4 shows in Tôkyô (Shinbashi Enbujô, National Theatre, Asakusa Kôkaidô), 1 in Matsumoto (Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre) and 2 in Ôsaka (Shôchikuza)!

Kataoka Nizaemon, Bandô Mitsugorô, Nakamura Tokizô, Kataoka Gatô, Kataoka Hidetarô, Kataoka Ainosuke, Kataoka Takatarô and Bandô Takesaburô perform at the Shôchikuza!

Ichikawa Danjûrô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Ichikawa Ebizô, Nakamura Fukusuke and the actors of the Omodakaya guild perform at the Shinbashi Enbujô!

Onoe Shôroku, Nakamura Kaishun and Ichikawa Danzô are at the National Theatre!

Nakamura Kanzaburô and Nakamura Senjaku perform at the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre!

Kataoka Nizaemon, Bandô Mitsugorô, Nakamura Tokizô, Kataoka Gatô, Kataoka Hidetarô, Kataoka Ainosuke, Kataoka Takatarô, Bandô Takesaburô, Bandô Yajûrô, Kataoka Kamezô, Bandô Shûchô, Kataoka Shinnosuke, Nakamura Baishi, Bandô Minosuke, Nakamura Mantarô

Banshû Sarayashiki: this is a Kabuki dramatization of a famous ghost story. Okiku, a lady-in-waiting in a samurai mansion breaks one of a set of ten precious plates and is executed for her mistake. Her ghost then appears nightly, counting out the plates, this time desperately hoping that she will find ten plates. Starring Kataoka Takatarô, Kataoka Ainosuke and Kataoka Kamezô in the roles of Okiku and the cruel Asayama Tetsuzan and Tetsuzan's retainer Iwabuchi Chûta.

Suô Otoshi:
(The Dropped Coat)
This play transforms a classical Kyôgen farce into Kabuki dance. Delivering a message for his lord, the servant Tarôkaja (Bandô Mitsugorô) charms a princess and in reward for a dance showing a famous battle, he receives a formal coat and large amounts of drink. Knowing his lord is a greedy man, he tries to hide the coat on his return, but unfortunately, the sake that helped him feel so good earlier works against him.

Edo no Uta Nasake no Hitofushi:
(The Song of the Shamisen Player)
This is a rare performance of a play written for the famous Ichimura Uzaemon XV, one of the most popular and most handsome stars of his time. It shows a samurai who goes through all kinds of comic difficulties and finally is forced to make a living as a shamisen player. At the conclusion of the piece, the star actor (Kataoka Nizaemon) plays the shamisen himself on stage. Featuring also Nakamura Tokizô, Bandô Mitsugorô, Kataoka Ainosuke and Bandô Takesaburô.

Kurumabiki: this short scene shows the three brothers that dominate the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami", each with a distinctive personality. Sakuramaru (Kataoka Takatarô) and Umeômaru (Kataoka Ainosuke) have been rendered masterless by Kan Shôjô's exile. The third brother Matsuômaru (Kataoka Shinnosuke) serves the villain Shihei (Kataoka Gatô), who is responsible for the downfall of Kan Shôjô. Sakuramaru and Umeômaru try to destroy Shihei's carriage but are stopped by Matsuômaru and the magical glare of Shihei. Finally the brothers agree to suspend their disputes until they all meet at their father's seventieth birthday party.

Ise Ondo: this play is famous for its classical depiction of a woman who must pretend to reject her lover for his sake and for the beautiful and gruesome dance-like killing scene at the end, done to the music of the Ise pleasure quarters. Fukuoka Mitsugi (Kataoka Nizaemon), a young apprentice at the holy Shrine of Ise tries to help find the stolen treasured sword of his clan out of duty to his former lord. Mitsugi has the sword in his possession, but must now find the certificate of authentication and in order to get it for him, Okon (Nakamura Tokizô), a courtesan who is in love with Mitsugi must pretend to forsake Mitsugi. But he believes that she has truly betrayed him and further angered by the humiliating accusations of Manno (Kataoka Hidetarô), the head maid of the Aburaya brothel, Mitsugi inadvertently draws the sword, said to be cursed, and the rampage begins. Featuring also Bandô Mitsugorô, Kataoka Ainosuke and Kataoka Gatô in the roles of the cook Kisuke, the yakko Rinpei and Fujinami Sazen.

Sources: Earphone Guide website
Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website for "Banshû Sarayashiki" and "Edo no Uta Nasake no Hitofushi"

Ichikawa Danjûrô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Ichikawa Ebizô, Nakamura Fukusuke, Ichikawa Ukon, Ichikawa Emiya, Ichikawa Emisaburô, Ichikawa Monnosuke, Ichikawa En'ya, Ôtani Tomoemon, Kawarasaki Gonjûrô, Kataoka Ichizô, Nakamura Utae, Ichikawa Unosuke, Nakamura Kikaku, Ichimura Kakitsu, Ichikawa Shun'en, Ichikawa Omezô, Nakamura Tôzô, Nakamura Matsue, Ichikawa Juen, Nakamura Shinobu

Torii Mae:
(In Front of the Fushimi Inari Shrine)
This is a short scene showing the troubles of Yoshitsune after his brother Yoritomo, the Shôgun, turns against him. Yoshitsune (Ichikawa Monnosuke) is forced to flee from the troops sent by his brother Yoritomo. The trip will be hard and he decides he must leave behind his lover Shizuka Gozen (Ichikawa Emiya), despite her passionate pleas to remain with him. As a reminder of himself, he presents her with a precious hand drum that he had received from the emperor. Yoshitsune's retainer Tadanobu (Ichikawa Ukon) rescues Shizuka from Yoritomo's troops and Yoshitsune decides to have Tadanobu protect her on the road, not knowing that this Tadanobu is actually a magical fox in disguise.

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 Nakamura Baigyoku and Ichikawa Ebizô as Yoshitsune and the barrier keeper Togashi.

Yôkihi: this is a rare performance of a play by Osaragi Jirô, the novelist most famous for the Robin Hood-like character Kurama Tengu. The play was originally written for a Shinpa troupe and dramatizes one of the most famous incidents in Chinese history. Yang Guifei (Yôkihi in Japanese) was a beautiful woman from a humble family who became the mistress of the Tang emperor. His love for her was such that the entire empire nearly crumbled. The play focuses on Yôkihi's rise and her relationship with the young court official that loves her, first brings her to the emperor and serves her faithfully as a court eunuch. Finally he begs to be the one to kill her when rebellion and a coup d'etat threaten the empire. Starring Nakamura Fukusuke in the role of Yôkihi. Featuring also Nakamura Baigyoku and Ichikawa Ebizô.

Soga no Ishidan: In the Edo period, the medieval Soga brothers, who endured eighteen years of hardship before they avenged the death of their father, became popular guardian gods and hundreds of plays about their exploits appeared. This particular rarely performed play shows the brothers confronting the two men who killed their father in a fight scene on a set of stone steps, then the set turns over in a spectacular transition to reveal the next scene which takes place in the pleasure quarters. Starring Nakamura Baigyoku as Kudô Suketsune, the man that had the father of the Soga brothers killed, Ichikawa Emiya as the wise and restrained Soga no Jûrô and Nakamura Matsue as the impetuous Soga no Gorô. Featuring Ichikawa Emisaburô and Ichikawa Shun'en as the courtesans Ôiso no Tora (Jûrô's lover) and Kewaizaka no Shôshô (Gorô's lover). Featuring also Ichikawa Ukon and Ichikawa En'ya in a spectacular fight scene on a stone stairway

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 Ichikawa Ebizô as both Yayoi and the spirit of the lion.

Edo no Yûbae: the sunset of the title is the passing of the world of the Edo period with Japan's opening to the west and modernization. This play by novelist Osaragi Jirô, written in 1952, shows two members of the samurai class and how they dealt with the fall of the Tokugawa Shôgunate and their loss of rank in the new world of Meiji Japan. One decides to fight the new order while the other escapes into dissipation and pleasure. Starring Ichikawa Danjûrô, Ichikawa Ebizô, Nakamura Fukusuke and Ichikawa Sadanji.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Onoe Shôroku, Nakamura Kaishun, Ichikawa Danzô, Bandô Kamesaburô, Bandô Kametoshi, Onoe Matsuya

Educational program at the National Theatre called Kabuki Kanshô Kyôshitu ("Kabuki Appreciation Class"). This is a very interesting formula for the beginners because there is lively presentation of Kabuki (or some aspects of the art like music, stage tricks or fighting scenes) on stage, followed by the second act of "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura":

Tokaiya/Daimotsu no Ura: these are two scenes from one of the greatest classics of the puppet theatre, which has also become a classic of Kabuki. After the wars between the Genji and Heike clans, the Genji are victorious and their leader Yoritomo is now Shôgun. But there is a falling out between Yoritomo and his brother Yoshitsune, the brilliant general responsible for the victory. Now Yoshitsune is fleeing through the country and this play fancifully has him encounter several famous warriors from the Heike clan, who are not dead, as history has it. Yoshitsune (Onoe Matsuya) books passage on a boat to Kyûshû, but the captain is actually Taira no Tomomori (Onoe Shôroku), a general of the Heike clan that Yoshitsune helped to defeat. Tomomori was supposedly killed by Yoshitsune in the final battle of the war, but in this play, Tomomori is shown as surviving, living in disguise with the child emperor Antoku and his nursemaid (Nakamura Kaishun). At one moment the captain is a gallant commoner, but in the next, he is Tomomori, a high ranking general close to the emperor. His wife as well is a cheerful commoner who shows her true identity as a high-ranking lady-in-waiting in the magnificent robes of the imperial court. Tomomori uses the opportunity to try to get his revenge on Yoshitsune but is defeated again. Finally Tomomori holds a giant anchor and plunges into the sea. Featuring Ichikawa Danzô in the role of Musashibô Benkei.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Nakamura Kanzaburô, Nakamura Senjaku, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Nakamura Kantarô

The Heisei star Nakamura Kanzaburô is back on stage!

Urashima: This dance depicts a Japanese folk tale of a young man named Urashima (Nakamura Kantarô) who is invited to the Dragon Palace under the sea for saving a turtle's life. When Urashima returns back home, he finds that many year had elapsed during the few days he spent at the Dragon Palace. When he opens up the gift boxes, lovingly thinking of the Princess of the Sea who had given them to him, a puff of smoke appears and Urashima turns into an old man with silvery white hair. This dance utilizes many beautiful melodies and brilliantly expresses Urashima's feeling at the moment of change.

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 Shichinosuke.

Migawari Zazen: a dance play adopted from a classical kyôgen farce. A man (Nakamura Kanzaburô) wants nothing more than to visit his lover Hanako, but he has one important problem, his homely and overbearing wife (Nakamura Senjaku). He creates a scheme saying that he will be practicing Zen meditation all night and has his servant take his place while he visits Hanako. He returns, giddy from a night of pleasure and tells his story to his servant in dance, unaware that his wife has discovered his deception and has taken his servant's place.

Sources: Earphone Guide website
Nihon Buyô for "Urashima"

Onoe Kikunosuke, Onoe Ukon

A special dance program for the victims of the 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake Disaster.

Komori: a young girl (Onoe Ukon) runs onto stage chasing after a bird that has stolen the abura-age (deep fried tôfu) she just bought. The girl is babysitting and begins to daydream as she tries to calm the crying baby strapped to her back. Dancing to a tune based on what was popular at the time, she plays doll shop, sings of love and romance and finally describes what life was like in her hometown.

Ukare Bôzu: Onoe Kikunosuke appears in the complex and spectacular dance "Ukare Bôzu" which shows a low-class priest who goes from door to door begging for contributions wearing nothing but a thin robe and carrying a bucket to douse himself with cold water as an austere practice for the salvation of those that give him money.

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 Onoe Kikunosuke.

Source: Earphone Guide website, except "Komori" (Cultural News)