Reminder: the Kabukiza, the Temple of Kabuki in Japan, will be definitively closed (and destroyed afterwards - to be rebuilt in the coming years) at the end of April 2010. Only 4 months of Kabukiza Sayonara Kôen (farewell performances) in 2010. If you have the chance to be in Tôkyô between January 2010 and April 2010, do not miss the opportunity to visit this important monument in Kabuki (and Japan) history!

Namiki Gohei's spectacular drama "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri" will be revived at the National Theatre in March 2010; the role of the larger-than-life villain Ishikawa Goemon will be performed by Nakamura Hashinosuke [more details].

Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Somemoyô Chûgi no Goshuin", which was revived in October 2006 at the Shôchikuza, will be staged in March 2010 at the Nissay Theatre [more details].

The Kabukiza will commemorate the 22nd anniversary (23rd memorial service) of late Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII in February 2010. The stars of this program will be Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII's son Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII, Bandô Tamasaburô, Kataoka Nizaemon and all the members of the Matsushimaya guild, Bandô Mitsugorô, Living National Treasure Nakamura Shikan and his two sons, Nakamura Baigyoku, Nakamura Kaishun, Nakamura Kanjaku and Nakamura Senjaku [more details].

Opening of the official website of Onoe Kikugorô and Onoe Kikunosuke, the stars of the Otowaya guild: otowaya.ne.jp.

Ichikawa Danjûrô is giving a talk (in Japanese) at the Westin Miyako in Kyôto on Thursday 17th December 2009, from 6:30pm to 9pm, with a dinner with Kyôto special seasonal ingredients [more details].

Matsumoto Kôshirô will soon join the prestigious Japan Art Academy (Nihon Geijutsuin). It is going to be announced formally by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology the 15th of December 2009.

Bandô Tamasaburô receives the 57th Kikuchi Kan Award in recompense for his performance in July 2009 at the Kabukiza, where he played in Izumi Kyôka's dramas "Kaijin Bessô" and "Tenshu Monogatari".

The Nagauta musician Mochizuki Tasanosuke III (1934~2009) died the 3rd of December 2009.

The young star Ichikawa Ebizô will tour in the UK in June 2010, performing at the Sadler's Wells Theatre the great roles of Tadanobu and the fox Genkurô in a selection of scenes from the classic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" [more details].
Big thanks to Trevor for the piece of information!

The Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô received the Order of Culture (bunka kunshô in Japanese). This order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life. The order was conferred to Sakata Tôjûrô by the Emperor of Japan in person on Culture Day (the 3rd of November).

The star Nakamura Kanzaburô has worked with the modern playwright Kudô Kankurô to produce a new drama, which is entitled "Ôedo Ribingu Deddo" (Ôedo and the Living Dead) and will be staged at the Kabukiza in December 2009 [more details].

The Zenshinza actor Arashi Hironari will take the name of Arashi Yoshisaburô VII in May 2010 at the National Theatre. he will play the role of Yosaburô in the drama "Kirare Otomi".

As part as the Shinema Kabuki ("Cinema Kabuki") series, the drama "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage", which was shot live in November 2008 at the Heisei Nakamuraza, will be released in Tôkyô the 26th of December 2009. This is the 10th "Cinema Kabuki" and it will be screened at the Tôgeki in Tôkyô [more details in Japanese].

The rarely-staged "Amakawaya Gihei Uchi" act will be part of the tôshi kyôgen staging of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura" in Ôsaka in January 2010 at the Shôchikuza [more details]. The casting will be full of Kamigata (real or related) stars like Sakata Tôjûrô, Nakamura Kanjaku, Nakamura Senjaku, Kataoka Gatô, Kataoka Hidetarô, Kataoka Takatarô or Bandô Takesaburô.

Ichikawa Ebizô will perform for the very first time the prestigious ten roles of "Date no Jûyaku", in January 2010 at the Shinbashi Enbujô [more details]. These roles were the privilege of the star Ichikawa Ennosuke, who revived them for the first time in April 1979 and performed them in 9 productions from 1979 to 1999.

Revival in January 2010 at the National Theatre of Namiki Gohei I's long-forgotten drama "Keisei Kogane no Shachihoko", which is entitled "Asahi-ni Kagayaku Kin no Shachihoko" in this new version. It is staged to commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the establishment of the city of Nagoya. The creation of the town of Nagoya began in 1610, with the beginning of the construction of Nagoya Castle, and the transfer of the entire town of Kiyosu. "Keisei Kogane no Shachihoko" was premiered in the 12th lunar month of 1782 in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai and successfully produced up to the middle of 3rd lunar month of 1783 [more details | casting].

The 9 movies of the Shinema Kabuki series ("Cinema Kabuki") will be screened one more time in several movie theaters in October, November and December. The very good news is that some of these movies will have English subtitles [more details]. The full program in Japanese is also available (PDF file).

Bandô Tamasaburô and Kataoka Nizaemon, the most successful goruden konbi of nowadays Kabuki, will be the stars of the December 2009 kaomise at the Minamiza. They will play the roles of the lovers Sukeroku and Agemaki in "Sukeroku Kuruwa no Hatsuzakura". They will also play two supporting roles in "Fûin Giri": the helpful Izutsuya Oen (Bandô Tamasaburô) and the treacherous Tanbaya Hachiemon (Kataoka Nizaemon) [more details].

A special 1-day program called "Nô and Kabuki" will be staged the 26th of October 2009 at the Kabukiza. It will be made up of one Nô play and one Kabuki dance [more details].

October is the month of kodomo shibai in the heart of the lively Asakusa district of Tôkyô. This event is called "Asakusa Okuyama Kodomo Kabuki" [more details in Japanese].

We celebrate today the 10th anniversary of the www.kabuki21.com project! I would like to thank all the people who kindly helped me over the years to build this website: the Antiquarian Print Gallery, Paul Binnie, Jeff Blair, Ashley Buerkett, Frank Castle, Anne Dick, Ehon Kabukizzu, Yuriko Fujiki, David "Bassman" Gardahaut, Paul Griffith, Marion Hudson, Richard Illing, Ted Jagoda, James King, Curtis Knapp, Theo de Kreijger, MacDougall Auctions, Lynn Matsuoka, Katarzyna Paczuska, Guy Pepermans, ROMAN, Sekidobashi "Abby" Sakura, Trevor Skingle, Hiroko Sonoyama, STUDIO-S, the Sydney Society of Literature and Aesthetics, Jerry "V" Vegder, Stefan Verstappen, Jan Pieter Volkers, Jean Wilson, Junko Yamada and Akiko Yamauchi.

Nakamura Kanzaburô's son Nakamura Kantarô will take the name of Nakamura Kankurô VI^* in Spring 2012. His shûmei has been officially announced by the Shôchiku Company.

(*) This shûmei is not a surprise but I was also expecting Nakamura Kantarô's younger brother Nakamura Shichinosuke to take the name of Nakamura Shichisaburô VI at the same time .... In my dream, a third actor (a tachiyaku) would have also taken the name of Nakamura Nakazô VI. I was wrong!

The Nagauta shamisen player Kineya Seijirô will become the new iemoto of the Kineya school of music and take the name of Kineya Katsusaburô VIII. His shûmei will be celebrated at the National Theatre in September 2010. His father, Kineya Katsusaburô VII, is now named Kineya Kassaku^*. Kassaku was the haimyô of Kineya Katsusaburô II.

(*) We are not sure about the reading of this name [勝作]. Is it Kassaku or Shôsaku?

Great Kabuki in October 2009 at the Misonoza, with the tôshi kyôgen production of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura". The stars will be Ichikawa Danjûrô, the Matsushimaya guild led by Kataoka Nizaemon and the two heirs of the Narikomaya guild [more details].

If you are interested to go to Monaco for the Kabuki in September 2009, there is an English website which can help you purchasing some tickets. You'll be charged in JPY but you will be able to print your ticket by yourself (a big thanks to Trevor for the piece of information!):
http://www.e-tix.jp/monaco_kabuki_en/monaco_kabuki_en.html.

After the Shinbashi Enbujô in January 2008 and the Misonoza in April 2009, the young star Ichikawa Ebizô will play for the third times 5 roles in the epic drama "Narukami Fudô Kitayama Zakura", which will be staged in October 2009 at the Hakataza (Fukuoka) [more details]. This year is special for the Hakataza, which celebrates its 10th anniversary!

For the second time in Kabuki history, the world of Edogawa Rampo will be adapted for Kabuki, in October 2009 at the National Theatre with Matsumoto Kôshirô and Ichikawa Somegorô in the leading roles [more details].

There will be a short Kabuki tour in Europa in September 2009, in Monaco (the fiscal paradise located near Nice in France) from the 16th to the 19th. Ichikawa Ebizô will perform the leading role of "Shunkyô Kagami Jishi". Ichikawa Danjûrô and Nakamura Tokizô will star in the great drama "Narukami". The venue will be the Salle Garnier of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.

The Chikamatsuza, the troupe led by Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô, will tour in the Western provinces in September 2009 [more details].

The Heisei Nakamuraza will be in Nagoya in September 2009. The temporary koshibai look-alike theater will be built in the precincts of the Nagoya Castle [more details].

The number of swine flu cases in Kansai is responsible for a program change in the June 2009 show at the Shôchikuza. The young star Ichikawa Ebizô will perform a traditional nirami no mie in a kôjô added between two dances. It is said that if you can catch the actor eyes, you won't be infected with the new H1N1 virus!

Kataoka Nizaemon will do his isse ichidai performance for the role of Yohei in the drama "Abura no Jigoku", which will be staged in June 2009 at the Kabukiza.

The goruden konbi Bandô Tamasaburô/Ichikawa Ebizô will be the stars of the July 2009 program at the Kabukiza. They will play together in Izumi Kyôka's masterpieces "Kaijin Bessô" and "Tenshu Monogatari".

A giant countdown machine was inaugurated in front of the Kabukiza the 1st of May 2009, to display the number of remaining days, hours and minutes before the final closing of this theater [more details in Japanese]. The stage giants Ichikawa Danjûrô, Onoe Kikugorô, Sakata Tôjûrô, Nakamura Tomijûrô and Nakamura Shikan took part in the ceremony and speeches.

Nakamura Hashinosuke is part of the cast of Kiriya Kazuaki's big-budget CG-assisted heavy blow-out-the-eyeballs spectacular epic movie "Goemon", which was released all over Japan the 1st of May 2009. The Kabuki actor plays the role of the warlord Oda Nobunaga.

Onoe Kikunosuke is part of the cast of Hayashi Kaizô and Kaneko Isao movie "Za Kôdo/ Angô", which was released all over Japan the 9th of May 2009.

Bandô Mitsugorô has received the Purple Ribbon Medal (Shiju Hôshô in Japanese), one of the six Japanese medals of honor awarded by the Japanese Government to deserving citizens.

Ichikawa Masuju, a supporting onnagata actor of the Naritaya guild, died the 24th of April 2009, victim of a lung cancer.

Sakata Tôjûrô played for the 1300th times the role of the courtesan Tenmaya Ohatsu in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's masterpiece "Sonezaki Shinjû", the 24th of April 2009 in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza. The 1000th times was previously reached in January 1995 at the Nakaza; the role of Hiranoya Tokubê was played by Sakata Tôjûrô's son Nakamura Kanjaku.

The Minister of Education has designated the 1899 film "Momijigari", one of Japan’s earliest existing films recording the Kabuki actors Ichikawa Danjûrô IX and Onoe Kikugorô V acting in the eponymous play, an Important Cultural Property (Jûyô Bunkazai). The film photographed by Shibata Tsunekichi is the first motion picture ever to be given that designation.
Source: Aaron Gerow's Japanese Film Page

Matsumoto Kôshirô's grandson and Ichikawa Somegorô's son will make his first stage appearance (hatsubutai) at the Kabukiza in June 2009. He will receive the name of Matsumoto Kintarô IV and will perform with his father and grandfather in a special version of "Renjishi", which also features Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Shibajaku, Onoe Shôroku and Ôtani Tomoemon.

Ichikawa Danjûrô has written under the pen-name of Mimasuya Hakuji a short drama, which is entitled "Kurodani" and will be staged the 27th of June 2009 in Nagoya at the Nagoya Nôgakudô. This staging is part of the second edition of a special program of the association Ichikawa Ôka no Kai, which stars the female Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ôka, head of a female troupe in Nagoya (Nagoya Musume Kabuki). Ichikawa Danjûrô will perform in his drama.

The actor Bandô Takesaburô will celebrate in Summer 2009 his 77th birthday. This is an important age and it is a custom to celebrate it with a kiju kinen performance. It will be staged in June 2009 at the Shôchikuza.

The dance master Fujima Murasaki died in Tôkyô the 27th of March 2009. She was the wife of the star Ichikawa Ennosuke.

Bandô Mitsugorô and Ichikawa Danshirô are prize-winners of the 30th Matsuo Artistic Awards (Matsuo Geinô Shô). They received the 30th of March 2009 at the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Tôkyô the Grand Prize (Bandô Mitsugorô) and the Matsuo Kunizô Prize (Ichikawa Danshirô).

Nakamura Kichiemon and Nakamura Kantarô received the 26th of February 2009 a prize from the 16th Yomiuri Engeki Taishô (the Yomiuri Theatrical Prizes), awarded by the famous paper Yomiuri Shimbun. Nakamura Kichiemon received the Special Prize from the Selection Committee and Nakamura Kantarô received the Sugimura Haruko Prize.

The actor Nakamura Matagorô II died in Tôkyô the 21st of February 2009. We've received a mail from David, who had the chance to meet and work with this great actor and teacher:

"I had the great good fortune (as did several of us) to spend a year training with Matagorô sensei in what is still one of the best years of my theatrical life.
What I remember most clearly was the day, after class, when Russell and Elizabeth had questions about their scene together as Heiemon and Okaru^* and the emotions involved as Heiemon tells Okaru about Kanpei's death.
There were several of us there, sitting next to Matagorô in the dance studio, as he started to explain the scene. Then he said, "Here, let me show you". and without a moment's hesitation he launched into the scene, acting both parts with full emotional intensity. It was an incredible performance, unlike any I had ever seen before or since. Here was a true artist working at the very height of his powers and his talents. It was pure acting without relying on props, or costumes or stage setting to carry the scene but doing so entirely with his acting. And when the scene was finished, he smiled and asked, in a calm matter-of-fact tone, "Do you understand now?". I have seen many great performances (granted, mostly on film) by some of the world's greatest actors, but nothing has ever equaled the sheer skill and artistry I saw that morning.
Kabuki has lost a great artist, and we from out side the Kabuki world of Japan have lost a true friend who supported our quest to better understand this art form not just as scholars but more importantly as fellow artists.
The march of time was bound to bring this day, but the reality of it still hits hard."

(*) this scene is in the seventh act of "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

If you are interested in the design of the future Kabukiza, you can click on this link, which will redirect you on a page in Japanese containing a drawing of the project.

The Shôchiku Company has created a Special Logo for the Kabukiza Sayonara Kôen, the Kabukiza Farewell Performances, which will be held from January 2009 to April 2010.

As part as the Shinema Kabuki ("Cinema Kabuki") series, Hasegawa Shin's drama "Irezumi Chôhan", which was shot live in April 2008 at the Kabukiza, will be released in Tôkyô the 28th of February 2009. This is the 8th "Cinema Kabuki" and it will be screened at the Tôgeki in Tôkyô. Afterwards, it will be screened in Fukuoka and Kyôto.

Mayama's Shinkabuki masterpiece "Genroku Chûshingura" will be staged in March 2009 at the Kabukiza as a tôshi kyôgen but not in its integrity. The 6 most important parts are staged with the leading role of Ôishi Kuranosuke performed by the stars Matsumoto Kôshirô, Kataoka Nizaemon and Ichikawa Danjûrô.