2012 in figures:

570 actors pages

365 summaries

1305 entries in the Kabuki plays list

325 actors lines

20 playwrights

I would like to thank very much all the friends who helped me building this site. Happy new year of the Serpent 2013 to you all and let's spare a thought for Nakamura Jakuemon, Nakamura Kanzaburô and Sawamura Tetsunosuke, who left us in 2012.

PLAYS: "Modori Kago".

CONTEMPORARY ACTORS: Ichimura Hikaru, Nakamura Hayato, Nakamura Takanosuke and Nakamura Tanenosuke.

ACTORS LINES: Ôtani Bajû, Ôtani Monzô and Ôtani Tokuji.

KAOMISE: Edo 1801 (Kawarasakiza).

PROGRAMS: January 2013 (details for the Shôchikuza, National Theatre, Shinbashi Enbujô and Asakusa Kôkaidô programs), February 2013 (Shôchikuza, Nikkei Hall, details for the Nissay Theatre program), March 2013 (details for the Misonoza programs), April 2013 (Kabukiza, Kanamaruza), May 2013 (Kabukiza) and June 2013 (Kabukiza).

OTHERS: 3 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; the page on the Sakata Sajûrô line of actors is modified (Sakata Sajûrô 1.2 added); haori, jichô, shinmachi and shûgyôsha are added to the glossary.

PLAYS: "Onna Narukami" and "Onna Seigen".

PLAYWRIGHTS: Namiki Sôsuke.

CONTEMPORARY ACTORS: Nakamura Ryûnosuke and Nakamura Yonekichi.

NI-NO-KAWARI: Ôsaka 1751.

THEATERS: Miyatoza.

DERIVATIVES: Kabuki Samurai Sensei.

PROGRAMS: December 2012 (details for the National Theatre and Shinbashi Enbujô progams), January 2013 (Shinbashi Enbujô), February 2013 (Nissay Theatre) and March 2013 (Misonoza, National Theatre).

OTHERS: 1 new link; 6 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; new prints & illustrations pages for the actors Bandô Mitsugorô I and Mimasu Daigorô II; a new illustration for the drama "Narukami"; ama, bingo, bishû, dôshinsha, hizenza, jochû, kakikae kyôgen, naimaze kyôgen, okujochû, oshimodoshi and watashimori are added to the glossary.

ACTORS: Nakamura Shibajûrô.

PLAYS: "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari" and "Tenjiku Tokubê".

PLAYWRIGHTS: Nagawa Issen I, Nagawa Kamesuke I and Nagawa Kunisuke.

KAOMISE: Kyôto 1784 (Nishi no Shibai).

PROGRAMS: November 2012 (Kinshû Special Tour, details for the Shinbashi Enbujô, Meijiza, National Theatre and Shôchiku Ôkabuki Tour programs), December 2012 (details for the Minamiza programs), January 2013 (Shôchikuza, Asakusa Kôkaidô) and February 2013 (Hakataza).

OTHERS: 1 new link; 5 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; the Iwai Kiyotarô line is reworked; new illustrations for Asao Okuyama I, Kataoka Gadô I and Nagawa Shimesuke I; gama, ise monogatari, nara kaidô, natsu kyôgen, suimon and tenjiku-tokubemono are added to the glossary; the actor Nakamura Utaemon I is referenced as Kagaya Kashichi I in our database; the illustration page of Kagaya Kashichi I is refurbished; more pictures for the Kanamaruza.

ACTORS: Kirinoya Tôkurô.

PLAYS: "Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami".

ACTORS LINES: Kirinoya Gonjûrô.

PROGRAMS: October 2012 (details for the Shinbashi Enbujô and Misonoza programs), November 2012 (Sistine Kabuki), December 2012 (Minamiza, Shinbashi Enbujô) and January 2013 (National Theatre, Zenshinza Gekijô).

OTHERS: 7 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; katsuragawa is added to the glossary.

PLAYS: "Kumo ni Magou Ueno no Hatsuhana" and "Kuwanaya Tokuzô".

ACTORS LINES: Fujikawa Happo.

KAOMISE: Ôsaka 1723 (Kado no Shibai).

SOGAMONO: Ichimuraza 1763.

NI-NO-KAWARI: Kyôto 1719.

PROGRAMS: September 2012 (details for the Shinbashi Enbujô and Shôchikuza programs), October 2012 (details for the National Theatre program, NHK Hall), November 2012 (Shinbashi Enbujô) and December 2012 (National Theatre).

OTHERS: 1 new link; 6 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; a new illustration for Yamashita Kamenojô I; bakuto, cha bôzu, gejo, kompira, naozamurai, osukiya bôzu, sanshû, sanuki, tenpô rokkasen, torimono and yûrei are added to the glossary.

CONTEMPORARY ACTORS: Nakamura Sennojô.

ACTORS LINES: Bandô Katsutarô, Ichikawa Hakotora, Kataoka Matsunosuke, Kawarasaki Gonzaburô, Matsumoto Shichizô, Nakamura Fukunosuke and Sawamura Tetsunosuke.

PROGRAMS: August 2012 (Kanazawa, Kamejirô no Kai, Sennojô no Kai, Bandô Shinsha no Kai), September 2012 (Shinbashi Enbujô, Shôchikuza), October 2012 (Misonoza, Shinbashi Enbujô, Yakushiji) and November 2012 (Meijiza, National Theatre, Kanamaruza, Eirakukan, Shôchiku Ôkabuki Tour).

OTHERS: 1 new link; new illustrations for Ichikawa Komazô and Nakamura Utae.

ACTORS: Arashi Tominosuke I and Arashi Tomisaburô II.

PLAYS: "Inazuma Zôshi".

KAOMISE: Ôsaka 1722 (Ônishi no Shibai).

NI-NO-KAWARI: Kyôto 1721.

PROGRAMS: July 2012 (Asakusa Kôkaidô), August 2012 (details for the Shinbashi Enbujô programs), September 2012 (Minamiza) and October 2012 (National Theatre).

OTHERS: 9 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; funa norikomi, nakanochô, rônin and yozakura are added to the glossary.

ACTORS: Bandô Kunigorô I.

PLAYS: "Hashimoto", "Heisoto", "Hitotsuya" and "Honjô".

ACTORS LINES: Bandô Daikichi, Bandô Jutarô, Bandô Keizô, Bandô Kikumatsu and Bandô Mitsuemon.

PROGRAMS: June 2012 (details for the Shinbashi Enbujô, Misonoza and Minamiza programs), July 2012 (Shôchikuza, details for the Shinbashi Enbujô and National Theatre programs), August 2012 (Shinbashi Enbujô, National Theatre, National Bunraku Theatre) and September 2012 (Tour in the western provinces).

OTHERS: 1 new link; 5 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; dokushu, hashimoto, honjô, honmaru, hyakunichi, ikeda terumasa, imo arai, katô Kiyomasa, katô-kiyomasamono, kumamotojô, mukôjima, oshô, sumidagawa, tenshukaku and yodogawa are added to the glossary.

ACTORS LINES: Onoe Tamimaru.

PROGRAMS: May 2012 (details for the Shinbashi Enbujô, Shôchikuza, Heisei Nakamuraza and National Theatre programs), June 2012 (Minamiza, details for the National Theatre and Theatre Cocoon programs), July 2012 (Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre, details for the Kabuki Tour in the eastern provinces and Theatre Cocoon programs) and August 2012 (National Theatre).

OTHERS: 3 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; we've decided to use two systems for the dates, the traditional lunar Japanese calendar for all the pre-1873 dates and the Western calendar for the post-1873 dates (sorry in advance for the risks of confusion - please do use an excellent online date converter to convert Japanese dates into Western dates); new summaries for "Abura no Jigoku", "Senryô Nobori", "Ume no Yoshibê" and "Unagidani"; the Asao Okuyama, Bandô Kamesaburô, Ichikawa Sôzaburô and Iwai Matsunosuke lines are reworked; aburaya, akô gishi, furuteya, gishi, gishigeki, gishi kyôgen, kushida kazuyoshi, kuyô, saruwaka-ryû, taiya, unagidani and yumishi are added to the glossary.

PROGRAMS: May 2012 (Heisei Nakamuraza) and July 2012 (Central Provinces, Eastern Provinces).

CONTEMPORARY ACTORS: Nakamura Mantarô, Ôtani Hiromatsu and Ôtani Hirotarô.

ACTORS LINES: Ôtani Hirotarô.

PROGRAMS: April 2012 (details for the Heisei Nakamuraza and Shinbashi Enbujô programs), May 2012 (Shôchikuza, Nikkei Hall), June 2012 (Shinbashi Enbujô, Hakataza, Shibuya Bunkamura, Misonoza, National Theatre) and July 2012 (Shinbashi Enbujô, Shibuya Bunkamura, National Theatre).

OTHERS: 1 new link; new prints & illustrations pages for the actors Nakamura Kichiemon I and Sakurayama Shirosaburô II; a new illustration for the drama "Benkei Jôshi"; mitate-e and ten'ichibô are added to the glossary.

ACTORS: Sakurayama Shirosaburô II.

PLAYS: "Ogasawara Sôdô".

ACTORS LINES: Sakurayama Shirosaburô and Sakurayama Shôzaemon.

PROGRAMS: March 2012 (details for the Shinbashi Enbujô, National Theatre and Heisei Nakamuraza programs), April 2012 (Heisei Nakamuraza) and May 2012 (Shinbashi Enbujô, National Theatre).

OTHERS: 2 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; the Nakamura Jakuemon line page is reworked; a new illustration for Sakurayama Shirosaburô I; new prints & illustrations pages for the actors Sakurayama Shirosaburô I, Sakurayama Shôzaemon I and Sugiyama Kanzaemon III; buzen, enshû, hiyoke, hôshû, kokurajô, ogasawarashi, ôte, suisha, susuki and tôtômi are added to the glossary.

ACTORS: Iwata Somematsu I.

PLAYS: "Shinobu no Sôta".

ACTORS LINES: Nakamura Kantarô, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Nakayama Genjûrô and Nakayama Tomisaburô.

PROGRAMS: February 2012 (details for the Shôchikuza, Misonoza and Hakataza programs), March 2012 (Shinbashi Enbujô, Heisei Nakamuraza) and April 2012 (Shinbashi Enbujô, Minamiza).

OTHERS: 4 new entries in the Japanese-English Kabuki plays list; the Ichikawa Komazô and Matsumoto Kôshirô lines pages are reworked; anma, keian jiken, marubashi chûya, sakuramochi, tenjiku tokubei, yasaka jinja and yui shôsetsu are added to the glossary.