2005 was a busy year for kabuki21.com. 366 actors pages, 130 summaries and 630 entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list are from now on available. I would like to thank very much all the people who helped me building this site: Paul Binnie, Frank Castle, Jeff Blair, Paul Griffith, Ted Jagoda, Lynn Matsuoka, Sekidobashi Sakura, Jerry "V" Vegder, Jean Wilson and Akiko Yamauchi.

ACTORS: short biographies of the actors Onoe Koisaburô I and Onoe Shinshichi II.

PRINTS:

ACTORS LINES: Onoe Shinshichi.

OTHERS: 4 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list.

ACTORS: short biographies of the actors Nakajima Kanzaemon I, Nakajima Kanzaemon II, Nakajima Kanzaemon III, Nakajima Mihoemon I, Nakajima Mihoemon II and Nakajima Mihoemon III.

PRINTS:

ACTORS LINES: Nakajima Kanzaemon, Nakajima Mihoemon and Nakajima Mihozô.

OTHERS: 7 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; kugeaku is added to the glossary; one of the 1711 kaomise in Edo.

ACTORS: biography of the actor Sakata Tôjûrô III.

PLAYS: "Ame no Gorô" and "Kitsunebi".

PRINTS:

ACTORS LINES: Sakata Tôjûrô.

DERIVATIVES: Maldives Stamps.

OTHERS: a new pattern for the background of all pages (the mon of the new Sakata Tôjûrô); 7 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; inaka shibai and kitsunebi are added to the glossary; 2 new links.

ACTORS: biographies of the actors Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Shôchô and Nakamura Sôjûrô.

PLAYS: "Ryûko", "Tenaraiko" and "Yoshikata Saigo".

PRINTS:

ACTORS LINES: Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Matsue and Nakamura Shichisaburô.

PROGRAMS: November 2005 (Zenshinza Tour), December 2005 (Zenshinza Tour) and January 2006 (Kabukiza, Shôchikuza, National Theatre, Asakusa Kôkaidô, Zenshinza Gekijô).

OTHERS: 23 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list.

ACTORS: biography of the actor Shibazaki Rinzaemon I.

PLAYS: "Sakai no Taiko" and "Soga no Taimen".

PROGRAMS: December 2005 (Minamiza, National Theatre, Kabukiza).

OTHERS: 5 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; shin kabuki jûhachiban is added to the glossary.

ACTORS: biographies of the actors Fujikawa Heikurô and Fujioka Daikichi.

PLAYS: "Iwashi Uri" and "Kamo Zutsumi".

PRINTS:

PROGRAMS: November 2005 (Yachiyoza).

OTHERS: 11 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; mishima kabuki, onna budô and onryôgoto are added to the glossary; everything about the Shichinosuke scandal; one of the 1732 kaomise in Ôsaka; one new book in the bibliography.

ACTORS: a biography of the actor Sakakiyama Sagisuke.

PLAYS: "Utsunoya Tôge".

PROGRAMS: November 2005 (Kabukiza, National Theatre, Shinbashi Enbujô, Shôchiku Grand Kabuki Tour).

OTHERS: 18 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; kyoku-jô-jô-kichi and shishi are added to the glossary; a great article about Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII.

ACTORS: short biographies of the actors Fujikawa Hachizô I, Ichikawa Danshirô I, Nakamura Shingorô I, Sakakiyama Koshirô I, Sakata Hangorô I, Shinozuka Jirozaemon I, Tomizawa Hanzaburô I, Yamamoto Kyôshirô I and Yamashita Matatarô I.

PLAYS: "Miyajima no Danmari" and "Suô Otoshi".

PRINTS:

OTHERS: 38 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; jô-(shiro)jô and jô-jô-shôkichi are added to the glossary; we finally found a image of Sawamura Otoemon I.

ACTORS: short biographies of the actors Arashi Kichisaburô I, Arashi Kichisaburô VII, Arashi San'emon III and Arashi San'emon V.

PLAYS: "Benkei Jôshi", "Chatsubo", "Irezumi Chôhan" and "Noriaibune".

PRINTS:

PROGRAMS: September 2005 (Shôchikuza) and October 2005 (Misonoza, Kabukiza, National Theatre, Nissay Theatre).

OTHERS: 25 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; the coming soon page for actors; fusuma, Jurôjin and Tomimoto are added to the glossary.

ACTORS: short biographies of the 7 onnagata actors of the Nakamura clan Nakamura Gentarô, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I, Nakamura Kumetarô I, Nakamura Noshio I, Nakamura Rikô I, Nakamura Sen'ya I and Nakamura Takesaburô I.

PLAYS: "Jiisan Baasan" and "Komeya".

PRINTS:

ACTORS LINES: Nakamura Takesaburô.

PROGRAMS: September 2005 (Kabukiza, Hakataza, Miyajima, Western Provinces, Kabuki Forum Tour).

OTHERS: 32 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; 6 new links; some data on the Chikamatsuza tour in the USA; an interesting story about Sadoshima Chôgorô I's youth; Chikamatsuza, fûryû musume, hime, Kouta, musume and shôjô are added to the glossary.

ACTORS: short biographies of the actors Arashi Hinasuke II, Arashi Izaburô II, Arashi Kichisaburô VI, Arashi San'emon II, Arashi Sangorô VI and Arashi Yoshisaburô VI.

CONTEMPORARY ACTORS: Arashi Hironari, Bandô Shinsha and Ichikawa Shinzô.

PLAYS: "Futatsudama", "Kanpei Harakiri", "Kenuki", "Sannin Kichisa", "Teppô Watashi" and "Ukare Bôzu".

PRINTS:

ACTORS LINES: Arashi Yoshisaburô.

PROGRAMS: August 2005 (Kabukiza, Enryakuji Temple, Theater Dramacity, National Theatre).

OTHERS: Lynn Matsuoka gave us the permission to use some of her amazing Kabuki prints, which we added to Nakamura Hashinosuke III and Sawamura Tôjûrô II; Castle Fine Arts gave us the permission to use their Tsuruya Kôkei's prints, which we added to Ichikawa Danjûrô XII, Ichikawa Monnosuke VII, Ichikawa Sadanji IV, Ichimura Uzaemon XVII, Jitsukawa Enjaku III, Kataoka Gadô V, Kawarasaki Gonjûrô III, Nakamura Shikan VII, Nakamura Jakuemon IV, Nakamura Tokizô V, Nakamura Tomijûrô V and Onoe Kikugorô VII; a new section dedicated to the kaomise shows; 6 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; 3 new links; we finally found some images of Kawarasaki Gonnosuke I and Morita Kan'ya I; teppô and yotaka are added to the glossary; 2 new entries in the FAQ.

ACTORS: short biographies of the actors Arashi Yoshisaburô V, Ichikawa Raizô V, Mimasu Daigorô V, Seki Sanjûrô V and Yoshizawa Ayame V.

PLAYS: "Sakaro" and "Yanagi".

PRINTS:

ACTORS LINES: Seki Hanasuke, Seki Sanjûrô, Yoshizawa Ayame and Yoshizawa Sakinosuke.

DERIVATIVES: The Kabukiza at Night, Sukeroku and Alexander Iacovlev.

PROGRAMS: June 2005 (Zenshinza Tour) and July 2005 (Kabukiza, Shôchikuza, National Theatre, Eastern Provinces Tour, Central Provinces Tour).

OTHERS: 3 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; 2 new links; a new pattern for the background of all pages (taken from a 19th century Ôsaka theater playbill); we finally found some images of Ôtani Hirohachi I and Yoshizawa Ayame III; sakaro and yanagi are added to the glossary.

PRINTS:

PROGRAMS: March 2005 (Expo 2005 Aichi), April 2005 (National Bunraku Theatre), May 2005 (National Theatre, NHK Hall) and June 2005 (Kabukiza, Hakataza, National Theatre, Theatre Cocoon, Minamiza, Educational Kabuki tour in Kansai, Chûnichi Theatre).

OTHERS: some data on the Chikamatsuza tour in Korea; a move from 69 to 89 and a new job kept me busy since the beginning of Spring. Sorry for this very limited update!

ACTORS: short biographies of the actors Bandô Matakurô I, Ichikawa Aragorô I, Ichikawa Raizô I and Nakamura Sukegorô I.

PLAYS: "Keisei Dôjôji".

PRINTS:

DERIVATIVES: Oshie Series Kan Shôjô and Kanzaburô's Furoshiki.

ACTORS LINES: Bandô Matajirô, Bandô Matakurô, Bandô Matatarô and Nakamura Sukegorô.

PROGRAMS: April 2005 (Daigoji) and May 2005 (Kabukiza, Shôchikuza).

OTHERS: more details on the last days of Ichikawa Danzô VIII (thanks to Akiko-san!); details of the premiere of "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara"; the Ritsumeikan Univ. links are updated.

ACTORS: short biographies of the zamoto Bandô Matakurô II, Bandô Matakurô III, Ichimura Takenojô I, Ichimura Uzaemon III, Ichimura Uzaemon V, Morita Kan'ya IX, Murayama Matasaburô I, Nakamura Kanzaburô II, Nakamura Kanzaburô III and Nakamura Kanzaburô V.

CONTEMPORARY ACTORS: Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII with two of his disciples Nakamura Genzaemon and Nakamura Kosanza.

PLAYS: "Irogoyomi Gen'yadana".

PRINTS:

DERIVATIVES: Oshie Series Kagekiyo, Sushiya Teacups and Pachinko.

ACTORS LINES: Ichimura Takenojô, Ichimura Uzaemon, Morita Kan'ya, Nakamura Akashi, Nakamura Kankurô and Nakamura Kanzaburô.

PROGRAMS: April 2005 (Kabukiza, Minamiza, Shôchikuza, Kanamaruza, Misonoza, Shinbashi Enbujô).

OTHERS: a new page on actors blazons; Izumi, kabuki sandai meisaku kyôgen, Senshû and tômi are added to the glossary; some details on the origin of Tachibanaya; a theater sound attached to the top page; 1 new entry in the FAQ; 1 new link; a new pattern for the background of all pages (the mon of the new Nakamura Kanzaburô); the new format for the old actors pages is applied to the contemporary actors pages.

ACTORS: short biographies of the actors Ichikawa Sai'nyû, Kataoka Ichizô III, Kawarasaki Kunitarô IV, Nakamura Matagorô I and Onoe Taganojô II.

CONTEMPORARY ACTORS: Fujikawa Yanosuke and Onoe Ukon.

PLAYS: "Natsu Matsuri".

PRINTS:

DERIVATIVES: Oshie Series Akoya.

ACTORS LINES: Ichikawa Sumizô, Kataoka Ichizô and Kataoka Jûzô.

OTHERS: dankikusa, jôruri, jôrurihime, kodomo shibai, koroshi no mie, sôen'u, Takemotoza, Toyotakeza, tsuzura and Zenshinza are added to the glossary; the page on Guilds is reformatted; some details on the origin of Kagaya, Mikawaya, Narikomaya, Naritaya, Otowaya, Takashimaya and Tennôjiya; 4 new entries in the FAQ; a new pattern for the background of all pages (the famous "kamawanu" (literally "I don't mind"), which belongs to the Naritaya guild); the top page is slightly reworked.