A collection of 18 plays of the Ichikawa Danjûrô line of actors, selected by Ichikawa Ebizô V in 1840 as the most representative plays in aragoto style:

The number 18 is symbolic, many of these plays are seldom performed and some fell into oblivion. The most famous and performed ones are "Kanjinchô" (performed several times a year), "Narukami" (at least once a year), "Shibaraku", "Ya-no-Ne" and "Sukeroku" (these 3 plays are usually performed to celebrate great events like shûmei). The plays "Kenuki" and "Uirô Uri" are also frequently performed. The 11 remaining plays may be revived by the National Theatre ("Zôhiki", "Fûdô", "Gedatsu", "Kagekiyo") or the troupe led by Ichikawa Ennosuke III ("Kamahige").

In Japanese: 歌舞伎十八番

Literally the three most important Kabuki masterpieces: "Kanadehon Chûshingura", "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura" and "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami".

In Japanese: 歌舞伎三大名作狂言

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 28th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1848 (the 1st of April 1848 in the western calendar) and ended the 27th day of the 11th lunar month of its 7th year (the 15th of January 1855 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Kaei were Kôka and Ansei.

In Japanese: 嘉永

Dramas dealing with a famous suicide/revenge story involving three palace ladies-in-waiting: one lady, who was humiliated by the terrible zôriuchi done by a senior lady-in-waiting, committed suicide. Her death was avenged by her faithful servant, who killed the senior lady-in-waiting. The first kagamiyamamono in Kabuki history was the play "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie".

In Japanese: 加賀見山物

Guild name (yagô) for Nakamura Tôzô, Nakamura Kaishun and Nakamura Matsue [more details].

In Japanese: 加賀屋

A hidden seppuku: the hero, who has already committed seppuku, hides his belly cut with the outer garnment of his costum.

In Japanese: 陰腹

Play whose main characters are the defeated warrior Taira no Kagekiyo (called Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo), his lover Akoya, Hatakeyama Shigetada and Mionoya Shirô Kunitoshi. Two good examples of kagekiyomono are "Kagekiyo" and "Akoya".

In Japanese: 景清物

A palanquin.

In Japanese: 駕籠

A palanquin bearer.

In Japanese: 駕籠舁

Old province, which grosso modo corresponds to the current prefecture of Yamanashi. It was also called Kôshû.

In Japanese: 甲斐

Literally the "hay money". The tip paid by an actor, who has to ride a Kabuki horse (uma) on stage, to the two assistants doing the horse.

In Japanese: かいば料

A ghost play.

In Japanese: 怪談物

Words of praise shouted by connoisseurs from the audience, at key moments in a dance or a drama, like a mie, a stage entrance or a pose on the shichisan. Usually these words are either the actor yagô or his generation number. These days, only positive shouting is done but in the good old days, it was also possible to insult bad actors, using the infamous word daikon.

In Japanese: 掛け声

A rewritten Kabuki drama. During the Edo period, a kakikae kyôgen was a newly-created drama based on an existing famous older drama. Here are some examples: "Kamikakete Sango Taisetsu" (based on "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime"), "Kurotegumi Kuruwa no Tatehiki" (based on "Sukeroku") or "Gonichi no Iwafuji" (based on "Kagamiyama"). The newly-created drama could be more realistic or more spectacular than the original ones. It could also be a kind of parody of the old one. The male hero in the old drama could also become a female heroin, like in "Onna Shibaraku" (based on "Shibaraku") or in "Onna Narukami" (based on "Narukami").

In Japanese: 書替狂言

The Kamakura era. a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first Shôgun Minamoto no Yoritomo. It ended in 1333 with the destruction of the Shogunate [more details].

In Japanese: 鎌倉時代

Literally the top management (of a company). In Kabuki, this is the close circle of top actors. The majority of kambu actors, the lucky ones, are in this circle since their hatsubutai thanks to their birth within the Kabuki world. A minority is made up of actors, who were born outside but were so talented and hard-working that they deserved to join the first league.

In Japanese: 幹部

The promotion to kambu for a nadai actor.

In Japanese: 幹部昇進

A tortoise.

In Japanese: 亀

The wild tossing of the long hair of a shishi wig in the climax of a Lion Dance (like "Aioi Jishi", "Kagami Jishi" or "Renjishi"). The litteral meaning of kamiarai is "hair-washing".

In Japanese: 髪洗い

The Kabuki of Kamigata (old expression used for the Ôsaka-Kyôto-Kôbe-Nara region) The Kamigata Kabuki main feature is the wagoto style. Nowadays, there are only a few Kamigata actors, led by the star Nakamura Ganjirô and his two sons Senjaku and Kanjaku. The others famous Kamigata actors are Kataoka Hidetarô, Bandô Takesaburô and Kamimura Kichiya, who are still living in the city of Ôsaka. Some actors like Kataoka Nizaemon, Kataoka Gatô or Nakamura Tomijûrô, born and educated in Tôkyô, living in Tôkyô, are also related to Kamigata Kabuki because of their lineage.

In Japanese: 上方歌舞伎

Buyô dances created in Kamigata. The most famous school of Kamigata-mai is the Yamamura School, which was created by Yamamura Tomogorô, the choreographer of the star Nakamura Nakamura Utaemon III, during the Bunka era.

In Japanese: 上方舞

A paper kimono. "Originally, kamiko meant a shabby kimono made by pasting scraps of washi (Japanese paper) together, but as a Kabuki costume, the kamiko is stylized using black silk crepe on which parts of love letters, etc., are embroidered with gold and silver thread [more details].

In Japanese: 紙子 / 紙衣

Thunder.

In Japanese: 雷

Gentle love scene in which the actor woman, played by an onnagata, combs the hair of her lover while expressing all her love for him.

In Japanese: 髪梳

Stage left. The right of the stage from the audience viewpoint. [=> shimote].

In Japanese: 上手

Agemaku to allow entrance from the kamite.

In Japanese: 上手揚幕

An old Edo period word for hairdresser. It literally means "hair-tying".

In Japanese: 髪結

A family crest.

In Japanese: 家紋

A high-ranking court title, which was held by the chief advisor for an adult emperor. A possible translation is regent. The kampaku was considered as the highest bureaucrat in the imperial court. It was created by Fujiwara no Mototsune for himself in 887, when the Fujiwara clan effectively ruled over Japan, treating the emperor as a mere powerless puppet. The position was traditionally occupied by somebody from the Fujiwara clan up to the 16th century , when two non-Fujiwara held it, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his son in law Toyotomi Hidetsugu.

In Japanese: 関白

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 27th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1741 (the 12th of April 1741 in the western calendar) and ended the 21st day of the 2nd lunar month of 1744 (the 3rd of April 1744 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Kampô were Genbun and Enkyô.

In Japanese: 寛保

Young girl attendant for a high-ranking courtesan (keisei).

In Japanese: 禿

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 25th day of the 4th lunar month of 1661 (the 23rd of May 1661 in the western calendar) and ended the 21st day of the 9th lunar month of 1673 (the 30th of October 1673 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Kanbun were Manji and Enpô.

In Japanese: 寛文

One of the most important matsuri in the city of Tôkyô (it is one of the "Three Great Festivals of Edo"). The present day festival was established in the Edo period and is still held every year in the middle of May around the Kanda Myôjin Shrine in Soto-Kanda in the district of Chiyoda [more details].

In Japanese: 神田祭

One of the most famous Shintô shrines in Tôkyô. It is located in Soto-Kanda in the district of Chiyoda [more details].

In Japanese: 神田明神

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 30th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1624 (the 17th of April 1624 in the western calendar) and ended the 16th day of the 12th lunar month of the 21st year of the Kan'ei era (the 13th of January 1645 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Kan'ei were Genna and Shôhô.

In Japanese: 寛永

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 12th day of the 7th lunar month of 1748 (the 5th of August 1748 in the western calendar) and ended the 27th day of the 10th lunar month of 1751 (the 14th of December 1751 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Kan'en were Enkyô and Hôreki.

In Japanese: 寛延

Talented actor able to perform any kind of roles (onnagata, tachiyaku, katakiyaku). The first kaneru yakusha in Kabuki history were Nakamura Utaemon III and Onoe Kikugorô III.

In Japanese: 兼ねる役者

Title awarded on a honorary basis to the best actor in each section of a hyôbanki.

In Japanese: 巻軸

A subscription list.

In Japanese: 勧進帳

A court lady.

In Japanese: 官女

The Goddess of Mercy.

In Japanese: 観音

A Shintô priest.

In Japanese: 神主

A rice cake with sweet boiled beans inside.

In Japanese: 鹿の子餅

A region in Japan, which includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Mie, Kyôto, Ôsaka, Hyôgo and Shiga.

In Japanese: 関西

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 25th day of the 1st lunar month of 1789 (the 19th of February 1789 in the western calendar) and ended the 5th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1801 (the 19th of March 1801 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Kansei were Tenmei and Kyôwa.

In Japanese: 寛政

Kabuki dramas whose main theme is adultery (kantsû in Japanese). In the Tokugawa legal code, adultery was a serious crime, which was punishable by death. The drama "Yari no Gonza" is a good example of kantsûmono.

In Japanese: 姦通物

The Confucian principle of "encouraging good and chastising evil".

In Japanese: 勧善徴悪

During the Edo period, a kaomise was the "face-showing" ceremony of a theater, which celebrated the opening of the new theatrical year and its new troupe. It was generally held in November and was a very important event in Edo, Ôsaka or Kyôto. Nowadays, there are still 3 symbolic kaomise in Japan: at the Misonoza in October, at the Kabukiza in November and at the Minamiza in December.

In Japanese: 顔見世

Legendary flesh-eating creature inhabiting ponds or rivers, hybrid of a human and a tortoise. The word kappa also means a traditional straw raincoat worn by farmers.

In Japanese: 河童

A subsidiary hanamichi, which is occasionally built on the audience's right for specific dramas requiring the use of 2 hanamichi (the best example is "Yoshinogawa").

In Japanese: 仮花道

The senior retainer of a daimyô.

In Japanese: 家老

The spouse of a senior retainer.

In Japanese: 家老女房

Play whose main characters are the cursed and disfigured woman Kasane and her husband Yoemon, both from the Hanyû village. Yoemon kills Kasane with a sickle on the Kinugawa river bank, turning her into a vengeful ghost [more details].

In Japanese: 累物

Term synonymous with fukeoyama, which fell into disuse.

In Japanese: 花車方 (花車形)

Old province, which grosso modo corresponds to the Eastern part of the current Ôsaka Prefecture. It was also called Kawachi.

In Japanese: 河州

A set of stylized forms designed for one specific role and transmitted from generation to generation.

In Japanese: 型

In Japan feudal times, the samurai class upheld the honour of their family, clan, or lord through the practice of revenge killings (katakiuchi). These vendettas could also involve the relatives of an offender. It was a custom to ask local authorities for the permission to track down and take revenge upon the murderers. Synonym: adauchi.

In Japanese: 敵討

Katakiuchimono is a subgenre of Kabuki or puppet drama featuring a samurai revenge-killing vendetta (katakiuchi). The best examples are the sogamono based on the Soga Brothers vendetta. Synonim: adauchimono.

In Japanese: 敵討物

Actor specialized in villain roles; a villain role.

In Japanese: 敵役

A Japanese sword.

In Japanese: 刀

A swordsmith.

In Japanese: 刀鍛冶

A special collection of roles gathered by the star Kataoka Nizaemon XI and transmitted to his heirs [more details].

In Japanese: 片岡十二集

Katô Kiyomasa, also called Toranosuke, was a Japanese daimyô of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo period. He was born the 25th of July 1562 in Nakamura in the Owari province. A relative of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Katô Kiyomasa entered his service upon reaching manhood and soon distinguished himself in battle. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea in 1592, Katô Kiyomasa spearheaded the campaign and fought so ferociously that the Koreans nicknamed him "Devil Kiyomasa". Upon Hideyoshi’s death in 1598, Katô Kiyomasa returned to Japan and aided Tokugawa Ieyasu, who as chief regent to Hideyoshi’s young son Toyotomi Hideyori. For his services, he received the Castle of Kumamoto as his provincial residence. He also brutally suppressed Christianity in Kyûshû. In his later years, he tried to work as a mediator for the increasingly complicated relationship between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyori. In 1611, en route by sea to Kumamoto, he fell ill, and died shortly after his arrival. It was rumored that he was poisoned by Tokugawa Ieyasu. He died the 2nd of August 1611 [more details]. He became, under the thinly disguised name of Satô Masakiyo, the hero of many Kabuki dramas, the most famous one being "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô".

In Japanese: 加藤清正

Kabuki dramas whose main character is the ruthless warrior Katô Kiyomasa. In the Edo period, Katô Kiyomasa always appeared on stage under the thinly disguised name of Satô Masakiyo (or similar names) because of the Shogunate censorship. The best example of these dramas focusing on Satô Masakiyo was "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô". The best examples in Shinkabuki are the 4 dramas, written for Nakamura Kichiemon I who loved protraying Katô Kiyomasa, belonging to the Shûzan Jisshu collection: "Nijôjô no Kiyomasa", "Urusanjô no Kiyomasa", "Kumamotojô no Kiyomasa" or "Kiyomasa Seichûroku".

In Japanese: 加藤清正物

A wig.

In Japanese: 鬘

The Katsura River. This river flows near Kyôto. It starts at the Togetsukyô Bridge in Arashiyama as the continuation of two other rivers, the Hozu and the Ôi rivers, and flows until it joins the Kamo and Uji rivers [more details].

In Japanese: 桂川

"Plays of Living History". New genre of jidaimono dramas, created by the star Ichikawa Danjûrô IX during the Meiji era.

"These plays were enactments of historical incidents performed in every detail with all the accuracy that extensive research could reveal. Their popularity was moderate, and only Danjûrô's brilliant acting sustained them." (Faubion Bowers in "Japanese Theatre")

The word katsureki is a contraction of the words katsudô (action) and rekishi (history).

In Japanese: 活歴

Old province, which grosso modo corresponds to the Eastern part of the current Ôsaka Prefecture. It was also called Kashû.

In Japanese: 河内

Guild name (yagô) for the Jitsukawa Enjaku line of actors [more details].

In Japanese: 河内屋

A series of battles which took place during the Sengoku Period from 1553 to 1564. These battles were fought between Takeda Shingen, lord of the Kai province, and Uesugi Kenshin, lord of Echigo province [more details].

In Japanese: 川中島の戦い

Pejorative term used for Kabuki actors and meaning beggars (literally "riverbed people").

In Japanese: 河原者

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 15th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1648 (the 7th of April 1648 in the western calendar) and ended the 18th day of the 9th lunar month of 1652 (the 20th of October 1652 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Keian were Shôhô and Jôô.

In Japanese: 慶安

The Keian Uprising (jiken means incident in Japanese). A failed coup d'etat attempt masterminded by Yui Shôsetsu and Marubashi Chûya and carried out against the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan in 1651, the 4th year of the Keian era, by a number of rônin [more details].

In Japanese: 慶安事件

In Japanese history, the Keichô era is an imperial era which started the 27th day of the 10th lunar month of 1596 (the 16th of December 1596 in the western calendar) and ended the 13th day of the 7th lunar month of 1615 (the 5th of September 1615 in the western calendar). The era after Keichô was Genna.

In Japanese: 慶長

In Japanese history, the Keiô period is an imperial era which started the 7th 4th lunar month of 1865 and ended the 8th 9th lunar month of 1868. The 2 eras before and after Keiô were Genji and Meiji.

In Japanese: 慶応

High-ranking courtesan. The word keisei means literally "castle-destroyer". For more details on Japanese courtesan and their history, check immortalgeisha.com or the Geisha of Japan.

In Japanese: 傾城 (契情)

Keiseikai or keiseigai, both reading are possible. Literally keisei-buying. A keiseikai is a Kamigata drama, whose main character is a young man who has fallen in love with a beautiful keisei and is desperately looking for the money to redeem her from her contract at her house of assignment in the pleasure quarter.

In Japanese: 傾城買い

A play with the pleasure quarters as background and a high-ranking courtesan (keisei) as main character.

In Japanese: 傾城事

"The way of the Sword". Kendô is the martial art of Japanese traditional fencing.

In Japanese: 剣道

A floral tribute.

In Japanese: 献花

A fencer. A man who lived by the sword.

In Japanese: 剣客

Generic term used for stage tricks like chûnori, hayagawari, yatai kuzushi or honmizu.

"Rapid 'trick' appearances and disappearances of the actor are relatively few and are held in low esteem by the Kabuki connoisseur, who refers to them as keren (playing to the gallery)" (Earle Ernst in "The Kabuki Theatre", written in 1956, some years before the keren boom led by Ichikawa Ennosuke!).

In Japanese: ケレン (外連)

A feather-topped lance used by the footman (yakko) leading the travelling procession of his master.

In Japanese: 毛槍

Old province, which grosso modo corresponds to the current Wakayama prefecture and the southern part of the Mie prefecture. It was also called Kishû.

In Japanese: 紀伊

The traditional commemoration of one's seventy-seventh birthday.

In Japanese: 喜寿記念

An ogress; a female demon.

In Japanese: 鬼女

Chrysanthemum.

In Japanese: 菊

The duo made up of Onoe Kikugorô VI and Nakamura Kichiemon I, which made from 1908 the success of the Ichimuraza, under the management of Tamura Nariyoshi, who had the brilliant idea to stimulate an artificial rivalry between the 2 young actors in order to make them surpass themselves, just like the dangiku duo of the Meiji era (a duo which was made up of Ichikawa Danjûrô IX and Onoe Kikugorô V). Onoe Kikugorô VI was the specialist of sewamono and Nakamura Kichiemon I was the specialist of jidaimono. The programs were mainly made up of gidayû kyôgen or Kawatake Mokuami's masterpieces, helping for the preservation and transmission of many classics. This golden age lasted a little bit more than 10 years. A series of misfortunes hit the theater: the deaths of the onnagata Kawarazaki Kunitarô IV and Onoe Kikujirô III in 1919, the death of Tamura Nariyoshi in 1920 and ... Nakamura Kichiemon I leaving the Ichimuraza for the Shôchiku Company in 1921.

In Japanese: 菊吉

The famous Golden Pavilion in Kyôto.

In Japanese: 金閣寺

Guild name (yagô) for the actors Sawamura Tanosuke, Sawamura Tôjûrô, Sawamura Tetsunosuke, Sawamura Yoshijirô and Sawamura Sônosuke.

In Japanese: 紀伊国屋

The Kinpusanji Temple is an old and famous temple in Yoshinoyama [more details].

In Japanese: 金峯山寺

Kintarô is a folk hero from Japanese folklore. A child of superhuman strength, he was raised by the yamamba on Mount Ashigara. He became one of the four retainers (shitennô) of Minamoto Yorimitsu [more details].

In Japanese: 金太郎

The kiri kyôgen was originally a single-act afterpiece, which was performed at the end of the multi-act historical play (jidaimono). The expression was first used in Kamigata during the Genroku era and the single-act was a short sewamono drama, with characters and thema related to the sekai used in the jidaimono drama. Later, this drama became the nibanme (while the jidaimono was the ichibanme). The expression kiri kyôgen was later used for a short dance ending a program. It is still used nowadays in the Kabuki world with the same meaning.

In Japanese: 切狂言

A long-stemmed traditional Japanese pipe. One of the most important stage props in Kabuki.

In Japanese: 煙管

Old province, which was made up of the current Wakayama prefecture and the southern part of the Mie prefecture. It was also called Kii.

In Japanese: 紀州

A fox.

In Japanese: 狐

Literally a fox fire. A Japanese will-o'-the-wisp.

In Japanese: 狐火

A kiyari ondo was at the beginning a chant used by the lumber-carriers to bring good luck. It was also a custom for geisha dressed in tekomai to perform kiyari ondo during the major Edo festival. It can still be heard today at wedding ceremonies, celebrations for the completion of the framework of a building (house, shrine, ...) or some religious festivals.

In Japanese: 木遣り音頭

One of the most famous and beautiful temples in Kyôto [more details].

In Japanese: 清水寺

One style of narrative music, originating in the Tomimoto style, and created by Kiyomoto Enjudayû I in 1814. The current head of the Kiyomoto school is Kiyomoto Enjudayû VII.

In Japanese: 清元

Raw-life sewamono drama, depicting the lower strata of the Edo society. The hero is a thief, a gambler or a prostitute. The kizewamono genre was created by the playwright Tsuruya Namboku IV and popularized by Kawatake Mokuami.

In Japanese: 生世話物

A butterfly.

In Japanese: 胡蝶

A traditional form of story-telling in Japan, which began in the 17th century. While tapping a small table called a shakudai with a paper-covered folded fan, the professional storyteller relates tales of war and martial valor and the occasional ghost story in a unique tone to make the audience imagine the picture he wishes to convey.

In Japanese: 講談

Troupes of Kabuki children-actors.

In Japanese: 子供芝居

Hand-held stage properties.

In Japanese: 小道具

A special collection of roles gathered by the star Sawamura Sôjûrô VII and transmitted to his heirs [more details].

In Japanese: 高賀十種

Kabuki dramas whose main characters are the courtesan Koito and her lover Sashichi (a fireman). Their sad love story leads to the murder of Koito by Sashichi. The most famous koito-sashichimono is "Omatsuri Sashichi".

In Japanese: 小糸佐七物

A spectacular giant carp-catching scene in a Kabuki drama.

In Japanese: 鯉つかみ

Formal stage announcement. "There are often announcements from the stage, showing the close relationship between the actors and the audience in Kabuki. When the occasion is especially important, like the taking of a distinguished acting name, or commemorating the death of a great actor, the announcement becomes a separate act. The top members of the company assemble in formal costume to offer their congratulations and the audience is always delighted by this blend of kabuki style and glimpses of the private lives of their favorite actors" (from Earphone Guide website)

In Japanese: 口上

An prestigious rank in a hyôbanki. Possible translation: meritorious - superior - superior - excellent.

In Japanese: 功上上吉

The old jôjûri. All the jôjûri done in Japan before Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's 1685 drama "Shusse Kagekiyo".
"Puppet plays of a sort go back in Japan at least as far as the twelfth century. The puppeteers, a gipsy-like people, wandered about the country, performing at festivals and wherever else there was a demand. The plays put on were probably elementary skits, perhaps incorporating legends of the shrines where they were performed. By the seventeenth century, when the puppet theater assumed much of its modern form, moralistic plays on Buddhist themes constituted the bulk of the repertory. Most puppet plays (or jôjûri, as they were called) before "Shusse Kagekiyo" were crudely constructed and filled with stereotyped expressions." Donald Keene in "Major Plays of Chikamatsu")

In Japanese: 古浄瑠璃

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 2nd day of the 12th lunar month of its first year (the 9th of January 1844 in the western calendar) and ended the 28th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1848 (the 1st of April 1848 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Kôka were Tenpô and Kaei.

In Japanese: 弘化

A Kabuki actor assistant on stage. He wears formal stage dress, decorated with the mon of his master. He has to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. This is another big difference with the kurogo, who is a prominent part of the composition on the stage.

In Japanese: 後見

The opening ceremony for a new Kabuki theater.

In Japanese: 杮落し

Title of an illustrated book, which was published in 1693. It can be translated as "Beauty Contest of One Hundred Actors of All Ages" (sources). The pictures were made by Torii Kiyonobu I. Starting with Nakamura Kanzaburô V and ending with Morita Kan'ya II, it listed 100 actors from Edo, Ôsaka, Kyôto or Ise.

In Japanese: 古今四場居色競百人一首

The Kokura Castle in Kyûshû. Built in 1602, he was in the hands of the Ogasawara clan between 1632 and 1860. It was destroyed in 1865 [more details].

In Japanese: 小倉城

International wedding (one of the spouses being Japanese). Still a hot topic in nowadays Japan. Watônai's father and mother in Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's masterpiece "Kokusen'ya Gassen" were the first and only "international wedding" couple depicted in a theater drama. His father Rôikkan was Chinese and his mother Nagisa was Japanese.

In Japanese: 国際結婚

An oriental fiddle.

In Japanese: 鼓弓

A babysitter in Old Japan.

In Japanese: 子守

Kompira or Kompira-san is name of a famous shrine in Japan dedicated to the God of the Mariners. The more official names are Kotohira-gû or Konpira Daigongen. It is located in the town of Kotohira in the Kagawa Prefecture on Shikoku Island, near the famous Kanamaruza theater.

In Japanese: 金比羅

A wandering and mendicant Zen priest with a flute, wearing a deep sedge hat that covers the face.

In Japanese: 虚無僧

Guild name (yagô) for the actors Matsumoto Kôshirô, Ichikawa Komazô, Ichikawa Somegorô, Matsumoto Kingo and Matsumoto Kôemon.

In Japanese: 高麗屋

Spectacular murder scene in a Kabuki play. The most famous koroshiba is in the Kamigata play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".

In Japanese: 殺し場

A special set of 13 fixed mie done by the actor playing the role of Danshichi Kurobei in the famous murder scene of the play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".

In Japanese: 殺しの見得

Dances or dramas whose main characters are the lovers Kosan, a bathouse girl, and Kanaya Kingorô, an Ôsaka Kabuki actor. Both really existed (Genroku era).

In Japanese: 小三金五郎物

A word without equivalent in English. Kôseki combines articulation, elocution and declamation.

In Japanese: 口跡

Medium trapdoor located in the center of the stage and used to bring actors on stage. The koseri is set within the ôseri.

In Japanese: 小セリ

Minor unlicensed Kabuki Theatres. Many Edo actors started their career and gained experience at Koshibai before being accepted in the major theatres.

In Japanese: 小芝居

A lady's maid (usually a low-ranking samurai's wive in the service of a daimyô's wife).

In Japanese: 腰元

A widow; a dowager.

In Japanese: 後室

Old province, which grosso modo corresponds to the current prefecture of Yamanashi. It was also called Kai.

In Japanese: 甲州

A Japanese horizontal harp.

In Japanese: 琴

Literally the "old sword". The Kotô period, a long period in the history of Japan swordsmanship, started in 800 and ended in 1596 [more details].

In Japanese: 古刀

Short ballads with shamisen, flute and percussion ensemble, which were used to accompany all kind of Kabuki dances at the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. It was replaced by Nagauta.

In Japanese: 小唄

A drama with a mother and child sad separation scene.

In Japanese: 子別れ

Child role.

In Japanese: 子役

Old province, which grosso modo corresponds to the current prefecture of Gumma. It was also called Jôshû.

In Japanese: 上野

Inspection of the decapitated head of a samurai, a prince or a lord. The climax of many epic dramas like "Terakoya" or "Kumagai Jin'ya".

In Japanese: 首実検

Standard wooden box, cylindrical in shape, used for a kubi jikken.

In Japanese: 首桶

highly dramatic scene in which an onnagata actor depicts a woman's sighs, tears, love, passion or regrets for the past. Somehow the equivalent of an aria for Kabuki female roles.

In Japanese: 口説き

A noble villain in Kabuki who plots to usurp the power of the emperor.

In Japanese: 公家悪

Distinctive Kabuki make-up used for aragoto roles.

In Japanese: 隈取

The Castle of Kumamoto, one of the 3 most famous castles in Japan [more details].

In Japanese: 熊本城

Kumi Wudui in Okinawan. A form of traditional musical and narrative Theatre in the Ryûkyû Islands, which was created at the beginning of the 18th century by Tamagusuku Chôkun (1684~1734) in Shuri, the capital of the Ryûkyû Kingdom, and was inscribed in 2010 on the UNESCO representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity [more details].

In Japanese: 組踊

Unskilled laborers, colourful and unruly characters, who frequented the great highways (like the Tôkaidô) during the Edo period.

In Japanese: 雲助

A traditional storehouse to store treasures and others valuables.

In Japanese: 蔵

Kabuki or jôjûri dramas whose main character is the Ôsaka otokodate Kurofune Chûemon, fighting against his arch-enemy Gokumon Shôbei. Kurofune Chûemon was based on a real life kyokaku named Nezu Shirôemon (or Sumiyoshiya Shirôemon) who lived and worked in Ôsaka Dôjima during the Hôei, Shôtoku and Kyôhô eras. The most famous kurofune-chûemonmono was "Kurofune Deiri Minato".

In Japanese: 黒船忠右衛門物

Kabuki stage attendants completely dressed in a black costum with a san-benito look-alike black cloth covering the face, the convention for invisibility on stage. If the background is a snowy landscape, they are dressed in white. If the background is the Sea, they are dressed in blue. Their roles are multiple: they bring or remove stage props, help actors during the costums/roles changes, animate fake animals or will-o'-the-wisps... Their technical skills and efficiency are essential for the success of many stage tricks. They are also called kurombô (literally black fellows). The word kurogo itself is used for either the stage assistant or his black costum.

In Japanese: 黒衣

An important domain in Chikugo, which was prosperous and ruled by the Arima Clan during the Edo period.

In Japanese: 久留米藩

Pleasure quarters. The most famous ones were Yoshiwara in Edo (Tôkyô), Shinmachi in Ôsaka and Shimabara in Kyôto.

In Japanese: 廓

The kusazôshi are popular novels which heavily rely on illustrations to tell the story. They were published in Japan from the middle of the Edo period. The first kusazôshi writer was Ryûtei Tanehiko and his followers were Ryûtei Senka, Takahata Ransen, Okamoto Kisen, Ryûsuitei Tanekiyo, Mishina Rankei, Maeda Kosetsu or Aiba Koson.

In Japanese: 草双子

A bombastic tug-of-war involving Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kobayashi no Asahina, who pull the tassets of an armor. In the current Kabuki repertoire, the most famous play on this subject is the Nagauta-based dance-drama "Shôfudatsuki Kongen Kusazuri", which was staged for the first time in the 1st lunar month of 1814 at the Moritaza.

In Japanese: 草摺引

Born in 1942, Kushida Kazuyoshi is an actor and director. After studying in the Haiyûza actor’s school, he joined the Bungakuza theater company in 1965. He formed with others the company Jiyû Gekijô (literally "Free Theater") that would use the eponymous underground theater as its performance base. In 1975 the name was changed to On-Theater Jiyû Gekijô and Kushida continued to present a series of popular productions. From 1985 he began working in preparation for the opening of the Bunkamura Theater Cocoon from the architectural planning stage in the capacity of artistic director. With the opening of the theater in 1989, he signed a franchise agreement with On-Theater Jiyû Gekijô, which he also led, and introduced a repertoire system. Since then he has worked actively on behalf of Theater Cocoon, bringing such programs as an annual production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by different directors each year and initiating the Cocoon Kabuki series in collaboration with Kan1. The Cocoon Kabuki remains a popular ongoing series today. At the conclusion of his term as artistic director of Theater Cocoon in 1996, Kushida also dissolved the company On-Theater Jiyû Gekijô. Since 2000, he has served as a professor of the Arts Dept, of Nihon University, and since April 2003 he has served as artistic and administrative director of the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre [more details in performingarts.jp | more details in the Japan Times].

In Japanese: 串田和美

A Buddhist memorial service.

In Japanese: 供養

A comical farce in the Nô theater.

In Japanese: 狂言

A generic term for a Kabuki drama.

In Japanese: 狂言

A kyôgenkata used to be during the Edo period a low-ranking playwright. Nowadays, a kyôgenkata is a Kabuki stage assistant, who is dressed in black, like the black-robed kurogo. "Kyôgenkata literally means people of the play, and they perform a multitude of duties which range from prompting to wielding the hyôshigi, or wooden clappers, when the curtain is drawn." (A. C. Scott in "The Kabuki Theatre of Japan")

In Japanese: 狂言方

A Kyôgen peformer.

In Japanese: 狂言師

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 22nd day of the 6th lunar month of 1716 (the 9th of August 1716 in the western calendar) and ended the 28th day of the 4th lunar month of 1736 (the 7th of June 1736 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Kyôhô were Shôtoku and Genbun.

In Japanese: 享保

A man of chivalrous spirit; a street knight.

In Japanese: 侠客

An important, prestigious and rare rank in a hyôbanki. Possible translation: fast - superior - superior - excellent.

In Japanese: 亟上上吉

A state of madness in a dance. The main character is frantically searching for somebody (a lover, a lost child) in a dazed state. The dance describes his/her mental disorder.

In Japanese: 狂乱

Dramas or dances dealing with kyôran. The most famous ones are "Onatsu Kyôran", "Yasuna", "Sumidagawa" and "Ninin Wankyû".

In Japanese: 狂乱物

An imperial era in Japanese history which started the 5th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1801 (the 19th of March 1801 in the western calendar) and ended the 11th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1804 (the 22nd of March 1804 in the western calendar). The 2 eras before and after Kyôwa were Kansei and Bunka.

In Japanese: 享和

Guild name (yagô) for the actors Nakamura Jakuemon, Nakamura Kyôzô and Nakamura Shibajaku.

In Japanese: 京屋