5 shows in Tôkyô (Kabukiza, National Theatre, Asakusa Kôkaidô), 2 in Ôsaka (Shôchikuza) and 1 in Kyôto (Minamiza)!

Bandô Tamasaburô, Nakamura Jakuemon, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Kanzaburô, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Nakamura Shikan and Nakamura Shibajaku perform at the Kabukiza!

Ichikawa Danjûrô, Sakata Tôjûrô, Ichikawa Ebizô, Nakamura Kanjaku, Nakamura Senjaku, Kataoka Gatô and Kataoka Hidetarô perform at the Shôchikuza!

Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Tokizô and Bandô Mitsugorô perform at the National Theatre!

The Zenshinza troupe performs at the Minamiza!

Lots of young talented actors at the Asakusa Kôkaidô!

Bandô Tamasaburô, Nakamura Jakuemon, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Kanzaburô, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Shibajaku, Ichikawa Sadanji, Nakamura Hashinosuke, Nakamura Baigyoku, Nakamura Kaishun, Kataoka Takatarô, Nakamura Fukusuke, Nakamura Shinjirô, Nakamura Karoku, Nakamura Kashô, Bandô Yajûrô, Nakamura Tôzô, Ichikawa Komazô, Nakamura Matsue

Shôchikubai: as befits a program for New Years, the program begins with three graceful dances with the younger stars of Kabuki evoking three plants that are regarded as auspicious symbols of prosperity and long life. Featuring Nakamura Baigyoku and Nakamura Hashinosuke commemorating the pine, Nakamura Kashô, Nakamura Shinjirô, Nakamura Matsue and Ichikawa Komazô commemorating the bamboo and Nakamura Kaishun, Kataoka Takatarô and Nakamura Shibajaku commemorating the plum.

Shunkan: the priest Shunkan (Nakamura Kichiemon) has been exiled to Devil's Island for plotting against the dictator Kiyomori. A pardon is given to his fellow conspirators, but Shunkan is only saved by an additional pardon given by Kiyomori's compassionate son. Even so, he gives up his place on the boat to freedom so his companion's new wife can accompany her husband back to the capital. The boat leaves and Shunkan is left watching is disappear in the distance, knowing he will be left on the island forever. Featuring Ichikawa Danshirô as the evil emissary Senoo and Nakamura Tomijûrô as the merciful envoy Tanzaemon. With Nakamura Fukusuke as the island girl Chidori and Nakamura Tôzô as Naritsune, Shunkan's fellow exile who has fallen in love with her.

Kanjinchô: probably the most popular Kabuki play today, it includes dance, comedy and the heart-warming pathos of a band of heroes during their last days. Disguised as a band of traveling priests the fugitive general Yoshitsune and his small band of retainers are stopped at a road barrier. They escape only through the quick thinking of the head retainer, a warrior priest named Musashibô Benkei, who improvises the text of an elaborate imperial decree. Having escaped danger Benkei and the others describe their days of glory and hardships on the road to escape in a moving dance. This program stars Matsumoto Kôshirô in the role of Benkei, with Nakamura Shikan and Nakamura Baigyoku as Yoshitsune and the barrier keeper Togashi.

Kisen: "Kisen" is part of a series of dances showing the six poetic geniuses of ancient Japan. The five male poets are all shown as being in love with the sixth, Ono no Komachi, one of the most famous beauties of Japan. The other dances are set in ancient Japan, but this dance suddenly jumps to the Edo period where the poet-priest Kisen wanders intoxicated by the beauties of the cherry blossoms and of Okaji, a tea stand waitress. Starring Nakamura Kanzaburô as Kisen and Bandô Tamasaburô as Okaji.

Kuruwa Sanbasô: the sanbasô is an auspicious dance based on the ritual play Okina in the classical Nô theater which shows an old man as a symbol of longevity and the energetic sanbasô as a symbol of fertility and prosperity. In Kabuki there are many different versions, but this particular one sets the dance in the pleasure quarters and has a beautiful top-ranking courtesan in place of the old man and a taiko mochi entertainer instead of the boisterous sanbasô. To celebrate the New Year, this dance features Living National Treasures Nakamura Jakuemon as the courtesan and Nakamura Tomijûrô as the taiko mochi. Also featuring Nakamura Kaishun, Nakamura Shibajaku and Kataoka Takatarô.

Kinkakuji: "Kinkakuji" retains the epic scale of plays adapted from the Bunraku puppet theater and is full of miracles and larger-than-life characters common on the puppet stage. It is full of the classical forms of all kinds of stylized characters and the role of Princess Yuki is considered to be one of the most difficult and beautiful roles for an onnagata female role specialist. Matsunaga Daizen (Matsumoto Kôshirô) has defeated the Shôgun and has set up base in the Golden Pavilion. The brilliant strategist Hisayoshi, disguised as a disgruntled retainer named Tôkichi (Nakamura Kichiemon), pretends to come under Daizen's employ to try to sabotage his plans from within. Princess Yuki (Bandô Tamasaburô) is being held prisoner by Daizen, but is able to free herself by drawing a mouse in the cherry petals of the tree that she is tied to. It comes to life and chews the ropes holding her. Starring the best of the actors in their prime in a production sure to be full of fire and excitement.

Kagami Jishi: one of the most important dances for onnagata female role specialists and is an audience favorite. The maidservant Yayoi performs an auspicious lion dance for the Shôgun in his opulent palace, but she gradually finds herself under the control of the lion spirit. In the second half of the dance, the lion spirit itself appears and performs its crazed dance among peonies and fluttering butterflies. Starring Nakamura Kanzaburô as both Yayoi and the spirit of the lion in a dance that he has made his own.

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 Nakamura Fukusuke as Otomi, Nakamura Karoku as the gang boss and Nakamura Hashinosuke as Yosaburô.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Ichikawa Danjûrô, Sakata Tôjûrô, Ichikawa Ebizô, Nakamura Kanjaku, Nakamura Senjaku, Kataoka Gatô, Kataoka Hidetarô, Kataoka Shinnosuke

Keya-mura: Rokusuke (Nakamura Kanjaku), a sword master who lives a simple country life, is taking care of a small foundling child. He hangs the boy's kimono outside his house in the hope that the boy's relatives will see it and know where he is. One day he finds himself attacked by a woman named Osono (Nakamura Senjaku) who turns out to be the aunt of the child. As they talk, they find that they are in fact linked by promises of marriage although they have never met directly. Osono is searching for the killer of her father, Rokusuke's master, and Rokusuke promises to help in her vendetta.

Kanjinchô: probably the most popular Kabuki play today, it includes dance, comedy and the heart-warming pathos of a band of heroes during their last days. Disguised as a band of traveling priests the fugitive general Yoshitsune and his small band of retainers are stopped at a road barrier. They escape only through the quick thinking of the head retainer, a warrior priest named Musashibô Benkei, who improvises the text of an elaborate imperial decree. Having escaped danger Benkei and the others describe their days of glory and hardships on the road to escape in a moving dance. This program stars Ichikawa Danjûrô in the role of Benkei, with Sakata Tôjûrô and Ichikawa Ebizô as Yoshitsune and the barrier keeper Togashi.

Fûin Giri:
(Breaking the Seals)
In the pleasure quarters, the most important possessions were money and reputation. In danger of losing his lover, the courtesan Umegawa, the money courier Kameya Chûbê breaks the seals on a package of money entrusted to him after being taunted by a rival, even though the use of such money is punishable by death. Starring Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô as Chûbê, Kataoka Hidetarô as Umegawa, Kataoka Gatô as Chûbê treacherous friend Tanbaya Hachiemon and Kamimura Kichiya as Oen, the proprietress of the teahouse.

Kenuki: in this play, which retains the light, festive atmosphere of early-period Kabuki, a princess has a mysterious ailment that makes her hair stand on end, an ailment that prevents her from carrying out her long-awaited marriage. Kumedera Danjô comes from the groom's household to investigate and finds a plot to take over the household when his tweezers float in mid-air. Ichikawa Ebizô stars in a play that features the bombastic aragoto style of acting that is a specialty of his family.

Yamashina Kankyo: this is an act of the epic play based on a sensational incident in the early 17th century. Lord En'ya Hangan's attack on the senior official Kô no Moronô affected people even outside his own household. When Honzô, the senior retainer of another lord, stopped En'ya from killing Moronô, he thought that he was doing a good thing. But his actions earned him the scorn of Enya's retainers and brought personal tragedy to his daughter who was engaged to Rikiya, the son of Yuranosuke, En'ya's head retainer. The scene shows the tragedy as it affects Honzô's wife and daughter and how ultimately Honzô sacrifices his life to atone for his misjudgement. Starring Kataoka Gatô as Honzô, Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô as his wife Tonase and Nakamura Senjaku as his daughter Konami, with Ichikawa Danjûrô as Yuranosuke, Kataoka Hidetarô as his wife Oishi and Nakamura Kanjaku as his son Rikiya.

Fuji Musume: the spirit of wisteria blossoms dances of love in the form of a beautiful young maiden. One of Kabuki's most famous and colorful dances, it will feature the dancing skills of Nakamura Senjaku.

Tomo Yakko: a samurai footman rushes after his master in the pleasure quarters, but loses sight of him. He dances with pride in his master and enjoys his dance so much that he begins emphasizing it with vigorous foot stamping. Starring Nakamura Kanjaku in the role of the yakko.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Tokizô, Bandô Mitsugorô, Onoe Kikunosuke, Bandô Hikosaburô, Onoe Shôroku

Continuing its celebration of its fortieth anniversary, the National Theatre will do the first production of a kabuki play in 166 years, a play full of chills and thrills and wild spectacle. In 1827, when audiences went to see "Hitori Tabi Gojûsan Tsugi" (Traveling Alone to the Fifty-three Stations), by the famous playwright Tsuruya Nanboku IV (1755~1829) they expected a Kabuki version of the bestselling comic novel about the adventures of Yaji and Kita on the road. What they got instead was a spectacular series of scenes scary, sexy and comic reworking all Nanboku's favorite themes including a monstrous cat and changing one of the most famous mother and son couples in Kabuki, keeping the names but changing what they do drastically, transforming them into a pair of adult lovers. The play was a long-running hit and inspired many plays with spectacular scenic effects.

In 1835, a group of playwrights including Nanboku's son, Tsuruya Nanboku V reworked this play, keeping the monstrous cat but adding a renegade priest who mastered rat magic and a famous thief named Nezumi Kozô ("Kid Rat"). Then they worked old Tsuruya Nanboku's transformative magic on the passionate grocer's daughter Oshichi, making her into Sayoginu Oshichi and bringing the handsome young samurai Shirai Gonpachi and his lover, the courtesan Komurasaki, into the mix as well. The play starred Onoe Kikugorô III (1784~1849) and featured the ghosts and stage tricks that he had developed with Tsuruya Nanboku that had made his career.

In January 2007 at the National Theatre, Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugorô will revive this version of the play for the first time and challenge himself with the spectacular scenes and famous roles from the earliest times of his family's acting tradition. Also starring Living National Treasure Sawamura Tanosuke, Bandô Hikosaburô, Nakamura Tokizô, Bandô Mitsugorô, Onoe Shôroku and Onoe Kikunosuke.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Nakamura Shidô, Kataoka Ainosuke, Ichikawa Omezô, Nakamura Kantarô, Nakamura Shidô, Nakamura Kikaku

The yearly show for young promising actors at the Asakusa Kôkaidô in the heart of Asakusa, a lively and colorful neighboorhood that keeps the scent of old Edo.

Nakamura Umenosuke, Kawarasaki Kunitarô, Arashi Keishi, Nakamura Baijaku, Fujikawa Yanosuke, Segawa Kikunojô, Arashi Hiroya

Gojû no Tô: a dramatization of the classic story by Kôda Rohan. This play shows the rivalry between the slow Jûbê (???) and sophisticated Genta (???) to build a magnificent pagoda for a temple. Although it seems natural for Genta to be awarded the contract, it becomes an obsession for Jûbê and finally their rivalry becomes the reason for the successful completion of the pagoda.

Kôjô: there is a close relationship between the stage and the audience in Kabuki and this is shown by these ceremonial stage announcements where the top stars of the company address the audience directly. For this tour, the actors celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Zenshinza troupe.

Sakanaya Sôgorô: Sôgorô (Nakamura Baijaku), a fish seller, has taken a vow to not drink, but when he learns about his sister's unjust murder at the hands of a daimyô lord, a death that they were told was execution for her wrongdoing, he starts to drink again. Drunk, he storms into the lord's mansion to seek an apology. This play by Meiji playwright Kawatake Mokuami is known for its realistic portrayal of members of the common class during the Edo period and highlights their fierce pride and frustration at the privileges of the dominant samurai class.

Source: Earphone Guide website