HONGÔZA
   
Names Hongôza
Harukiza
Okudaza
City Tôkyô
History

July 1873: the zamoto Okuda Toichirô opened his own theater, the Okudaza, in the district of Hongô Haruki-chô. The zagashira was Yamazaki Kawazô and the leading actor was Okuda Tomisaburô.

October 1875: the Okudaza went bankrupt and the management was taken over by Fukae Tôbê, who renamed the theater Harukiza.

October 1881: premiere at the Harukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Kiwametsuki Banzui Chôbê", commonly called "Yudono no Chôbê", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles Actors
Banzui Chôbê Ichikawa Danjûrô IX
Sakuragawa Gorozô, Mizuno Jûrôzaemon Ichikawa Gonjûrô
Chôbê's wife Otoki Iwai Shijaku IV

March 1884: premiere at the Harukiza of Takeshiba Kinsaku I's drama "Chûjô Hime Taima Engi", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles Actors
Princess Chûjô Suketakaya Takasuke IV
The evil lady Teruhi-no-Mae Ichikawa Kuzô III
Kunioka Shôgen Ichikawa Teruzô I
Kunioka Shôgen's wife Oshina Fujikawa Kayû V
Fujinoya Onoe Taganojô II
Bekunai Sawamura Ujûrô III
Matsui Katôta, Toyohagi Tokinari Bandô Hikojûrô I
Yamane Nakamura Ginnosuke I

May 1885: first performance at the Harukiza of the Torikuma Shibai troupe.

23 June 1890: a fire destroyed the Harukiza.

December 1891: the Harukiza reopened with the shûmei of Nakamura Tomijûrô III, Azuma Tôzô VI and Nakamura Baiju. The others actors were Ichikawa Ennosuke I, Ichikawa Yaozô VII, Nakamura Shikaku I, Nakamura Komanosuke VI, Nakamura Kangorô XII and Ichikawa Utasaku.

January 1896: revival at the Harukiza of the dance "Kashiragaki Ise Monogatari", staged under the title "Noriaibune Ehô Manzai", with Ichikawa Ennosuke I and Nakamura Kangorô XII performing the two comic dancers.

1896: a stock-company was created to manage the Harukiza. Its name was Harukiza KK.

23 March 1898: a fire destroyed the Harukiza.

March 1902: The Harukiza was renamed Hongôza.

1910: the Hongôza was purchased by the Shôchiku.

January 1914: revival at the Hongôza of the drama "Gedatsu", a long-forgotten play belonging to the Kabuki Jûhachiban, which was staged with the following casting:

Roles Actors
Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo Ichikawa Sadanji II
Akoya Ichikawa Shôchô II
The yakko Yamahei, in reality Tomo no Rokurô Nakamura Matagorô I
The Kabuki actor Sadoshima Chôgorô Ichikawa Arajirô II
The yakko Yamahei, in reality Iba no Jûzô Ichikawa Sashô II
Kawachiya Denbê Ichikawa Sumizô VI
Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki Ichikawa Kodanji V

September 1914: premiere at the Hongôza of the drama "Waki Noboru Mizu-ni Koi Taki", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles Actors
Takimado Shiganosuke, in reality the spirit of a giant carp Ichikawa Udanji II
Princess Kozakura Ichikawa Shôchô II

September 1915: premiere at the Hongôza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Toribeyama Shinjû", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles Actors
Kikuchi Hankurô Ichikawa Sadanji II
The Wakamatsuya courtesan Osome Ichikawa Shôchô II
Sakata Ichinosuke Nakamura Matagorô I
Sakata Genzaburô Ichikawa Sumizô VI

February 1916: premiere at the Hongôza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Banchô Sarayashiki", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles Actors
Lord Aoyama Harima Ichikawa Sadanji II
Okiku Ichikawa Shôchô II
Shibata Jûdayû Ichikawa Sashô II
Hanaregoma Shirobê Ichikawa Sumizô VI
Gonji Ichikawa Arajirô II

March 1923: premiere at the Hongôza of Matsui Shôyô's drama "Satsuma no Yodogimi". The leading role of Lady Yodo (Yodogimi) was played by Nakamura Utaemon V.

1 September 1923 (11:58 AM): Tôkyô was destroyed by a powerful earthquake called Kantô Daijishin, which killed more than 200,000 people; the Hongôza was burnt to ashes.

1924: the Hongôza reopened.

February 1925: Katsu Hyôzô I's drama "Kachi Zumô Ukina no Hanabure", commonly called "Shirafuji Genta", was revived at the Hongôza, under the supervision of the writer Nagai Kafû. It was staged at the Hongôza with the following casting:

Roles Actors
The sumô wrestler Shirafuji Genta Jitsukawa Enjaku II
The courtesan Oshun Ichikawa Shôchô II
Gonsuke Ichikawa Sadanji II
Gonsuke's wife Otsuta, Sakama Denbê Sawamura Gennosuke IV
Tsugawa Mondo, Tsugawa Katsujirô Ichikawa Sumizô VI
Shioda Bannoshin Ichikawa Arajirô II
Tomihachi, Matasuke Ichikawa Yonezaemon

May 1927: premiere at the Hongôza of Okamoto Kidô's drama "Shinjuku Yawa", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles Actors
Saitô Jingozaemon Ichikawa Sadanji II
Saitô Daihachi Ichikawa Ennosuke II
The kakaeko Shinanoya Ochô Ichikawa Shôchô II
The countryside customer Yojirô Ichikawa Yaozô VIII
The hatagoya musume Okiyo Ichimura Kakitsu VII
A bashi Kawarasaki Gonjûrô II
The Shinanoya young man Sensuke Ichikawa Arajirô II
The hatagoya master Ichikawa Sashô II
The Shinanoya young man Ushizô Ichikawa Dan'en I

October 1927: revival at the Hongôza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which had not been staged since 3rd lunar month of 1817. The new script was written by Kawajiri Seitan and the play was produced under the title "Kiyomizudera Azuma Bunshô" with the following casting:

Roles Actors
The priest Seigen Nakamura Kichiemon I
Princess Sakura Nakamura Tokizô III
Tsurigane no Gonsuke, Shinobu no Sôta Ôtani Tomoemon VI
The priest Chikô Sawamura Gennosuke IV
The priest Zangetsu Nakamura Kichinojô I
Yoshida Matsuwaka Nakamura Yonekichi III
Iruma Akugorô Ichikawa Kuzô IV
Gunsuke Onoe Koisaburô III

November 1927: premiere at the Hongôza of Kimura Tomiko's dance-dance "Kôya Monogurui" (a drama adapted for Kabuki), which mixed Nagauta and Gidayû musical accompaniments. It was staged with the following casting:

Roles Actors
Takashi Shirô Ichikawa Ennosuke II
Hanawakamaru, in reality Hiramatsu Shunmitsu Nakamura Kotarô III

March 1928: premiere at the Hongôza of Oka Onitarô's drama "Nemuru-ga-Rakuda Monogatari", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles Actors
The kamikuzu-kai Kyûroku Nakamura Kichiemon I
The yûjin Chôname no Hanji Morita Kan'ya XIII
Hanji's sister Oyasu Bandô Shûka III
The yanushi Sahê Ôtani Tomoemon VI
The sakaya decchi Santa Nakamura Matagorô II
Sahê's nyôbô Oiku Nakamura Kichinojô I
Rakuda no Umakichi Nakamura Shichisaburô V

April 1930: the Hongôza became a movie theater.

10 March 1945 (00:08 AM): 344 US Army B29 bombers dropped 2,000 tons of bombs on Tôkyô, killing more than 120,000 people and destroying almost everything; the Hongôza was burnt to ashes. This theater was no more rebuilt in the post-war years.

The Hongôza

 
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