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

 
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