12 January: the actor Sawamura Sôjûrô IX (1933~2001) dies.

January: Bandô Yasosuke V takes the name of Bandô Mitsugorô X at the Kabukiza.

31 March: the actor Nakamura Utaemon VI (1917~2001) dies.

June: 4th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki, which is staged at the Shibuya Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon. The play "Sannin Kichisa" is coproduced by Nakamura Kankurô V and the playwright Kushida Kazuyoshi [more details].

8 July: the actor Ichimura Uzaemon XVII (1916~2001) dies.

January: the National Theatre produces the revival of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Koharunagi Okitsu Shiranami", which has not been played in its full length since 11th lunar month of 1864 [casting].

April: Nakamura Matsue V takes the name of Nakamura Kaishun II at the Kabukiza.

May: Onoe Tatsunosuke II takes the name of Onoe Shôroku IV at the Kabukiza.

June: Sawamura Tanosuke VI receives the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (ningen kokuhô in Japanese).

The Kabuki world celebrates its 400th Anniversary !

May: Bandô Shônosuke, Kataoka Jûzô VI and Ichikawa Otora VI take the respective names of Kawarazaki Gonjûrô IV, Kataoka Ichizô VI and Ichikawa Omezô VI at the Kabukiza.

June: Onoe Kikugorô VII receives the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (ningen kokuhô in Japanese).

June: 5th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki, which is staged at the Shibuya Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon. The play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is coproduced by Nakamura Kankurô V and the playwright Kushida Kazuyoshi [more details].

October: revival at the National Theatre with the Omodakaya guild of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari" [casting].

28 March: the actor Onoe Kurôemon II (1922~2004) dies.

23 April: the actor Bandô Kichiya II (1937~2004) dies.

May: Ichikawa Shinnosuke VII takes the name of Ichikawa Ebizô XI at the Kabukiza.

July: Fifth edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza, staged abroad for the first time; Nakamura Kankurô and his troupe perform in Boston (8~10 July, Cutler Majestic Theatre), New York City (17~25 July, Lincoln Center) and Washington DC (28 July, Warner Theater). In Boston and Washington, the troupe presents the dances "Bô Shibari" and "Renjishi". In New York, an Edo 545-seat traditional theater is built within the Lincoln Center and the troupe presents the great Kamigata drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami".

July: Japan decides to nominate Kabuki for recognition by UNESCO for entry in the list of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

October: special Kabuki tour in Paris (France), which celebrates the shûmei of Ichikawa Ebizô XI [more details].

February: Bandô Takeshirô takes the name of Bandô Shinsha IV in Ôsaka at the Shôchikuza.

March: the actor Nakamura Kankurô V takes the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza.

April: Chikamatsuza tour in Korea [more details].

June: Chikamatsuza tour in the USA [more details].

June: 6th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki, which is staged at the Shibuya Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon. The play "Sakura Hime" is produced by the playwright Kushida Kazuyoshi [more details].

November: UNESCO designates Kabuki as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

December: the actor Nakamura Ganjirô III takes the name of Sakata Tôjûrô IV in Kyôto at the Minamiza.

26 December: the actor Onoe Matsusuke VI (1946~2005) dies.

7 January: the playwright Tobe Ginsaku (1920~2006) dies.

17 February: Ichiyama Nasorô (1921~2006), the master of the Ichiyama school of Traditional dance, dies.

March ~ April: 7th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki, which is staged at the Shibuya Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon. The play "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan" is coproduced by Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII and the playwright Kushida Kazuyoshi [more details].

May ~ June: Kabuki tour in Western Europe, in London at the Sadler's Wells (31 May~11 June) and in Amsterdam at the Stadsschouwburg (15~18 June) [more details].

20 October: the actor Nakamura Genzaemon II (1934~2006) dies.

13 December: Nagayama Takeomi, the head of the powerful Shôchiku Company, dies in Tôkyô.

7 January: the playwright Tobe Ginsaku (1920~2006) dies.

30 January: the Kabuki photographer Yoshida Chiaki dies.

March: Kabuki tour in Paris (France) [more details].

April: Nakamura Shinjirô takes the name of Nakamura Kinnosuke II at the Kabukiza.

22 April: the actor Nakamura Shirogorô VII (1931~2007) dies.

June: 8th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki, which is staged at the Shibuya Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon. The play "Sannin Kichisa" is coproduced by Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII and the playwright Kushida Kazuyoshi [more details].

January: revival at the National Theatre of Sakurada Jisuke I's kaomise drama "Komachi-mura Shibai no Shôgatsu" [more details].

January: revival at the Shimbashi Embujô of "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura", which celebrates the 1070th anniversary of the Naritasan temple, where the Deity Fudô Myôô is worshipped [casting].

May~June: Heisei Nakamuraza tour in Europe, in Berlin at the The House of World Cultures (Germany) from the 14th to the 21st of May 2008 and in Sibiu (Rumania) from the 29th of May to the 1st of June 2008 for the International Theatre Festival [more details].

June 2008: 9th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki, which is staged at the Shibuya Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon. The play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is coproduced by Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII and the playwright Kushida Kazuyoshi [more details].

July: first edition of the HHeisei Nakamuraza in Matsumoto (Nagano Prefecture); Nakamura Kanzaburô produces at the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" with the same casting as the tour in Europe.

September: "Kabuki for Everyone" tour in Russia [more details].

October: fifth edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza in Tôkyô, in the district of Asakusa, close to the banks of the Sumida River; Nakamura Kanzaburô produces for the first time the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura", in four different programs with the very rare production of the second act of this drama in one program (the "Rikiya Jôshi" and "Matsukiri" scenes). This edition stars for the very first time Kataoka Nizaemon.

11 October: Nakamura Shidô I (1929~2008) dies.

November: for the very first time in Kabuki history, a novel of Edogawa Rampo is adapted to Kabuki. This play, which is staged at the National Theatre, is based on "The Were-Panther" ("Ningenhyô" in japanese), a novel with the detective Akechi Kogorô, which was published in 1934 [more details].

November: sixth edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza in Tôkyô, in the district of Asakusa, close to the banks of the Sumida River; Nakamura Kanzaburô produces the drama "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage" (commonly called "Hôkaibô").

22 December: the actor Arashi Kanjûrô VI (1926~2008) dies.

January: revival at the National Theatre of "Zôhiki", a bombastic play in the aragoto style which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban [casting].

21 February: the actor Nakamura Matagorô II (1914~2009) dies.

March: Kabuki adaptation of Shakespeare’s "Twelfth Night" in London [more details].

July: 10th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki [more details].

September: short Kabuki tour in Monaco for the Naritaya guild [more details].

October: first appearance on stage (omemie), at the Kabukiza, of little Fujima Taiga, son of Onoe Shôroku.

January: revival at the National Theatre of Namiki Gohei's long-forgotten drama "Keisei Kogane no Shachihoko", which is differently titled in this revised version; it is staged to commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the establishment of the city of Nagoya [more details].

February: revival at the Kabukiza of the Nagauta-based dance "Tsumeô", which is staged to commemorate the 22nd anniversary (23rd memorial service) of late Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII [casting].

11 February: the actor Ichikawa Hakotora III (1930~2010) dies.

17 February: the actor Ichimura Yoshigorô II (1918~2010) dies.

May 2010: the Zenshinza actor Arashi Hironari takes the name of Arashi Yoshisaburô VII at the National Theatre [more details].

June: Kabuki tour in Western Europe, in London at the Sadler's Wells (4~15 June) and in Roma at the Teatro di Roma-Argentina (21~22 June) [more details].

June 2010: 11th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki [more details].

July 2010: Heisei Nakamuraza in Matsumoto [more details].

October 2010: Kabuki tour in Central America to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of Japan's Relations with Mexico [more details].

October 2010: Heisei Nakamuraza in Ôsaka (first month) [more details].

November 2010: Heisei Nakamuraza in Ôsaka (second month) [more details].

3 January: Living National Treasure Nakamura Tomijûrô V (1929~2011) dies.

13 February: the actor Ichikawa Sashô III (1926~2011) dies.

27 June: the actor Matsumoto Kôemon (1928~2011) dies.

July: Nakamura Kichiemon receives the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (ningen kokuhô in Japanese).

10 October: Living National Treasure Nakamura Shikan VII (1928~2011) dies.

September 2011: Nakamura Kashô III and his son Nakamura Tanetarô IV take the respective names of Nakamura Matagorô III and Nakamura Kashô IV at the Shimbashi Embujô [more details].

November 2011: the Heisei Nakamuraza is back in Asakusa, where it will stay up ... to May 2012! Two different programs each month for 7 months.

19 December: Ichikawa Danjirô takes the name of Ichikawa Tsukinosuke II.

25 December: the actors Iwai Hanshirô X (1927~2011) and Kataoka Roen VI (1926~2011) die.

February 2012: Nakamura Kantarô II takes the name of Nakamura Kankurô VI at the Shimbashi Embujô [more details].

23 February: Living National Treasure Nakamura Jakuemon IV (1920~2012) dies.

13 March: the actor Sawamura Tetsunosuke V (1930~2012) dies.

June: great shûmei/hatsubutai performances at the Shimbashi Embujô for 3 generations of the Omodakaya guild; Ichikawa Kamejirô II and his uncle Ichikawa Ennosuke III respectively take the names of Ichikawa Ennosuke IV and Ichikawa En'ô II; Ichikawa En'ô II's son and grandson Ichikawa Chûsha IX and Ichikawa Danko V make their debut on stage [more details].

July: second month of shûmei/hatsubutai performances at the Shimbashi Embujô for 3 generations of the Omodakaya guild [more details].

July: Bandô Tamasaburô receives the prestigious title of Living National Treasure (ningen kokuhô in Japanese).

5 December: the actor Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII (1955~2012) dies.

January: the Omodakaya actors Ichikawa En'ô II, Ichikawa Ennosuke IV and Ichikawa Chûsha IX celebrate their shûmei in Ôsaka at the Shôchikuza [more details].

2 February: the Living National Treasure, Nagauta shamisen player, Kineya Gosaburô III (1918~2013) dies.

3 February: the actor Ichikawa Danjûrô XII (1946~2013) dies.

June: Ichikawa En'ô II, Ichikawa Ennosuke IV and Ichikawa Chûsha IX celebrate their shûmei in Fukuoka at the Hakataza [more details].

January: premiere at the Shimbashi Embujô with Ichikawa Ebizô as zagashira of the drama "Kotohoide Mimasu Kagekiyo", a newly-created drama mixing 4 dramas belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban and focusing on the warrior Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo [more details].

26 January: the actor Nakamura Kichinojô II (1932~2014) dies.

February: revival at the Kabukiza of Tsuruya Namboku IV's drama "Kokoro no Nazo Toketa Iroito" [more details]; 5th edition of the Sistine Kabuki, a Kabuki program within the Sistine Hall of the Ôtsuka Museum of Art [more details].

June: the son of Onoe Shôroku IV receives the name of Onoe Sakon III and makes his debut on stage (hatsubutai) at the Kabukiza [more details]. Ichikawa Ennosuke IV and Ichikawa Chûsha IX celebrate their shûmei in the central provinces [more details].

July: third Heisei Nakamuraza in New York City [more details].

September: Ichikawa Ennosuke IV and Ichikawa Chûsha IX celebrate their shûmei in the western provinces [more details].

October: the October Grand Kabuki at the Kabukiza commemorates the 26th anniversary (27th memorial service) and the 2nd anniversary (3rd memorial service) of late Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII and late Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII [more details].

November: the Annual Festive Face-Showing Grand Kabuki at the Kabukiza commemorates the 32nd anniversary (33rd memorial service) of the passing away of Matsumoto Hakuô. His two sons, Matsumoto Kôshirô and Living National Treasure Nakamura Kichiemon, are the zagashira [more details]; 7th Kabuki program with Kataoka Ainosuke as zagashira at the Eirakukan, a renovated traditional theater built in the city of Toyooka (prefecture of Hyôgo) [more details].

December: "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" is staged as a tôshi kyôgen (5 acts, 6 scenes), including the rarely-staged "Fujikawa Shinseki" and "Okazaki Yamada Kôbei Sumika" acts (they were staged for the last time more than 44 years ago, in September 1970 at the National Theatre), at the National Theatre with Living National Treasure Nakamura Kichiemon as zagashira [more details].

January: Nakamura Kanjaku V takes the name of Nakamura Ganjirô IV in Ôsaka at the Shôchikuza [more details]; Ichikawa Michiyuki takes the name of Ichikawa Kudanji IV in Tôkyô at the Shimbashi Embujô [more details].