2 shows in Nagoya (Misonoza), 4 in Tôkyô (Kabukiza, National Theatre, NHK Hall) and 1 in Ôsaka (Shôchikuza)!

Sakata Tôjûrô, Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Tokizô, Bandô Mitsugorô and Nakamura Jakuemon perform at the Misonoza!

Kataoka Nizaemon, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Ichikawa Danjûrô and Nakamura Shikan perform at the Kabukiza!

Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Nakamura Baigyoku and Nakamura Shibajaku perform at the National Theatre!

Ichikawa Danjirô, Ichikawa Somegorô and Kataoka Ainosuke perform at the Shôchikuza!

Sakata Tôjûrô, Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Tokizô, Bandô Mitsugorô, Nakamura Jakuemon, Kataoka Gatô, Kataoka Hidetarô, Ichikawa Sadanji, Nakamura Kanjaku, Nakamura Senjaku, Kataoka Takatarô, Ichikawa Danzô, Onoe Shôroku, Bandô Takesaburô, Nakamura Kikaku, Ôtani Tomoemon, Ichikawa Unosuke, Bandô Shûchô, Kataoka Kamezô, Bandô Kamesaburô, Kataoka Shinnosuke

The first kaomise of the year. Sakata Tôjûrô celebrates his shûmei at the Misonoza by playing the roles of Sasaki Moritsuna and the keisei Yayoi (in reality the spirit of a shishi) in the drama "Ômi Genji Senjin Yakata" and the dance "Makura Jishi".

Ya-no-Ne: like a picture come to life, this play combines the most exaggerated costumes and movements with leisurely humor. The aragoto hero Soga no Gorô is sharpening a giant arrow and sleeping in wishes of good fortune for the New Year when he sees his brother Jûrô in a dream asking him to come and rescue him. The two Soga brothers are part of one of the most popular vendetta stories in Kabuki, suffering for eighteen years before being able to avenge the death of their father. In this play, when Gorô finds out that his brother is in trouble, he jumps on the horse of a passing daikon vendor and, brandishing a giant daikon as a whip prepares to rush to his brother's side. Starring Onoe Shôroku as Gorô.

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 Tokizô.

Echigo Jishi: one of the most popular dances in the Kabuki repertory, this shows a traveling entertainer (Bandô Mitsugorô) that performed lion dances, with an adult playing the music and a child doing acrobatics like a little lion. The dance shows the feelings of the adult performer and his feelings for his home in the Echigo region and finally ends with the famous white cloth of the area as he waves long strips of cloth in a variety of different patterns.

Moritsuna Jin'ya: this play is one of the greatest classics of the jidaimono historical play style. Two brothers, Moritsuna and Takatsuna are generals on opposing sides. Moritsuna's forces are greater in number and strength, but his brother's brilliant strategies allow him to escape by preying on Moritsuna's psychological weaknesses. Ruthlessly, Takatsuna has his son sacrifice his life to force Moritsuna to identify the head of an imposter as that of his dead brother. Starring Sakata Tôjûrô as Moritsuna, with Kataoka Hidetarô as Mimyô, the mother of the two brothers, Nakamura Senjaku as Kagaribi, the wife of Takatsuna, and Bandô Mitsugorô as the crafty general Wada no Hyôe.

Ayatsuri Sanbasô:
(The Puppet Sanbasô)
The Sanbasô is part of the ritual Nô play "Okina", a prayer for prosperity and in Kabuki the vigorous Sanbasô dance is often performed separately. To make the dance especially auspicious, the old man Okina and attendant Senzai appear as well. In Kabuki, the Sanbasô dance appears in all kinds of versions. In this particular version, the Sanbasô is actually a giant marionette (Nakamura Kanjaku), dancing lightly until his antics tangle his strings, creating problems for his puppeteer (Nakamura Kikaku). Featuring also Ichikawa Sadanji and Bandô Kamesaburô in the roles of Okina and Senzai.

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. This month, the actors celebrate the shûmei of Sakata Tôjûrô.

Makura Jishi: the keisei Yayoi performs a dance expressing her bitterness toward her dreary life in the gay quarters, 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 Sakata Tôjûrô as both the courtesan Yayoi and the spirit of the lion.

Kamiyui Shinza: Shinza is a barber that goes from door to door, but at the same time, he is a villain that kidnaps Okuma, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy household, and even resists the efforts of Yatagorô Genshichi, the most prestigious strongman in town, to get her release. Starring Onoe Kikugorô as Shinza, Kataoka Takatarô as Okuma, Nakamura Tokizô as Chûshichi and Bandô Mitsugorô as Yatagorô Genshichi.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Kataoka Nizaemon, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Ichikawa Danjûrô, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Kaishun, Ichikawa Danshirô, Onoe Kikunosuke, Ichikawa Ebizô, Ichikawa Monnosuke, Bandô Yajûrô, Ichikawa Komazô, Kawarasaki Gonjûrô

Kuzu-no-Ha: Abe no Yasuna, a court astrologer in disgrace, has married a beautiful woman named Kuzu-no-Ha, not knowing that she is actually a fox that has taken human form to repay his kindness in saving his life. The couple has a child and lives happily together until the real woman whose form the fox borrowed appears. Knowing that she can no longer stay, Kuzu-no-Ha writes a tearful farewell poem on the paper screen and returns to the wilderness. Starring Nakamura Kaishun as Kuzu-no-Ha and Ichikawa Monnosuke as Yasuna.

Soga no Taimen: this is one of the oldest and most classical of all Kabuki plays. In the Edo period, every January, plays appeared about the vendetta carried out by the Soga brothers Jûrô and Gorô after eighteen years of hardship. In "Soga no Taimen" the brothers confront Kudô Suketsune, the man responsible for their father's death. More ceremony than play, it features each of the important Kabuki character types, including the bombastic aragoto style of Gorô and the soft wagoto style of Jûrô. This month features a cast headed by Ichikawa Danjûrô as Kudô and some of the most popular young stars in Kabuki with Ichikawa Ebizô as Gorô and Onoe Kikunosuke as Jûrô.

Kumagai Jin'ya: this play is a dramatization of the clash between the Genji general Kumagai Jirô Naozane and the Heike warrior Taira no Atsumori at the battle of Ichi-no-Tani, one of the most famous passages of the epic "Tales of the Heike". In the Kabuki version, on the cryptic orders of the Genji leader Yoshitsune, Kumagai hides the enemy warrior Atsumori and has his own son take the warrior's place. On the battlefield, Kumagai has to kill his own son in Atsumori's place. Things become worse when his wife Sagami and Atsumori's mother Fuji-no-Kata arrive at his camp. In the highlight of the play, he tells them the story of his mortal battle with Atsumori, keeping Atsumori's well-being and his own sacrifice a secret. He then shows the head of Atsumori for inspection by his leader to see if he has interpreted his orders correctly. This performance stars Matsumoto Kôshirô as Kumagai, with Nakamura Shikan as Kumagai's wife Sagami, Nakamura Kaishun as Fuji-no-Kata, Ichikawa Danjûrô as Yoshitsune and Ichikawa Danshirô as Midaroku.

Omatsuri: Kataoka Nizaemon as a gallant fireman boss at a festival telling a rueful tale of failure in love and showing the vigorous work songs of firefighters.

Teppô Watashi/Futatsudama/Kanpei Harakiri: this section of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura" is about Hayano Kanpei (Kataoka Nizaemon) and his wife Okaru (Onoe Kikunosuke). Kanpei survives as a hunter and is desperate for the money that will allow him to become a samurai again. He encounters two former retainers of Lord En'ya Hangan who offer to allow him to participate in a vendetta to avenge Lord En'ya Hangan's death by attacking Kô no Moronô. Unknown to him, though, Okaru's family has decided to raise the memory by selling her into prostitution as a courtesan in the Gion district of Kyôto. Okaru's father travels on a dark mountain road, eager to bring the first half of the money to Kanpei. But he is attacked and robbed by Sadakurô (Ichikawa Ebizô), also a former retainer of Lord En'ya Hangan who has gone bad and become a thief. At this point, Kanpei aims and fires at s wild boar and instead kills Sadakurô. He finds the purse with all the money and, thinking that is the gift of heaven, rushes home. At home, the brothel keeper is already there to collect Okaru and Kanpei wants to refuse to let her go, until he realizes where the money came from and believes that he killed Okaru's father by mistake. He urges Okaru to go to the pleasure quarters, not wanting her to know what has happened. In one of the dramatic highlights of the play, Kanpei commits suicide to atone for his multiple failures in duty.

Kamiyui Shinza: Shinza is a barber that goes from door to door, but at the same time, he is a villain that kidnaps Okuma, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy household, and even resists the efforts of Yatagorô Genshichi, the most prestigious strongman in town, to get her release. Starring Matsumoto Kôshirô as Shinza, Ichikawa Komazô as Okuma and Ichikawa Danshirô as Yatagorô Genshichi.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Kondô Kennosuke, Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Baigyoku, Nakamura Shibajaku

A great and unusual program dedicated to the monk warrior Benkei. The first item is the famous Nô drama "Ataka" and the second one is "Kanjinchô", the Kabuki adaptation of this Nô drama, most likely the most famous dance-drama in the current Kabuki repertoire. The role of Benkei is performed by Kondô Kennosuke of the Hôshô school in "Ataka" and by Nakamura Kichiemon in "Kanjinchô".

The poster of the October dual program at the National Theatre

Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Nakamura Shibajaku, Bandô Hikosaburô, Nakamura Karoku, Nakamura Kashô, Nakamura Tôzô, Nakamura Shinjirô, Kataoka Roen, Nakamura Matsue, Bandô Kametoshi, Ôtani Keizô, Sawamura Yoshijirô, Nakamura Tanetarô, Nakamura Hayato

The National Theatre commemorates its 40th anniversary. Mayama Seika's Shinkabuki masterpiece "Genroku Chûshingura" is staged in its integrity over 3 months in 3 different productions with 3 different stars in the leading role of Ôishi Kuranosuke. This month, the role is played by Nakamura Kichiemon.

Ichikawa Danjirô, Ichikawa Somegorô, Kataoka Ainosuke, Ichikawa Shun'en, Ichikawa En'ya, Ichikawa Juen, Bandô Shinsha, Kamimura Kichiya

Rare revival of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Somemoyô Chûgi no Goshuin", which was premiered in November 1889 at the Ichimuraza. Real fire was used on stage for the premiere of this play mixing revenge and homosexuality. This revival in Ôsaka features Ichikawa Somegorô, Kataoka Ainosuke and Ichikawa Danjirô in the roles of Ôkawa Tomoemon, Innami Kazuma and Hosokawa Ecchû-no-Kami (kami of the province of Ecchû).

Hosokawa no Katakiuchi: Ôkawa Tomoemon (Ichikawa Somegorô), a samurai, yearns for the love of Innami Kazuma (Kataoka Ainosuke), a page at the service of the Hosokawa clan. He takes the decision to reject his own rank, to go into service as a page at the Hosakawa's mansion. The two young men not only indulge themselves with shûdô, but become also righteous brothers, vowing to take revenge against Yokoyama Zusho (Ichikawa En'ya), who was responsible for the downfall of Kazuma's father. Eventually, Tomoemon and Kazuma succeed in striking their enemy but, at the end of the fight, a terrible fire is about to destroy the treasure of the Hosokawa clan, where is kept a precious sealed certificate. Tomoemon jumps into the fire devastating the kura ... will Kazuma follow his lover into the flames? Featuring also Ichikawa Danjirô and Kamimura Kichiya in the roles of Hosokawa Ecchû-no-Kami and Hosokawa's okugata.

Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Tokizô, Bandô Mitsugorô, Onoe Kikunosuke, Ichikawa Danzô, Bandô Shûchô, Kawarasaki Gonjûrô, Ichimura Manjirô, Kataoka Kamezô, Ichikawa Omezô, Onoe Ukon, Onoe Matsuya

33rd edition of Koten Geinô Kanshô Kai (literally the "Classics Entertainment Appreciation Association"), a yearly performance produced by the National TV network NHK. The program includes one kyôgen, one Kabuki play, one traditional dance and traditional music.