THEATRE NATIONAL

Names

Kokuritsu Gekijô
National Theater
Théâtre National

City

Tôkyô

Management

The Japanese State

History

November 1966: opening ceremony of the National Theater in Tôkyô with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", from the "Ôuchiyama" scene to the "Kurumabiki" scene, with an amazing casting:

Roles	Actors
Kan Shôjô	Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII
Fujiwara no Shihei, Kakuju	Nakamura Ganjirô II
Takebe Genzô, Terukuni	Kataoka Nizaemon XIII
Tonami, Sakuramaru	Onoe Baikô VII
Tatsuta no Mae, Yae	Nakamura Jakuemon IV
Sukune Tarô, Matsuômaru	Bandô Mitsugorô VIII
Prince Tokiyo	Kataoka Takao
Princess Kariya	Kataoka Hidetarô II
Umeômaru	Bandô Minosuke VII, Onoe Kurôemon II
Sonoo-no-Mae, the yakko Takunai	Sawamura Tosshô V
Mareyo	Ichikawa Nedanji II

December 1966: second month of the opening ceremony of the National Theater with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", from "Kurumabiki" to the last scene, with an amazing casting:

Roles	Actors
Matsuômaru	Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII
Sakuramaru, Chiyo	Onoe Baikô VII
Umeômaru	Nakamura Kichiemon II
Fujiwara no Shihei, Shiratayû	Bandô Mitsugorô VIII
Takebe Genzô	Morita Kan'ya XIV
Yae	Nakamura Jakuemon IV
Tonami	Nakamura Matagorô II
Kan Shôjô	Ichikawa Chûsha VIII
Shundô Gemba	Onoe Kurôemon II
Terukuni, Yodarekuri Yotarô	Bandô Minosuke VII
Haru	Ichikawa Komazô X

March 1967: revival at the National Theater of Tsuruya Namboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô". The new script is written by the Kabuki scholar Gunji Masakatsu and the play is is produced with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
The priest Seigen	Morita Kan'ya XIV
Tsurigane no Gonsuke, Shinobu no Sôta	Bandô Mitsugorô VIII
Princess Sakura, Fûrin Ohime	Nakamura Jakuemon IV
Shiragikumaru	Bandô Tamasaburô V
Iruma Akugorô	Bandô Minosuke VII
Matsui Gengo	Iwai Hanshirô X
Yoshida Matsuwaka	Ichikawa Monnosuke VII
Awazu Shichirô, Sentarô	Kawarazaki Gonjûrô III
The priest Zangetsu	Ichikawa Yaozô IX
Katsushika no Ojû	Sawamura Sôjûrô VIII
Nagaura	Sawamura Gennosuke V
Tsunaemon	Ichikawa Kuzô V
The yakko Gunsuke	Bandô Kôtarô

April 1967: revival at the National Theater of Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's drama "Yari no Gonza Kasane Katabira", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Sasano Gonza	Nakamura Senjaku II
Ichinoshin's wife Osai	Nakamura Ganjirô II
Iwaki Chûtabei	Kataoka Nizaemon XIII
Asaka Ichinoshin	Nakamura Fukusuke V
Kawazura Bannojô	Kawarazaki Gonjûrô III
Bannojô's sister and Gonza's betrothed Oyuki	Kataoka Hidetarô II
Iwaki Jimbei	Kataoka Takao

May 1968: revival at the National Theater of "Ura Omote Sendai Hagi", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Yorikane, Kosuke, Yashio, Nikki Danjô	Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII
Masaoka	Nakamura Shikan VII
Hosokawa Katsumoto	Morita Kan'ya XIV
Arajishi Otokonosuke	Ichikawa Ennosuke III
Okinoi	Sawamura Tosshô V
Matsushima	Bandô Tamasaburô V
Sakae Gozen	Onoe Taganojô III
Watanabe Gekizaemon	Arashi Kichisaburô VII
Senmatsu	Nakamura Kotarô V
Tsuruchiyo	Nakamura Shinjirô

April 1971: revival at the National Theater of Nagawa Shimesuke I's drama "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage", in 5 acts divided into 8 scenes (a longer version than the standard one) which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Hôkaibô	Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII
Jinzaburô	Morita Kan'ya XIV
Jinzaburô's wife Oshizu	Onoe Baikô VII
Asayama Shuzen	Ichimura Uzaemon XVII
The Eirakuya tedai Yôsuke, in reality Yoshida Matsuwaka	Onoe Kikunosuke IV
Okumi	Sawamura Kiyoshirô
Princess Nowake	Bandô Tamasaburô V
Hitachi Taijô	Bandô Shinsui VIII
The Eirakuya widow Oraku	Sawamura Gennosuke V
Ôsakaya Gen'emon	Ichikawa Yaozô IX

May 1973: revival at the National Theater of Chikamatsu Monzaemon I's drama "Horikawa Nami no Tsuzumi" to commemorate the 249th anniversary (250th memorial service) of the playwright, which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Ogura Hikokurô	Ichikawa Somegorô VI
Hikokurô's wife Otane	Nakamura Senjaku II
Miyaji Gen'emon	Sawamura Tosshô V
Gen'emon's wife Kikuno	Sawamura Tanosuke VI
Ofuji	Kataoka Hidetarô II
Hikokurô's adopted son Bunroku	Nakamura Kikaku I
Sangobei's wife Yura	Arashi Tokusaburô VII
Isobe Yukaemon	Nakamura Shôjaku
Masayama Sangobei	Matsumoto Komagorô II

March 1975: revival at the National Theater of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jiraiya Gôketsu Monogatari", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Jiraiya	Onoe Kikugorô VII
Tsukikage's daughter Princess Tagoto	Sawamura Kiyoshirô
Yashagorô, Tsukikage Gunryô Miyukinosuke	Ichimura Uzaemon XVII
Takasago Yûminosuke	Onoe Baikô VII
Senso Dôjin	Kawarazaki Gonjûrô III
Fûki Tarô	Bandô Kamezô II
Ayame	Ichikawa Monnosuke VII
Kumadeya Yokushirô	Kataoka Ichizô V
Bandô Yamatonosuke	Bandô Minosuke VII
Yakama Shikaroku	Iwai Hanshirô X
Kumadeya's daughter Takane	Ichimura Manjirô II

April 1976: revival in 5 acts and 9 scenes of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri", with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Ishikawa Goemon	Jitsukawa Enjaku III
Konomura Ôinosuke	Nakamura Ganjirô II
Hayakawa Takakage, Daibutsumochiya Sôemon	Kataoka Nizaemon XIII
Sonô no Kata, Oritsu	Nakamura Jakuemon IV
Segawa Uneme	Nakamura Tomijûrô V
The courtesan Hanatachibana, Ogiku, Mashiba Hisayoshi	Nakamura Senjaku II
Kuretake	Kataoka Gadô V
The yakko Yatahei, Junkikan, Katô Masakiyo	Kataoka Gatô V
Mashiba Hisatsugu	Ichimura Yoshigorô II
Mashiba Hisaaki	Ôtani Tomoemon VIII
The courtesan Kokonoe	Arashi Tokusaburô VII
Osai	Onoe Kikujirô IV

September 1978: revival at the National Theater of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Suda no Haru Geisha Katagi", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Ume no Yoshibei	Sawamura Sôjûrô IX
Kosan, Chôkichi	Sawamura Tôjûrô II
Koume	Sawamura Tanosuke VI
Kanaya Kingorô	Ichikawa Danshirô IV
Gengobei	Kataoka Gatô V
Shinraku Kanjûrô	Kataoka Roen VI
Okimi	Ichimura Kakitsu IX
Chôgorô	Ichikawa Juen II
Dote no Toburoku, Jûheiji	Nakamura Yonekichi IV

August 1979: revival at the National Theater of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kanzen Chôaku Nozoki Garakuri", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Murai Chôan, the Iseya bantô Kyûhachi	Nakamura Kichiemon II
Iseya Sentarô, Dôjûrô's wife Oriyo	Sawamura Sôjûrô IX
Fujikake Dôjûrô, the courtesan Chôjiya Sayoginu	Sawamura Tanosuke VI
Jûbei's wife Osoyo	Nakamura Mannojô
Hayanori Sanji	Ichikawa Nedanji II
Kaisaka no Chûzô	Ichikawa Danshirô IV
Ôoka Echizen-no-Kami	Ichikawa Sadanji IV

August 1980: revival at the National Theater of Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Danshichi Mohei	Nakamura Senjaku II
Iwai-buro Jisuke	Nakamura Tomijûrô V
The playwright Namiki Shôzô	Nakamura Ganjirô II
The courtesan Otomi	Sawamura Tôjûrô II
Arashi Sangorô	Bandô Takesaburô V
Sawamura Kunitarô	Nakamura Tomotarô
Jisuke's wife Okaji	Kataoka Gadô V
Takaichi Kazuemon	Kataoka Ichizô V
Manriki Ichiemon	Nakamura Kikaku I
Daimonjiya Jihei (commonly called Sakai no Daiji)	Ichikawa Yaozô IX
The owner of the Naniwa chaya Kawakyû	Ichikawa Sumizô VII

April 1981: revival at the National Theater of Nishizawa Ippô's drama "Keisei Hama no Masago", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
The keisei Ishikawaya Masagoji (in reality Akechi Mitsuhide's daughter Princess Satsuki), Goemon's widow Gion-no-Okaji	Nakamura Utaemon VI
Taikô Hisayoshi, Kishida Minbu (in reality Shihôten Tajima-no-Kami)	Kataoka Nizaemon XIII
Saitô Kuranosuke, Toyotomi Hisayori	Jitsukawa Enjaku III
Yodo-no-Kata	Nakamura Shikan VII
Sanni no Goroshichi, Toyotomi Hisatsugu	Ichikawa Ebizô X
Oda Nobuo	Kataoka Gatô V
Maeda Toshiie	Nakamura Matagorô II
The ashigaru Kinzô, in reality Yasuda no Sakubei	Nakamura Fukusuke VIII
Princess Gô	Nakamura Matsue V
Takayama Ukon	Nakamura Tôzô VI

For this revival, the drama's sekai being the Taikôki, it was decided to use the real names for the historical figures. The spectacular "Onna Goemon" scene was the opening act of this drama.

January 1982: revival at the National Theater of "Zôhiki", a bombastic play in the aragoto style which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban and is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Mita no Genji Takeru	Onoe Shôroku II
Ôtomo no Kachimaro	Ichimura Uzaemon XVII
The priest Gazenbô	Kawarazaki Gonjûrô III
Mita's brother Ryûômaru	Onoe Tatsunosuke I
Princess Yayoi	Nakamura Kotarô V
Horikawa Kageyu	Iwai Hanshirô X
The old woman Takekawa	Kataoka Gadô V
The widow Atago-no-Mae	Nakamura Shikan VII
Funakata Kôza	Nakamura Hashinosuke III
Aoimaru	Onoe Sakon II

January 1983: revival at the National Theater of "Nanatsu Men", which uses a new script written by Tobe Ginsaku and is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
The mask-maker Kagose Akaemon, in reality Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo	Onoe Shôroku II
Ema no Koshirô Yoshitoki	Ichimura Uzaemon XVII
The keisei Akoya	Nakamura Jakuemon IV
Kagose Akaemon's disciple, in reality Mionoya Shirô Kunitoshi	Onoe Tatsunosuke I
Hatakeyama Shigetada	Kawarazaki Gonjûrô III
Minamoto no Yoritomo	Bandô Hikosaburô VIII
Shigetada's sister Princess Kinugasa, in reality Kagekiyo's daughter Hitomaru	Nakamura Tokizô V
Yoritomo's daughter Princess Ô	Nakamura Shibajaku VII
Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka	Iwai Hanshirô X

January 1984: historic revival at the National Theater of the Genroku drama "Sankai Nagoya", with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Fuwa Banzaemon Terumasa, Shôki Daijin	Onoe Shôroku II
Umezu Kanimori	Ichimura Uzaemon XVII
La courtisane Katsuragi	Nakamura Jakuemon IV
Ôgimachi Dazainojô	Nakamura Tomijûrô V
Fuwa Banzaemon's wife Fujikae	Sawamura Sôjûrô IX
Nagoya Sanzaburô	Onoe Tatsunosuke I
Nagoya Sanzaemon	Kataoka Ichizô V
Yokogawa Unzai	Bandô Hikosaburô VIII
La princesse Man'yo	Nakamura Tokizô V
Ashikaga Haruô	Onoe Sakon II
Nikki Genzai	Iwai Hanshirô X

January 1997: tôshi kyôgen revival at the National Theater of the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo, the priest Sekigahara Jinnai (in reality Iba-no-Jûzô Kazuyoshi)	Ichikawa Danjûrô XII
Kagekiyo's lover Akoya	Bandô Tamasaburô V
Chichibu no Shôji Shigetada	Nakamura Baigyoku IV
Iwanaga Saemon Munetsura	Kataoka Gatô V
Shigetada's sister Shiraume	Nakamura Matsue V
Mionoya Shirô Kunitoshi	Ichikawa Sadanji IV
Hanzawa Rokurô	Nakamura Tôzô VI
Jûzô's mother Matsuno	Nakamura Matagorô II
Honda Jirô Chikatsune	Ichimura Kakitsu IX
Mitsumine Hachirô Tadakiyo	Ichikawa Unosuke III
Hanaôgiya Toheiji	Iwai Hanshirô X

January 1999: revival at the National Theater of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Irogoyomi Gen'yadana", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Yosaburô	Ichikawa Danjûrô XII
Otomi	Sawamura Sôjûrô IX
Tajimaya Seikichi	Sawamura Tanosuke VI
Seikichi's wife Onaka	Nakamura Shibajaku VII
Tajimaya Tazaemon	Bandô Mitsugorô IX
Kômori no Yasuzô	Ôtani Tomoemon VIII
Aoimaru	Bandô Minosuke II

January 2002: revival at the National Theater of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Koharunagi Okitsu Shiranami", which has not been performed in its full length since November 1864; the play is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Kogitsune Reizaburô	Onoe Kikugorô VII
Funadama Osai	Nakamura Tokizô V
Nippon Daemon	Nakamura Tomijûrô V
The courtesan Miyuki, Tsukimoto Enshû	Sawamura Tanosuke VI
La courtisane Kagetsu	Onoe Kikunosuke V
Araki Samonnosuke, Kibazô	Bandô Hikosaburô VIII

November 2005: revival at the National Theater of Chikamatsu Yanagi's drama "Ehon Taikôki", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Takechi Mitsuhide	Nakamura Hashinosuke III
Mashiba Hisayoshi	Nakamura Shikan VII
Oda Harunaga	Kataoka Gatô V
Takechi Jûjirô	Nakamura Kaishun II
Misao	Nakamura Tôzô VI
Satsuki	Nakamura Kichinojô II
Satô Masakiyo	Ichikawa Omezô VI
Mori Ranmaru, Hatsugiku	Kataoka Takatarô

January 2009: revival at the National Theater of "Zôhiki", a bombastic play in the aragoto style which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban and is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Mita no Genji Takeru	Ichikawa Danjûrô XII
Ôtomo no Kachimaro	Bandô Mitsugorô X
The priest Gazenbô	Nakamura Hashinosuke III
Princess Yayoi	Nakamura Fukusuke IX
Horikawa Kageyu	Kataoka Ichizô VI
The widow Atago-no-Mae	Ichimura Kakitsu IX

The long façade of The National Theater