa Ennosuke
as Yoshitsune in Kanjincho and Onoe Kikunosuke as Agemaki and Onoe
Shoroku as Ikyu in November’s Sukeroku. These performances did an excellent
job of highlighting the talents of the next generation.
Danjuro’s nine-year-old son, Ichikawa Shinnosuke VIII, appeared in Uiro uri(The Medicine Peddler) in November, as well as making his first (and the youngest ever) attempt at the role of Kumedera Danjo in Kenuki (The Tweezers) inDecember. Appearing alongside him, to the great delight of audiences, was his
sister Ichikawa Botan.

Mature performances by veterans048

It was also a great year for audiences to savour anew the brilliant skills of the veterans of the kabuki stage.
Onoe Kikugoro’s performances as Raiko in Tsuchigumo (The Earth Spider)at the Kabuki-za in May and as Yoshitsune in act four of Yoshitsune senbon
zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees) at the National Theatre inOctober were both remarkable, fully satisfying examples of the richness ofKikugoro’s art. He also brought splendour and dignity to his appearances in theleading male roles of Inuyama Dosetsu in Nanso satomi hakkenden (The Saga ofEight Dogs) at the National Theatre in January, and Kudo Suketsune in Uiro uri atthe Kabuki-za in November.
Kataoka Nizaemon announced that he would be performing for the final
time the role of Tomomori in the Shipping Office and Daimotsu Bay scenes ofYoshitsune senbon zakura at the Kabuki-za in February. Tomomori has long been
one of Nizaemon’s signature roles, one where he successfully fused the stylizationof the puppet theatre with a tangible sense of reality. His portrayal of Kouchiyama
in Kumo ni magou Ueno no hatsuhana (The First Flowers of Ueno) at theKabuki-za in March was unfortunately interrupted by illness, but he brought aclean lucidity of form and impressive power to the role. His Yuranosuke in act
seven of Kanadehon chushingura (The Treasury of Loyal Retainers) at the sametheatre in September was also distinctive.
Bando Tamasaburo played one of his signature roles at the Kabuki-za inJune, the geisha Osono in Furu amerika ni sode wa nurasaji (The Rains ofAmerica Will Never Dampen My Sleeves). The combination of Tamasaburo’s
beauty, his exquisite delivery of the wordy dialogue, and guest appearances bymany actors from Gekidan Shinpa (a troupe that specializes in early 1900s stagemelodramas) made this a great success. In December he appeared as Agemaki in
Sukeroku at the Kabuki-za. He looked as gracefully gorgeous and his dialogue
was as accomplished as ever, but it was his portrayal of Agemaki’s warm affection
for Sukeroku’s mother, Manko, that brought an additional dimension of emotional colour to his wonderful performance.
Nakamura Jakuemon demonstrated to the fullest his abilities, heady withbrilliance and eroticism, in the roles of Shizuka Gozen in Yoshitsune senbon
zakura in January, Princess Yuki in Kinkakuji (The Golden Pavilion) in May, and049

Okaru in act seven of Kanadehon Chushingura in September (all at theKabuki-za). He is steadily gaining ground in these types of lead onnagata roles.
Nakamura Baigyoku’s nomination as a Living National Treasure was confirmed, while Matsumoto Hakuo was awarded the Order of Culture. The chanter
Takemoto Aoidayu was awarded the Japan Art Academy Prize, making him thefirst Kabuki-za chanter to have been granted this honour.

The work of the next generation
The generation of actors born in the 1970s has begun to pick up more leadingroles, giving audiences a sense of this being a real moment of transition forkabuki.
The deep sense of emotional expressiveness and fullness that Ichikawa
Ennosuke invested in his portrayals of Tadanobu in Yoshitsune senbon zakura inJanuary and of Yoshitsune in Kanjincho in November, both at the Kabuki-za,
was impressive. He also brought his talents to bear in the shortened versions ofseveral plays that were created for the three shows per day format at theTheatre in Japan

Theatre Yearbook 2023

KABUKI

Kabuki-za, performing in Shin sangokushi Kan’u hen (The New Records of Three
Kingdoms: The Volume about Guan Yu) in March, Tennichibo Ooka seidan (TheCase of Tennichibo from The Judgments of Ooka) in April, and Toryu Oguri
Hangan (The Modern Story of Oguri Hangan) in July.
This year Onoe Kikunosuke provided a strong testament to his energy andcommitment, performing in both the classics and new works. He demonstrated
impressively solid technique in major roles from the puppet theatre repertoire,including his role of Moritsuna in Moritsuna jinya (Moritsuna’s Battlecamp) inMarch at the National Theatre, and the three roles he played in Yoshitsune senbon
zakura at the same theatre in October (his performance in these roles was cancelled at the start of the pandemic two year ago) He also showed off his accession
to roles that his family have long excelled in, including Inaba Kozo in Nezumi
kozo Jirokichi (The Story of the Thief Nezumi Kozo Jirokichi, Kabuki-za, February), the spider spirit in Tsuchigumo (Kabuki-za, May), and Sogoro in Sakanaya
Sogoro (Sogoro the Fishmonger, Hakata-za, June). In July at the Kabuki-za, he050

performed in a revised version of Kaze no tani Nausicaä (Nausicaä of the Valleyof the Wind), a new play first staged in 2019. September at the Kabuki-za saw the
first memorial performance for Nakamura Kichiemon II, who passed away lastyear. The performances featured a well-received performance by Kikunosuke inFujito, a play authored by Kichiemon under the name Matsu Kanshi. Kichiemon
was also, of course, Kikunosuke’s father-in-law.
Onoe Shoroku’s acting is coming along in leaps and bounds, and this year hewas awarded the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s New Faces Prize. He portrayed a handful of larger-than-life roles this year,including Matsunaga Daizen in Kinkakuji in May, Matsuomaru in Kurumabiki(Pulling the Carriage Apart) in June, Matsuomaru in Terakoya (The VillageSchool) in September, all at the Kabuki-za. In October, he also produced andacted in Arakawa Judayu, a dramatization of one of the popular koshaku (oraltales) linked to Kanadehon chushingura. This production was awarded the OtaniTakejiro Award for the unusual skill with which it adapted an oral narrative tothe stage.
Matsumoto Koshiro put in an ingenious performance as Sakichi in Arakawa

no Sakichi (Sakichi of Arakawa) at the Kabuki-za in April. In August he attracted
favourable notices as Aoki Sadajiro in the very infrequently performed Ansei
kibun Tsukuda no yoarashi (Strange News in the Ansei Era: Night Storm atTsukuda). His exchanges with Nakamura Kankuro as Kamiya Genzo succeededin producing a very real sense of tension.
Nakamura Kankuro provided an excellent and invigorating performanceas Lord Okura in Ichijo Okura monogatari (The Tale of Ichijo Okura) at theKabuki-za in January. His Tennichibo in February at Theatre Cocoon was a masterpiece that perfectly captured the character’s naivety and fearlessness. Kankuro
also mounted performances by the Heisei Nakamura-za theatre in the groundsof Sensoji temple in Asakusa in October and November to mark the 180th anniversary of the founding of the theatre district of Saruwakamachi.
Nakamura Baishi put in some graceful performances, including his Kagaribiin Moritsuna jinya in March, and his Princess Sarashina in Momijigari (MapleViewing) in July, both at the National Theatre. Equally striking was the rare senseof antiquity and generosity that he brought to the role of Taira no Koremori in051

the Sushi shop scene from Yoshitsune senbon zakura at the National Theatrein October.
Onoe Ukon and Bando Minosuke brought a youthful freshness to theirportrayals of Benten Kozo and Nango Rikimaru in Benten musume meo noshiranami (The Five Thieves) at the Kabuki-za in May. They are definitely two
young actors to keep an eye on. Minosuke also put in a strong showing asUmeomaru in Kurumabiki at the Kabuki-za in June. In the same play, Nakamura
Kazutaro’s Kamigata-style (the Kyoto and Osaka area) Sakuramaru left anequally strong impression. In June at the Kabuki-za, Ichikawa Somegoro’s portrayal of the lead role of Tokugawa Nobuyasu (the son of the shogun TokugawaIeyasu) in Nobuyasu attracted much attention. While it only enjoyed a briefrun, Natsu matsuri Naniwa kagami (The Summer Festival in Osaka) at theShochiku-za in Osaka in September with Kataoka Ainosuke was well performed
and overflowed with Kamigata atmosphere.
As the pandemic receded and audience confidence returned, many actors
resumed mounting independent performances. Enthusiastic shows were put onTheatre in Japan

Theatre Yearbook 2023

KABUKI

by Nakamura Tsurumatsu (June), Nakamura Kyozo and Nakamura Icho (alsoJune), Nakamura Takanosuke (July), Nakamura Baigyoku and his students(August), Onoe Ukon (August), and Kamimura Kichiya and his students (September). At the National Theatre in May, the venerable Zenshinza troupe staged
Kakitsubata iro mo edozome – Oroku to Gantetsu (Oroku and Gantetsu: Even theIrises are Dyed Edo Purple) as a memorial for the 33rd anniversary of the death oftheir founder, Kawarazaki Kunitaro V (1909-1990). It was the first performanceof the play for 41 years.

The end of the road for Engekikai; rebuilding the National Theatre
The monthly kabuki magazine Engekikai ceased publication with its April issue,
published on March 3. The reasons given were its aging readership, the shift ofthe publishing industry towards digital, and lack of new readers.
Rebuilding plans for the National Theatre in Tokyo’s Hanzomon were published, and a series of farewell performances began in September. The theatre will052

close in late October 2023, with all three of its theatres earmarked for demolition.
Construction of a new theatre building that will include a hotel and restaurants
will then begin, with the theatres scheduled to reopen in autumn 2029. In themeantime, performances will continue at other venues around Tokyo, possibly
including the New National Theatre and the National Noh Theatre.

Obituaries
Bando Takesaburo V passed away on June 17. An onnagata actor, he brought arich flavour of Kamigata to his performances of middle-aged characters like Oenin Fuingiri (The Courier for Hell), or older women such as Oko in Hikimado (ADiary of Two Butterflies in the Pleasure Quarters). He also occasionally performed
male roles, lending them a distinctive depth. Takesaburo played an importantrole in the revival of Kamigata kabuki, both through the revivals of older plays in
his independent Bando Takesaburo no Kai productions and as a teacher at theShochiku Kamigata Kabuki Academy.
On June 23 we also lost Sawamura Tanosuke VI. Tanosuke brought a dignified art to his portrayals of female characters including Koman in Sanemorimonogatari (The Tale of Sanemori) and Sakae Gozen in Meiboku Sendai hagi (ThePrecious Incense and Autumn Flowers of Sendai). The scope of his art was broad,and he excelled in both sewamono (contemporary life plays) wife roles like
Ohama in Sakanaya Sogoro and old woman roles including Nagisa in Kokusenya
Gassen (The Battles of Coxinga). He was also valued for his skill in performing
Edo wagoto roles, including the clerk Chushichi in Kamiyui Shinza (Shinza TheBarber) and Soga no Juro in Ya no ne (Sharpening the Arrow). For many years hetrained upcoming actors at the National Theatre’s Kabuki Actor Training Programme and was recognized for his efforts by being named a Living National
Treasure in 2002. Tanosuke was also known as a fan of sumo wrestling, serving
as a member of the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee, the lay body that recommends wrestlers to sumo’s highest rank.
On January 19, Kineya Jogu, the nagauta shamisen player and leader of theKikugoro Troupe’s musical ensemble, passed away.
053

Yanai, Kenji
Following a period at the National Theatre, he currently teaches at Meiji University. Heholds a doctorate in literature and specializes in the history of Japanese performing arts
with a focus on kabuki. His books include Meiji kiwamono kabuki: Sora tobu godaime
Kikugoro (Sensational Meiji-period Kabuki: Kikugoro V Flying Through the Air, Hakusuisha
Publishing), Chabudaigaeshi no kabuki nyumon (An Introduction to Kabuki Shocking Enoughto Overturn the Dinner Table, Shinchosha Publishing). He regularly reviews kabuki for The
Tokyo Shimbun newspaper.
(Translation: Alan Cummings)

Theatre in Japan

Theatre Yearbook 2023