The spectacular drama "Hitori Tabi Gojûsan Tsugi", which belongs to the Ennosuke Jûhachiban collection of plays, will be revived at the Minamiza in March 2011; Ichikawa Ukon will perform 15 roles in a drama full of keren and hayagawari [more details].

Tsuruya Nanboku IV's 1810 masterpiece "Ehon Gappô-ga-Tsuji" will be revived at the National Theatre in March 2011, starring Kataoka Nizaemon in the roles of Tateba no Taheiji and Saeda Daigakunosuke [more details]. The previous revival happened in March 1992, at the Shinbashi Enbujô, starring Kataoka Takao and Bandô Tamasaburô.

A few more articles about the Ebizô Brawl Affair:

Kabuki's golden boy knocked off his pedestal — for now (Philip Brasor)

Suspect indicted over fight with Ebizô

27-year-old man indicted for assaulting Kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizô

Kabuki star Danjûrô apologizes over son's drunken brawl

The Ebizô Brawl Affair is still a hot topic in Japan. Here are a few updates: the January 2011 show in Tôkyô at the Le Theatre Ginza is CANCELED. Ichikawa Ebizô won't take part in the February 2011 Grand Kabuki performances in Nagoya at the Misonoza. Here is a selection of articles in English on this case:

Narita temple cleanses away year's misfortune

Man suspected of assaulting Kabuki star Ebizô sent to prosecutors

More details revealed about Ebizô Ichikawa's assault

Man accused of assault on Kabuki's Ebizô tells police he was furious at star

Tamasaburô to star New Year Kabuki stage as Ebizô pulled

Kabuki star Ebizô questioned again by police over brawl

Kabuki star apologizes for drunken brawl

Kabuki star Ebizô apologizes to public over drunken brawl, tells story of assault

Kabuki star pays high price for violent incident

'Prince of Kabuki' the talk of the town after night of drinking turns ugly

Arrest warrant issued in assault of Kabuki star Ebizô

The usual April or May Kabuki performances in Nagoya at the Misonoza won't happen in 2011. They will be replaced by a Grand Kabuki program in February 2011, starring Ichikawa Danjûrô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Nakamura Fukusuke and Nakamura Shichinosuke [more details].

A very interesting interview of Matsumoto Kôshirô was done by Edan Corkill and published by the Japan Times in December 2010.

Bandô Tamasaburô and Nakamura Shidô will star the New Year Kabuki stage in January 2011 at the Theatre Ginza (Tôkyô), to replace Ichikawa Ebizô and the Omodakaya troupe [more details].

Due to face injuries, the young star Ichikawa Ebizô will miss the December kaomise year-end programs. He was expected to play the roles of Nagoya Sanza and Soga Gorô in "Okuni Kabuki Yume no Hanayagi" and "Uirô Uri". He will be replaced respectively by Kataoka Nizaemon and Kataoka Ainosuke. Drinking with his friends in Tôkyô's Nishi-Azabu district, he got into an argument and was beaten up:

Kabuki star Ebizô sent to hospital after injury, says he was beaten up

Father chides Kabuki star Ebizô for 'disrespectful' bar hopping on night of fight

Face injuries force Ebizô to miss Kyôto year-end show

A special program will be staged in February 2011 in Ôsaka at the Shôchikuza. It will be titled Kataoka Nizaemon Chûya no Adauchi, "Kataoka Nizaemon Day and Night Revenges" in English and will be made up of two tôshi kyôgen revenge dramas, starring Kataoka Nizaemon in the roles of Rokusuke and Satsuma Gengobê in "Hikosan Gongen Chikai no Sukedachi" and "Kamikakete Sango Taisetsu".

A new year show dedicated to the Kabuki Jûhachiban and the Shin Kabuki Jûhachiban will be staged in January 2011 at the Theatre Ginza in Tôkyô. The extremely rarely-staged (last time was in 1947!) play "Jayanagi" will be revived by Ichikawa Ebizô (if he can recover from his face injuries).

Ichikawa Danjûrô is the 2010 prize-winner of the 27th Asakusa Performing Arts Grand Prize (Asakusa Geinô Taishô). He will receive his prize the 12th of March 2011 at the Asakusa Kôkaidô in Tôkyô.

Nakamura Shibajaku 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.

Nakamura Tomijûrô, who did not feel well enough, was replaced by Bandô Hikosaburô to play the role of Hatakeyama Shigetada in the drama "Sakaro", which was staged in November 2010 at the Shinbashi Enbujô.

Fukumori Kyûsuke I's long-forgotten kaomise drama "Shitennô Oedo no Kaburaya" will be revived at the National Theatre in January 2011. It was originally premiered in the 11th lunar month of 1815 in Edo at the Nakamuraza to celebrate the shûmei of Onoe Kikugorô III. It included the first version of the famous scene with the spirit of the Ground Spider (the "father" of "Tsuchi-gumo"). The stars of this revival will be the Otowaya guild (Onoe Kikugorô, his son Onoe Kikunosuke and Onoe Shôroku) and Nakamura Tokizô [more details].

The ground-breaking Shintô ceremony was held the 28th of October 2010 on the site of the old disappeared Kabukiza and of the future 2013 Kabukiza.

A documentary about the last days of the Kabukiza was premiered in October 2010 at the 15th Pusan International Film Festival. Titled "Kabukiza: Final Curtain", this movie was directed by Sogawa Sôkichi. It will be released in Japan the 15th of January 2011. The major Shôwa/Heisei actors were casted: Ichikawa Danjûrô, Kataoka Nizaemon, Sakata Tôjûrô, Onoe Kikugorô, Bandô Tamasaburô, Nakamura Kichiemon, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Nakamura Shikan or Nakamura Baigyoku. Here is a little text written by Chô Young-jung to describe the movie on the PIFF website: "The Kabukiza, a symbol of Tôkyô’s Ginza district, closes its doors for the first time in 60 years for renovation. The actors, having been secure on the stage over the decades, share stories about the theater, their individual experiences as actors, and the most representative work. Their memories are the history of this deeply traditional theater and they, too, have become part of the history. Gradually, vitality sprouts in the silent theater; preparation for the final performance has begun. The camera visits the once off-limits backstage. The power of tradition oozes out of the dressing room and the prop room, where artisans’ spirits breathe. "Kabukiza: Final Curtain" unites the beginning and end of Kabukiza. The actors’ first memories of the theater overlap with their very last performance. On the same spot where they first stepped in and prayed, they pay final respects and bid farewell to the stage like the first performance. The last farewell of Kabukiza, having had their tradition tenaciously maintained, faints like a farewell to the past never to be seen again" [more details].

There was a Kabuki tour in Central America in October 2010 [more details], to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of Japan's Relations with Mexico. This is part of a 10-year long series of cultural events, which started in 2009. Why 400 years? In September of 1609 (6 years after the creation of Kabuki in Kyôto), the San Francisco, a Spanish galleon bound from the Philippines to Mexico, met with a storm and ran aground off the coast of what is now called Onjuku Town (Chiba prefecture). The ship was carrying 373 people, including Don Rodrigo de Vivero, the former interim governor of the Philippines who had just finished serving his term of duty there. The Onjuku villagers who witnessed the wreck, bravely rescued the sailors and nursed them back to health, beginning a long tradition of exchange between Japan and Mexico [more details].

Ichikawa Ennosuke was put by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in the list of Japanese personalities who have made outstanding culture contributions in Japan in 2010 (bunka kôrôsha).

The Nakamuraya guild will commemorate in November 2010 at the Misonoza the 24th anniversary (23rd memorial service) of the passing away of Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII [more details].

The Zenshinza actor Arashi Yoshisaburô VII will celebrate his shûmei in January 2011 in Kyôto at the Minamiza [more details].

In November 2010 at the National Theatre there will be the full-length performance of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's masterpiece jidaimono "Kokusen'ya Gassen". The prestigious roles of Watônai, Kinshôjo and Kanki will be played by Ichikawa Danjûrô, Sakata Tôjûrô and Nakamura Baigyoku.

The dances "Renjishi" and "Dontsuku" will be staged in October 2010 at the Shinbashi Enbujô to commemorate the 49th anniversary (50th memorial service), the 36th anniversary (37th memorial service) and the 12th anniversary (13th memorial service) of the deaths of late Bandô Mitsugorô VII, late Bandô Mitsugorô VIII and late Bandô Mitsugorô IX. The dances will be performed by the heirs of this branch of the Bandô clan, Bandô Mitsugorô and his son Bandô Minosuke.

The Nagauta musician Kineya Masakichiji (1913~2010) died the 25th of September 2010.

The biggest piece of news for 2010: it is finally possible to book a Kabuki ticket in English online! The Shôchiku Company finally opened in August 2010 an official Kabuki website in English:

Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website in English

Ticket Web Shôchiku

The FAQ

Another big piece of news for 2010: The 16 Kabukiza Sayonara Kôen (Kabukiza Farewell Public Performances) will be released in DVD. 8 deluxe DVD boxes, containing 12 DVDs and two months of Kabuki, will be published in 2010 and 2011 [more details in Japanese]. One box every 2 months, from August 2010 to October 2011. A few figures to make your head spin: this amazing collection will gather 35 Kabuki programs (more than 100 dramas or dances) on 96 DVDs. Each box will be priced 26,250 JPY ... and, the last but not the least, the famous English commentaries will be included!

The Living National Treasure Nagauta shinobue musician Takara Sanzaemon IV died the 7th of August 2010. Son of Fukuhara Hyakunosuke V, he took the names of Fukuhara Hyakunosuke VI and Takara Sanzaemon IV in 1964 and 1992, and became Living National Treasure in 1993.

The Shôchiku Company has published the Kabuki line-up in Tôkyô up to April 2011 [in Japanese]:

The Heisei Nakamuraza will be in Ôsaka in October 2010 and November 2010. This is the second stay of Nakamura Kanzaburô's theater in Ôsaka and, for the first time, a 2-month long stay! The temporary koshibai look-alike theater will be built in the precincts of the Ôsaka Castle, in the heart of the Nishi no Maru Park [October/November].

As part as the Shinema Kabuki ("Cinema Kabuki") series, Kudô Kankurô's modern Kabuki drama "Ôedo Ribingu Deddo" ("Ôedo and the Living Dead" in English), which was shot live in December 2009 at the Kabukiza, will be released all over Japan from the 16th of October 2010. This is the 12th "Cinema Kabuki" [more details in Japanese]. By the way, there is a short trailer on youtube.com!

Namiki Gohei's long-forgotten drama "Keisei Kogane no Shachihoko", which was revived and expanded (and retitled "Asahi-ni Kagayaku Kin no Shachihoko") in January 2010 at the National Theatre, will be staged in October 2010 for the 46th kaomise at the Misonoza (Nagoya). This exceptional production will commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the establishment of the city of Nagoya [more details].

"Botantei", a new creation initiated by the star Bandô Tamasaburô and based on the famous Chinese Opera "The Peony Pavilion", will be staged for the first time in Tôkyô, in October 2010 at the Akasaka Act Theater. It was premiered March 2008 at the Minamiza and was also staged in May 2008 in Beijing (China). The lyrics were written by Yumemakura Baku, who worked in 1991 with Bandô Tamasaburô for the creation of "Yôkihi". Bandô Tamasaburô will share the stage with performers of Kunqu, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera which originated in the Suzhou region.

The Zenshinza troupe will tour in the USA in November 2010. There will be two different programs, the first one which is made up of the Kabuki dance "Chatsubo" and the Kabuki drama "Narukami" and the second one which is made up of the 2006 modern drama "Hônen and Shinran". Written by Tajima Ei, "Hônen and Shinran" is a moving historical drama depicting the upheaval of 13th-century Japan, and two priests, Hônen and Shinran, who opened a path to freedom through affirming the essence of life and human existence in a time of civil war and moral collapse. Because of their break from monastic traditions and their founding of a lay ministry, they are often compared with Calvin and Luther. The troupe will perform in Los Angeles (Aratani Japan America Theatre) from the 5th to the 7th of November, in San Francisco (Zellerbach Hall at the University of California) from the 12th to the 14th of November and in Honolulu (Hawaii Theatre) from the 20th to the 21st of November.

The great onnagata actor Sawamura Tôjûrô, who fell seriously ill in 1998, was back on stage at the Shôchikuza the 3rd of July 2010, to take part in the speech done in "Dôtonbori Shibai-mae".

Quite an unusual event these days in the Kabuki world: two actors will change their yagô soon without changing their name: Nakamura Karoku and Nakamura Kashô, who are currently part of the Yorozuya guild, will join the Harimaya guild in September 2010 at the Shinbashi Enbujô. A special program will be staged there to commemorate the great actor Nakamura Kichiemon I, whose's yagô was Harimaya.

The National Theatre has published the programs for October 2010, November 2010, December 2010 and January 2011:

Kataoka Nizaemon is part of the cast of Sugita Shigemichi's movie "Saigo no Chûshingura". He plays the role of Ôishi Kuranosuke, along with the stars Yakusho Kôji and Sakuraba Nanami. This movie is based on Ikemiya Shôichirô's eponymous novel. The movie will be released all over Japan the 18th of December 2010. Its international title is "The Last Chûshingura" [more details in English/official website].

Kataoka Nizaemon will receive the 13th award commemorating Tsubouchi Shôyô (1859~1935), Japan's earliest translator of Shakespearean plays, from the city of Mino-Kamo in the Prefecture of Gifu where the novelist-playwright-critic was born. The ceremony will be held the 31st of July 2010 in Mino-Kamo.

Bandô Tamasaburô and Ichikawa Ebizô will stage in Kyôto at the Minamiza in September 2010 (from the 2nd to the 27th) a tôshi kyôgen production of "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". The matinée program will be made up of "Torii Mae", "Tokaiya/Daimotsu no Ura" and "Yoshinoyama". The evening program will be made up of "Ko-no-Mi", "Sushiya" and "Kawatsura Hôgen Yakata/Zaodô". There will be a special program (replacing the classic matinée and evening programs), nicknamed Tadanobu edition and staged 7 specific days (the 3rd, the 7th, the 10th, the 14th, 17th, 21st and 24th). This program will be made up of the scenes featuring Tadanobu (and the fox which looks like Tadanobu): "Torii Mae", "Yoshinoyama" and "Kawatsura Hôgen Yakata/Zaôdô".

Nakamura Tokizô 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.

Today is a sad day for all Kabuki lovers; this last day of April is the day of the closing ceremony of the Kabukiza, an one-time special program which is staged with a lot of Kabuki stars on stage [more details].

The Ôsaka Shinkabukiza will be relocated from Nanba (Chûô Ward in Ôsaka) to a mixed-use building in Uehonmachi. The kokera otoshi will occur in September 2010, with the troupe of young Kabuki actors from the Omodakaya guild.

The troupe led by Ichikawa Ebizô, which will perform 3 acts of "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" in London in June 2010, will extend the tour in Italy, in Roma at the Teatro di Roma-Argentina, the 21st and 22nd of June 2010.

The Nagauta musician Mochizuki Chôsaku VII took the name of Mochizuki Bokusei V in April 2010^* at the Kabukiza.

A new collection of plays was created by Ichikawa Ennosuke III in March 2010; it is titled Ennosuke Shijûhassen (the Best 48 of Ennosuke) and it is subdivided into several sections:

(*) it was initially reported in 2008 that the shûmei would occur in Summer 2009!

As part as the Shinema Kabuki ("Cinema Kabuki") series, the dance-dramas "Kumo no Hyôshimai" and "Migawari Zazen", which were shot live in October 2009 and December 2009 at the Kabukiza, will be released in Tôkyô the 1st of May 2010. This is the 11th "Cinema Kabuki" and it will be screened at the Tôgeki in Tôkyô [more details in Japanese]. It will be released all over Japan from the 15th of May 2010.

The troupe led by Ichikawa Ebizô, which will perform 3 acts of "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" in London in June 2010, will extend the tour in Japan, in August 2010 at the Shinbashi Enbujô and in September 2010 at the Minamiza.

A website in Japanese and in dedicated to the Kabuki tour in London in June 2010 was built by the Shôchiku Company:

----> http://www.shochiku.co.jp/kabuki_london2010/

Ichimura Yoshigorô II died the 17th of February 2010.

Nakamura Karoku is the award-winner of the Excellence Prize (yûshô shô) of the 31st Matsuo Artistic Awards (Matsuo Geinô Shô). He will receive his prize the 29th of March 2010 at the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Tôkyô.

The rarely-staged mizuiri scene of "Sukeroku" will be produced in May 2010 at the Shinbashi Enbujô with Ichikawa Ebizô playing the role of Sukeroku.

The last programs to be staged at the Kabukiza, in April 2010, before its destruction and rebuilding have been published. All-times favourites staged with a great casting [more details].

The Kabukiza, the Temple of Kabuki in Japan, will be destroyed in a few weeks. The architect in charge of designing the future theater is Kuma Kengo. He once has said that his goal was to recover the tradition of Japanese buildings and to reinterpret it for the 21st century. So far, one of his most famous creations is the Suntory Museum of Art.

Do you want a souvenir of the Kabukiza? If yes, you might be interested in the coming expensive Kawara Tokei (literally the "Tile Clock"). The tiles of the Temple of Kabuki will be recycled into clocks this summer, to be sold by the Shôchiku Company to Kabuki fans [more details in Japanese].

The supporting actor Sawamura Kuniya (a disciple of Sawamura Tôjûrô) celebrates his success at the nadai exam in February 2010 at the Kabukiza.

As the Kabukiza will be closed in May 2010, the traditional May dankikusai will be held for the very first time in Kabuki history outside Tôkyô ... in Ôsaka at the Shôchikuza.

Bandô Tamasaburô will perform for the very first time the prestigious and difficult role of Kakuju in the drama "Dômyôji", which will be staged at the Kabukiza in March 2010 [more details]. This staging will commemorate the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of Kataoka Nizaemon XIII and the 35th anniversary (36th memorial service) of the passing away of Morita Kan'ya XIV.

The 1st of January 2010, the giant countdown machine, which was installed in front of the Kabukiza to display the number of remaining days, hours and minutes before the final closing of this theater, displayed 120 days. There was a spectacular matsuri, with an omikoshi which was brought in front of the theater to bring good luck and good fortune to the future 5th generation Kabukiza (picture)!

Nakamura Kazutarô, son of Nakamura Kanjaku and grandson of Sakata Tôjûrô, will play for the first time the prestigious role of the courtesan Tenmaya Ohatsu in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's masterpiece "Sonezaki Shinjû", which will be staged in March 2010 at the Minamiza [more details]; the role of Hiranoya Tokubê will be performed by Nakamura Kanjaku. The 3-generation actors went to the Tsuyu Tenjinsha shrine, which is commonly called Ohatsu Tenjin, to pray for the success of the performance and to get some protection from the Deity enshrined there.