TÔKYÔ GEKIJÔ

Name

Tôkyô Gekijô
Tôgeki

City

Tôkyô

History

1930: opening of the Tôkyô Gekijô in the district of Tsukiji. It is a modern 1898-seat theater, which is managed by the Shôchiku and designed for Kabuki, Western Operas or movies.

July 1931: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Hasegawa Shin's drama "Ippon Gatana Dohyô Iri", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Komagata Môhei	Onoe Kikugorô VI
Otsuta	Nakamura Fukusuke V
Tatsusaburô	Morita Kan'ya XIII

September 1933: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the Nagauta-based kyôgen "Takatsuki", which is adapted for Kabuki by Hisamatsu Issei (lyrics) and Kashiwa Izaburô (music) and performed by Onoe Kikugorô VI and Bandô Mitsugorô VII.

October 1933: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Yoshida Genjirô's drama "Nijô-jô no Kiyomasa", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Katô Kiyomasa	Nakamura Kichiemon I
Toyotomi Hideyori	Nakamura Moshio IV
Tokugawa Ieyasu	Ichikawa Sadanji II
Kita-no-Mandokoro	Bandô Shûchô III
Honda Masanobu	Ôtani Tomoemon VI
Tôdô Takatora	Sawamura Tosshi VIII
Ikeda Terumasa	Ichikawa Kuzô IV
Ii Naotaka	Ichimura Kamezô III
Asano Yoshinaga	Ichikawa Sashô II
Ikaruga Nobuyoshi	Nakamura Kichinojô I

September 1933: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kawamura Karyô's drama "Jôshû Miyage Hyakuryô Kubi", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Itaba no Shôtarô, later the ryôrinin Shôtarô	Onoe Kikugorô VI
Buraikan Gajirô, later Gajirô the follower of Hayabusa no Kanji's underling	Nakamura Kichiemon I
The goyôkiki Hayabusa no Kanji	Bandô Mitsugorô VII
Hayabusa no Kanji's nyôbô Seki	Onoe Taganojô III

January 1934: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the third (and final) part of Mayama Seika's drama "Edo-jô Sôzeme", which was entitled "Shôgun Edo o Saru" ('The Shôgun Leaves Edo') and was staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Tokugawa Yoshinobu	Ichikawa Sadanji II
Yamaoka Tetsutarô	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
Takahashi Ise-no-Kami	Ichikawa Sumizô VI

April 1934: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kimura Tomiko's Tokiwazu-based dance "Hanami Yakko", with a choreography and a musical accompaniment made by Hanayagi Jusuke II and Tokiwazu Mojibê III. The leading role of the yakko is played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II.

June 1934: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Hasegawa Shin's drama "Kurayami no Ushimatsu", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
The ryôrinin Ushimatsu	Onoe Kikugorô VI
Oyone	Ichikawa Omezô IV
Shirobê	Bandô Hikosaburô VI
Okuma, Oima	Onoe Taganojô III
The okappiki Tsunematsu	Onoe Koisaburô III
The gyû Sankichi, the rônin Shiodome Tôshirô	Onoe Izaburô
The Matsunoya ryôrinin Yûjin	Onoe Kikuemon

January 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Uno Nobuo's drama "Fubuki Tôge", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Naokichi	Ichikawa Sadanji II
Sukezô	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
Oen	Ichikawa Shôchô II

January 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Edo-jô no Ninjô", the first play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Asano Naganori	Ichikawa Sadanji II
Lord Tozawa, Kataoka Gengoemon	Kataoka Gadô IV
Lord Katô	Ichikawa Sumizô VI
Lord Inagaki	Ichikawa Yaozô VIII
Okado Denpachirô	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
Kajikawa Yosobê	Sawamura Tosshi VIII
Shôda Yasutoshi	Ichimura Kamezô III
Tamura Tatsuaki	Ichikawa Enshô III

January 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Daini no Shisha", the second play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Ôishi Kuranosuke	Ichikawa Sadanji II
Ushioda Matanojô	Ichikawa Sumizô VI
Onodera Jûnai	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
Ôishi Chikara	Nakamura Shikaku II
Hara Sôemon	Sawamura Tosshi VIII
Okuno Shôgen	Ichikawa Arajirô II
Ôno Kurobê	Ichikawa Sashô II
Ôishi Sezaemon	Ichimura Kamezô III

April 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Saigo no Daihyôjô", the third play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura",. which was staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Ôishi Kuranosuke	Ichikawa Sadanji II
Izeki Tokubê, Toda Gonzaemon	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
Ôishi Kuranosuke's wife Oriku	Ichikawa Shôchô II
Ôishi Matsunojô, Kataoka Gengoemon	Ichikawa Danshirô III
Izeki Monzaemon	Nakamura Shikaku II
Okajima Yasoemon	Sawamura Tosshi VIII
Horibe Yasubê	Ichikawa Sumizô VI
Isogai Jûrôzaemon	Ichikawa Yaozô VIII
Okuno Shôgen	Ichikawa Arajirô II
Ushioda's wife Oyû	Kataoka Chiyomaro
Takata Gunbê	Bandô Katsutarô II
Ôno Kurobê	Ichikawa Sashô II

April 1936: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Ninin Sanbasô", a 2-dancer version of the Sanbasô dance, starring Ichikawa Ennosuke II and his son Ichikawa Danshirô III.

May 1938: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Mayama Seika's drama "Katsu Awa no Chichi", which was staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Katsu Kokichi	Ichikawa Sadanji II
Sakamotoya Yaeji	Ichikawa Shôchô II
The ôoku chûrô Ocha-no-Tsubone	Kataoka Nizaemon XII
Katsu Rintarô	Bandô Keizô I
Matsuzaka Shônosuke	Ôtani Tomoemon VI
Ôkubo Kôzukenosuke	Sawamura Tosshi VIII
Inoue Kakubê	Ichikawa Kuzô IV
Iida Jinkurô	Kawarasaki Gonjûrô II
A young dancing girl	Bandô Mitsunobu
Fushimi	Ichikawa Arajirô II
The jochû Ogen	Ichikawa Shachimaru II
The jochû Onao	Suketakaya Kodenji II

February 1939: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the second act of "Sengoku Yashiki", the ninth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura. It was staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Lord Sengoku	Kataoka Nizaemon XII
Ôishi Kuranosuke	Ichikawa Sadanji II
The jôshi Suzuki Gengoemon	Ichikawa Sumizô VI
The jôshi Mizuno Kozaemon	Kawarasaki Gonjûrô II
Okano Kin'emon, Horibe Yasubê	Sawamura Tosshi VIII
Isogai Jûrôzaemon	Morita Kan'ya XIV
Ôishi Chikara	Nakamura Shikaku II
Takebayashi Tadashichi	Ichikawa Yaozô VIII
The metsuke Ishikawa Yaichiemon	Bandô Katsutarô II

November 1939: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kimura Tomiko's dance-drama "Kurozuka". The musical accompaniment is written by Kineya Sakichi IV and the choreography is made by Hanayanagi Jusuke II. This dance-drama is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
The old woman Iwate, the ogress	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
The yamabushi Priest Yûkei	Sawamura Sôjûrô VII
Tarôgo	Ichikawa Danshirô III
The yamabushi Priest Yamatobô	Ichikawa Yaozô VIII
The yamabushi Priest Sanukibô	Sawamura Tanosuke V

January 1940: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Ohama Goten Tsunatoyo-kyô", the fifth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Tokugawa Tsunatoyo	Ichikawa Sadanji II
Tominomori Sukeemon	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
Arai Kageyu	Ichikawa Sumizô VI
Ejima	Kataoka Nizaemon XII
Okiyo	Nakamura Shikaku II
Okoji	Ichikawa Shachimaru II
Nomura	Bandô Katsutarô II
Urao	Ichikawa Enjo

April 1941: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kimura Tomiko's Gidayû-based dance "Yoi Yakko". The leading role of the yakko Bekunai is played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II.

November 1941: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Sengakuji", the eighth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura".

10 March 1945 (00:08 AM): 344 US Army B29 bombers drops 2,000 tons of bombs on Tôkyô, killing more than 120,000 people and destroying almost everything; the Tôkyô Gekijô is the sole standing theater in the devastated city.

February 1946: Ichimura Kakitsu VII and Ichimura Matasaburô II take at the Tôkyô Gekijô the respective names of Ichimura Uzaemon XVI and Ichimura Kakitsu VIII.

May 1947: revival at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the drama "Jayanagi", which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban collection of drama. It is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Shamon Kûjaku, in reality Akushichibyôe Kagekiyo	Ichikawa Sanshô V
Nishiki-no-Mae, in reality the spirit of the Snake Willow	Nakamura Tokizô III
Honda Jirô Chikatsune	Sawamura Tanosuke V
Honda's sister Umegae	Sawamura Tosshô IV
Ema Koshirô Yoshitoki	Ichikawa Ebizô IX
Heinai	Bandô Hikosaburô VII
The yamabushi Shunjôbô Jûgen	Onoe Shôroku II
Kagekiyo's daughter Hitomaru	Ichimura Kakitsu VIII

May 1949: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the dance-drama "Higaki", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
The old woman Higaki (in reality the ghost of Higaki)	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
Ono no Komachi	Ôtani Tomoemon VII
Shii no Shôshô	Bandô Mitsugorô VII
A big thanx to Sekidobashi Sakura for her help!

September 1949: Ichikawa Somegorô V and his son Matsumoto Kintarô II take the respective names of Matsumoto Kôshirô VIII and Ichikawa Somegorô VI at the Tôkyô Gekijô.

1952: the Tôkyô Gekijô becomes a movie theater.

1975: the Tôkyô Gekijô is rebuilt and modernized. Its name becomes Tôgeki.

The Tôkyô Gekijô in 1947