3 shows in Tôkyô (Kabukiza, Orchard Hall), 1 in Fukuoka (Hakataza), 1 in Ôsaka (Ôsaka NHK Hall), 1 in Naruto (Ôtsuka Museum of Art) and 1 tour (Zenshinza)!

Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugorô, Living National Treasure Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Tokizô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Onoe Kikunosuke, Nakamura Kaishun, Kataoka Hidetarô, Kataoka Takatarô, Nakamura Kinnosuke, Ichikawa Sadanji, Bandô Yajûrô, Onoe Shôroku, Ichikawa Danzô and Bandô Hikosaburô perform at the Kabukiza !

Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô performs at the Hakataza!

Ichikawa Ebizô performs with the GRAND JAPAN THEATER at the Orchard Hall and at the Ôsaka NHK Hall!

Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugorô, Living National Treasure Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Tokizô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Onoe Kikunosuke, Nakamura Kaishun, Kataoka Hidetarô, Kataoka Takatarô, Nakamura Kinnosuke, Ichikawa Sadanji, Bandô Yajûrô, Onoe Shôroku, Ichikawa Danzô, Bandô Hikosaburô, Kataoka Ichizô, Nakamura Karoku, Nakamura Matagorô, Nakamura Tôzô, Kataoka Kamezô, Kawarasaki Gonjûrô, Nakamura Matsue, Sawamura Sônosuke, Sawamura Yoshijirô, Bandô Kamesaburô, Bandô Kametoshi, Nakamura Kashô, Nakamura Baishi, Ôtani Hirotarô, Nakamura Yonekichi, Bandô Shingo, Nakamura Tanenosuke, Nakamura Mantarô, Kataoka Matsunosuke, Arashi Kitsusaburô, Nakamura Kamenojô, Ichimura Kitsutarô

The troupe for these February Grand Kabuki performances at the Kabukiza is led by two Living National Treasures, Onoe Kikugorô and Nakamura Kichiemon. The Taikôki-based drama "Shinsho Taikôki", with Nakamura Kichiemon, Onoe Kikugorô and Nakamura Baigyoku in the roles of Kinoshita Tôkichirô/Hashiba Hideyoshi, Akechi Mitsuhide and Oda Nobunaga, which was based on Yoshikawa Eiji's 1941 eponymous novel, was staged for the last time 20 years ago, in February 1996 at the Kabukiza. The evening program ends with a rarity: the dance "Hamamatsu Kaze Koi no Yomibito", which was staged for the last time in January 1954 at the Shinbashi Enbujô.

Shinsho Taikôki: it is originally a history novel written by Yoshikawa Eiji which depicts the younger days of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who named himself first Kinoshita Tôkichirô, then Hashiba Hideyoshi and unified Japan in 1590 after the Age of Civil Wars (the Sengoku period) during which each war lord ruled his own country independently. Yoshikawa Eiji considers Hideyoshi not as a super hero but a magnanimous man who loved the vulgar crowd. He is a very human hero who knows himself also to be foolish, hence he has been loved by people in general. You will see this play scaled up in this month's performance as new scenes are added. Kinoshita Tôkichirô (Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugorô) was a son of a lower rank samurai. He appeals directly to Oda Nobunaga (Nakamura Baigyoku) to be his servant. He gets rapid promotion by his distinguished service. Oda Nobunaga defeats warlords around him to enlarge his territory. He attacks and burns Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei which has been strongly opposed to him allied with other warlords around him. Akechi Mitsuhide (Living National Treasure Nakamura Kichiemon) who also serves Oda Nobunaga begins to feel antipathy toward his cruelty and thinking that not a few people are opposed to Nobunaga, Mitsuhide rebels against him while many of his servants are away. At the news of this, Hideyoshi, who was also far away in the Chûgoku region to fight against the enemies, makes peace with them and hurries back to fight the battle against Mitsuhide to avenge his death. Featuring also Nakamura Tokizô, Onoe Kikunosuke, Nakamura Karoku, Nakamura Tôzô and Ichikawa Sadanji.

Genta Kandô:
(Genta Disowned)
This jidaimono period play shows the gentle warrior Kajiwara Genta. At the battle of the Uji River, he competes with a fellow warrior Sasaki Takatsuna to be first into battle. Out of the shame, his father sends a letter ordering him to commit ritual suicide. But to save her son's life, Genta's mother Enju disowns him instead. Knowing that the lady-in-waiting Chidori is in love with Genta, Enju dismisses her from service, secretly allowing the two lovers to be together. Featuring Nakamura Baigyoku, Kataoka Takatarô, Nakamura Kinnosuke and Kataoka Hidetarô as Kajiwara Genta Kagesue, Chidori, Genta's father Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki, Genta's brother Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka and Enju.

Kagotsurube: one of the most sensational plays of late Kabuki, it shows a humble, pockmarked merchant from the country named Sano Jirôzaemon (Living National Treasure Nakamura Kichiemon). He is wealthy, but because of the way he looks, has never thought that it would be possible to have a woman. He and his servant go sightseeing in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters and a chance look at top courtesan Yatsuhashi (Onoe Kikunosuke) who smiles at him, makes Jirôzaemon fall in love. However, the pleasure quarters are full of intrigue, and on the eve of the day that Jirôzaemon is to buy up Yatsuhashi's contract, her true love Einojô (Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugorô) forces her to reject and humiliate Jirôzaemon in the middle of the celebratory banquet. Jirôzaemon seems to forgive her, but returns with the sword Kagotsurube to exact his revenge. Featuring also Nakamura Kaishun, Bandô Yajûrô, Nakamura Karoku and Nakamura Matagorô.

Kofuji Konobê: It is a dance adaptation from the folk story of Matsukaze and Murasame (matsukaze-murasamemono). The woman diver Kofuji (Nakamura Tokizô) longs for Ariwara no Yukihira, a poet and court noble in 9th century who once lived in Suma. She loves him so much that she becomes insane, and the spirit of Matsukaze who also loved Yukihira haunts her. She wanders to the shore at Suma carrying sea water in a pail. The boatman Konobê (Onoe Shôroku) draws near to her and tries to get her love.

Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô, Nakamura Shidô, Nakamura Kotarô

Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô performs in Fukuoka at the Hakataza in a special Buyô program. He plays the roles of Shizuka Gozen and the ghost of the warrior Taira no Tomomori in the dance-drama "Funa Benkei". He also performs in "Ninin Fuji Musume", a special version of "Fuji Musume" which was premiered in January 2014 at the Shôchikuza with Bandô Tamasaburô and Nakamura Shichinosuke. This time the second wisteria maiden is Nakamura Kotarô.

Funa Benkei: although he won a war against the enemy Heike clan, the young general Yoshitsune (Nakamura Kotarô) has gained the disfavor of his brother, the Shôgun, and tries to flee to Kyûshû by boat. Before he sets sail, he must say farewell to his lover Shizuka (Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô), who performs a dance expressing her grief at their separation. Once the boat sets sail, the spirit of the great Heike general Tomomori (Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô), killed by Yoshitsune in battle at sea, appears and attacks to take revenge for the destruction of his clan. They are only saved by the prayers of Yoshitsune's companion, the warrior-priest Benkei (Nakamura Shidô). The roles of both Shizuka and Tomomori are played by the same actor.

Kusazuri:
(the Tug-of-War Over the Armor)
A short dance in the oldest style of Kabuki, leisurely and full of humor, combining the charm of an onnagata female role specialist with the larger-than-life heroism of the bombastic aragoto style of acting. The strong woman Maizuru stops the powerful, but rash, warrior Soga no Gorô from rushing to a fight by pulling on the set of armor he is carrying. Starring Nakamura Kotarô and Nakamura Shidô as Maizuru and Gorô.

Ninin Fuji Musume: the spirit of wisteria blossoms dances of love in the form of a beautiful young maiden. The scene is set in Ôtsu City near the Lake Biwa. This dance is one of Kabuki's most famous and colorful dances. Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô will give his definitive performance of this dance in a special double version together with young onnagata star Nakamura Kotarô.

Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Kawarasaki Kunitarô, Arashi Yoshisaburô, Fujikawa Yanosuke, Yamazaki Tatsusaburô, Anegawa Shinnosuke, Matsunami Kihachirô, Masuki Hiroshi

A 2-month 34-date (17 in January and 17 in February) tour all over Japan:

Kirare Otomi: there are many plays in Kabuki that take some famous classic and change it around so that a very masculine character becomes a female character with both the strength of the original and a feminine delicacy and grace. The story of scarfaced Yosaburô is popular in Kabuki. Yosaburô is the handsome young son of a wealthy family, but he falls in love with Otomi, the mistress of a gang boss and ends up being cut up and tossed overboard at sea, together with Otomi. He survives, terribly scarred, and becomes a criminal. He goes to blackmail a woman who seems to be kept by a wealthy merchant only to discover that it is Otomi. In this version, it is Otomi that is scarred and who becomes a blackmailer. Starring Kawarasaki Kunitarô as Otomi, Masuki Hiroshi as the gang boss and Arashi Yoshisaburô as Yosaburô.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Kataoka Ainosuke, Nakamura Kazutarô

7th edition of the Sistine Kabuki, a Kabuki program within the Sistine Hall of the Ôtsuka Museum of Art, which is located in the city of Naruto (Tokushima prefecture). Inside this museum, there are more than 1,000 replicas of priceless masterpieces of Western art, from ancient murals to modern paintings, which are reproduced in ceramic to their original size. The Sistine Hall is of course a "reproduction" of the Vatican Sistine Chapel.

This newly-created play is based on Marie Leprince de Beaumont's fairy tale "La Belle et la Bête". More precisely, it is based on Jean Cocteau's 1946 movie adaptation "La Belle et la Bête", which was somehow related to Kabuki. In May 1936, Jean Cocteau was in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, where he could enjoy Onoe Kikugorô VI performing in the dance-drama "Kagami Jishi". In this dance-drama a young girl is transformed into a resplendent shishi. This transformation inspired Jean Cocteau when he conceived and directed his own "La Belle et la Bête".

Ichikawa Ebizô, Ichikawa Kudanji, Ichikawa Fukutarô, Kanze Yoshimasa, Shigeyama Ippei, Umewaka Kishô II, Kamei Tadao, Kamei Hirotada

Ichikawa Ebizô leads in Tôkyô at the Orchard Hall the GRAND JAPAN THEATER, an original troupe which gathers Kabuki, Nô and Kyôgen performers.

Ichikawa Ebizô, Ichikawa Kudanji, Ichikawa Fukutarô, Katayama Kurôemon X, Kanze Yoshimasa, Nomura Taichirô, Ôtsuki Bunzô, Kamei Tadao, Kamei Hirotada

Ichikawa Ebizô leads in Ôsaka the GRAND JAPAN THEATER, an original troupe which gathers Kabuki, Nô and Kyôgen performers.