6 shows in Tôkyô (Kabukiza, National Theatre), 1 in Nagoya (Misonoza), 1 in Yamaga (Yachiyoza), 1 in Nagoya (NTK Hall), 1 in Ôsaka (Shôchikuza) and 1 tour (Classics Tour)!

Living National Treasure Kataoka Nizaemon, Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Nakamura Kankurô, Kataoka Takatarô, Bandô Yajûrô and Nakamura Karoku perform at the Kabukiza !

Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Tokizô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Nakamura Kaishun, Nakamura Senjaku, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Ichikawa Sadanji, Ichikawa Danzô, Onoe Shôroku, Bandô Hikosaburô and Nakamura Baishi perform at the National Theatre !

Onoe Kikunosuke, Onoe Ukon and Nakamura Mantarô perform at the Misonoza !

Kataoka Ainosuke, Nakamura Ganjirô, Kamimura Kichiya and Nakamura Kazutarô perform at the Shôchikuza !

Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô performs at the Yachiyoza!

The Zenshinza troupe perform at the perform at the NTK Hall!

Ichikawa Ebizô is on tour (Classics Tour)!

Living National Treasure Kataoka Nizaemon, Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Nakamura Kankurô, Kataoka Takatarô, Bandô Yajûrô, Nakamura Karoku, Ichikawa Komazô, Ichikawa Monnosuke, Matsumoto Kingo, Ichikawa Omezô, Nakamura Matsue, Nakamura Hayato, Bandô Shingo, Nakamura Fukunosuke, Nakamura Utanosuke, Ichikawa Otora, Nakamura Tamatarô, Kataoka Matsunosuke

Not the usual October Grand Kabuki at the Kabukiza but a 4-program Grand Kabuki in these times of COVID-19.

Kyô Ningyô: this dance tells the story of the woodcarver Hidari Jingorô, famous for the sleeping cat on the great gate of Nikkô. He brings a statue of a beautiful courtesan to life and then there is a spectacular fight scene with a variety of carpenter’s tools. Starring Nakamura Shikan as Jingorô and Nakamura Shichinosuke as the doll of the courtesan.

Sumôba: "Futatsu Chôchô" means "two butterflies" and also comes from the fact that two sumô wrestlers who play important roles in the full length play have names beginning with "chô": Chôkichi and Chôgorô. In order to help his master Yamazakiya Yogorô (Nakamura Kankurô) buy out the contract of the beautiful Azuma (Ichikawa Komazô), the senior wrestler Nuregami Chôgorô throws a match, letting the younger wrestler Hanaregoma Chôkichi win, hoping to get his help. But Chôkichi loses his temper and the two end up competing in a test of pride. Starring popular actor Matsumoto Hakuô as Chôgorô and Nakamura Kankurô as Chôkichi.

Ishikiri Kajiwara: the Heike general Kajiwara (Living National Treasure Kataoka Nizaemon) is asked to test the sharpness of a sword by slicing two live human beings in half. He deliberately makes the sword fail the test to keep the sword, a priceless heirloom belonging to the enemy Genji clan, from falling into the hands of his Taira clan. A miracle has convinced Kajiwara to change sides. Kajiwara finally demonstrates the true power of the sword by cutting a large stone basin in two. Featuring also Kataoka Takatarô, Bandô Yajûrô and Nakamura Karoku.

Yôkihi: Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô will greet the audience and explain his intentions in planning this special performance that merges the projected image and dance. "Yôkihi" is about 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 consort of the Tang emperor. His love for her was such that the entire empire nearly crumbled. The dance is set after her death and shows a magician sent by the grieving Tang Emperor to find her spirit in the land of immortals. The main theme of the dance is eternal love, here expressed beautifully on stage by Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô.

Sources: Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Onoe Kikunosuke, Onoe Ukon, Nakamura Mantarô, Onoe Kikuji

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, this is not the classic October kaomise programs in Nagoya. There are two programs, program A and program B, with the same contents but a different casting. Each program is staged either at 12:00 (matinée) or at 16:00 (evening):

Kane no Misaki: Onoe Kikunosuke appears as a beautiful young girl, expressing her love and feelings of jealousy. This is the same story as the colorful "Musume Dôjôji" dance, but is performed in a restrained chamber style.

Kabuki no Mikata: This is a lively presentation of Kabuki made by Onoe Ukon (program A) or Nakamura Mantarô (program B).

Renjishi: 2 entertainers dance a tale of the legendary shishi or lion-like spirits that live at the foot of a holy Buddhist mountain. There is a comic interlude with 2 Buddhist pilgrims. Then, the shishi themselves appear and perform their dance with wild shaking of their long manes. The dance shows a parent shishi forcing his cub to undergo harsh training in order to grow up strong. This theme is often associated with the training a parent actor gives his son. This performance features Onoe Kikunosuke in the role of the parent shishi and Nakamura Mantarô (program A) or Onoe Ukon (program B) in the role of the cub.

Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Tokizô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Nakamura Kaishun, Nakamura Senjaku, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Ichikawa Sadanji, Ichikawa Danzô, Onoe Shôroku, Bandô Hikosaburô, Nakamura Baishi, Kataoka Kamezô, Ichimura Manjirô, Kawarasaki Gonjûrô, Bandô Kamezô, Ôtani Hirotarô, Nakamura Kangyoku, Sawamura Sônosuke, Nakamura Kamenojô, Ichimura Kitsutarô, Onoe Ushinosuke

The first Grand Kabuki performances at the National Theatre since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis:

Genta Kandô:
(Genta Disowned)
This jidaimono period play shows the gentle warrior Kajiwara Genta. At the battle of the Uji River, he competes with a fellow warrior Sasaki Takatsuna to be first into battle. Out of the shame, his father sends a letter ordering him to commit ritual suicide. But to save her son's life, Genta's mother Enju disowns him instead. Knowing that the lady-in-waiting Chidori is in love with Genta, Enju dismisses her from service, secretly allowing the two lovers to be together. Featuring Nakamura Baigyoku, Nakamura Senjaku, Matsumoto Kôshirô and Nakamura Kaishun as Kajiwara Genta Kagesue, Chidori, Genta's brother Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka and Enju.

Sachi Negau Shibai Gokko: This is a new dance drama based on the hope that people will be able to regain their normal, everyday lives from the current situation of uncertainty as soon as possible, and that theatrical performances will soon be able to take place as they used to. Through the technique of fukiyose, in which a medley selected great scenes are enacted and famous lines and dances of Kabuki performed one after another. In this stage performance, Matsumoto Kôshirô, who plays the role of his artistic ancestor Hisamatsu Koshirô, showcases his love of theatrical entertainment through a playful spirit and you are sure to have fun! Featuring also Sawamura Sônosuke, Ôtani Hirotarô and Nakamura Kangyoku in the roles of the old-times actors Mikuni Hikosaku II, Kanazawa Goheiji I and Nijuban Kichibê.

Sakanaya Sôgorô: Sôgorô (Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugorô), 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. Featuring also Nakamura Tokizô, Ichikawa Sadanji, Ichikawa Danzô, Bandô Hikosaburô and Nakamura Baishi.

Tachi Nusubito: the farces of the classical Kyôgen theater have universal appeal, showing the relationships of masters and servants and husbands and wives. In this particular dance play, a farmer named Manbê (Bandô Kamezô) carries a precious sword, which is made of gold. The thief Kurobê (Onoe Shôroku) quietly removes the sword from Manbê in a crowd. When Manbê finds his sword missing and notices Kurobê wearing it, a loud dispute ensues. Manbê and Kurobê must both explain who owns the sword, first in words, then in dance to a magistrate (Kataoka Kamezô), who must try to figure out who tells the truth.

Sources: Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Kataoka Ainosuke, Nakamura Ganjirô, Kamimura Kichiya, Nakamura Kazutarô, Nakamura Tanenosuke, Imai Tsubasa

A special COVID-19 program at the Shôchikuza starring Kataoka Ainosuke, which is a shortened version of the program version described below and which has been canceled. The Shô in the newly-created title is an ideogram meaning excerpt, extract or abridgement. Phonetically it is also a pun with the English word "show". Yomigaeru Meibamen means revival of the best scenes. So we can say that they will perform a short best-of of "GOEMON". There is indeed a GOEMON show in Ôsaka in October 2020.

Kataoka Ainosuke, Nakamura Ganjirô, Kamimura Kichiya, Nakamura Kazutarô, Nakamura Tanenosuke, Nakamura Jûjirô, Nakamura Kamenojô, Imai Tsubasa

A special program at the Shôchikuza starring Kataoka Ainosuke.

Ichikawa Ebizô, Ichikawa Kudanji, Ôtani Hiromatsu

The Fall Tour of Ichikawa Ebizô with performances in 13 cities, including 5 nights in Yamaga at the Yachiyoza.

Kotobuki Shiki Sanbasô: Okina is the oldest ritual in the Nô theater. This Kabuki version shows Okina, an old man who symbolizes eternal youth, his attendant Senzai and the vigorous Sanbasô, who perform dances solemnly for good fortune. Sanbasô dances vigorously, stamping and shaking bells, praying for agricultural fertility and prosperity for all. This dances features Ichikawa Ebizô, Ichikawa Kudanji and Ôtani Hiromatsu in the roles of the sanbasô, the okina and the senzai.

Kôjô: a formal stage speech made by Ichikawa Ebizô.

Otokodate Hana no Yoshiwara: Gosho no Gorozô (Ichikawa Ebizô), the most gallant and chivalrous of men in the capital of Edo, is off to the bustling Nakanochô corner of the Yoshiwara pleasure district. He has received a love letter from his lover, a famous keisei in Yoshiwara. Gorozô tells us the story of how they met and their many rendezvous in a dance. On his way, he is ambushed by men who hold a grudge against him, but Gorozô effortlessly fends them off and continues on his way to his beloved.

Sources: Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Kawarazaki Kunitarô, Arashi Yoshisaburô, Fujikawa Yanosuke, Segawa Kikunojô, Tadamura Shin'ya, Yamazaki Tatsusaburô, Anegawa Shinnosuke, Arashi Ichitarô, Hayase Einojô, Nakajima Kôtarô, Ikushima Kigorô, Matsuura Kainosuke, Watarai Motoyuki, Motomura Yûki, Seiganji Shigemori, Niimura Sôjirô, Fujii Isaku

The production of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan" by the Zenshinza. It was expected to be staged in Ôsaka at the National Bunraku Theatre from the 4th to the 10th of September but these performances were canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Yotsuya Kaidan: Tamiya Iemon, a villainous masterless samurai (Arashi Yoshisaburô) is in love with Oiwa (Kawarazaki Kunitarô) and even kills her father Yotsuya Samon to be united with her, cynically promising to help her to avenge her father's death. But at the same time, the granddaughter of a wealthy doctor falls in love with him and her grandfather tries to ensure the match by sending a horrible disfiguring poison to Oiwa. In the most famous scene of the play, face destroyed, hair falling out, Oiwa carefully dresses and puts on make-up to pay a proper visit to those who have wronged her. Iemon kills Oiwa and his servant Kobotoke Kohei, has their bodies nailed to a door and thrown into the river. Iemon is happily married into the wealthy family, but no sooner does the beautiful young bride arrive than Oiwa's ghost causes Iemon to kill her. The vengeful ghosts do not rest until all of their enemies are dead and, in another famous scene, Oiwa and Kohei appear floating on the river, calling out to Iemon. The concluding scene shows the ghost of Oiwa appearing mysteriously from inside a paper lantern and pulling her enemies into the wall and disappearing magically. Featuring Segawa Kikunojô and Fujikawa Yanosuke in the roles of Satô Yomoshichi and Naosuke Gonbê.

Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô

A special Buyô program starring the amazing Living National Treasure onnagata Bandô Tamasaburô in Yamaga at the Yachiyoza, a traditional wooden-built theater. There will be a mix of video projection (with video sequences coming from the high-quality Shinema Kabuki, "Cinema Kabuki") and real dancing on stage. It celebrates the 30th anniversary of Bandô Tamasaburô's performances at the Yachiyoza. It was originally supposed to be staged in May 2020, then again in October 2020/November 2020, but, due to the COVID-19 crisis, it was postponed twice.