Kabukiza Theatre
April at the Kabukiza Theatre
Daily: Apr 03 (Sat) - Apr 28 (Wed), 2021
Part 1: 11:00 AM
Part 2: 2:45 PM
Part 3: 5:45 PM
*No performances on the 9th (Fri) and the 19th (Mon).
*The theatre will open 40 minutes before the performance starts.
[Important Notice]
April 25 (Sun) - April 28 (Wed) perfomances CANCELLED
●Notification of the cancellation of April 25 (Sun) - May 11 (Tue) performances due to coronavirus (COVID-19)(Apr 24)
●Notification of the ticket refunds of the April program at the Kabukiza Theatre(Apr 25)
●Notice about the Kabukiza Theatre's operations from 2021
●Precautionary Measures at the Kabukiza Theatre
On sale: from Mar 14 (Sun), 2021 10:00AM(JST)
Box Seat: 16,000 /First Class Seat: 15,000 /Second Class Seat: 11,000 /Upper Tier A : 5,000 /Upper Tier B : 3,000
Unit: Japanese Yen (tax included)
*Children over the age of 4 must purchase tickets to enter.
*Single Act Seats are not for sale.
*One section of the auditorium will be sold in two-seat blocks, with every third seat vacant.
*Tea will not be offered at the Box Seats. Please refrain from eating at seats as well.
Kabukiza Theatre (at TOKYO) Theatre Information
- *No English supporting guide available.
In April you can enjoy masterpieces of kabuki in every part of the program.
In Part 1 you can see a dance piece where the highlight shows how a swordsmith forges a sword brilliantly with the help of the great god of harvests. In the next item, the hero Musashibō Benkei is seen in a representative work of the ‘aragoto’ acting style which is also a specialty of the Kōraiya acting house. The role will be played alternately, either by Hakuō in Schedule A, or by Kōshirō in Schedule B.
In Part 2 you can see a history play accompanied by the impressive Gidayū Narrative Ensemble. The play depicts the tragic events which happen in the family of a warrior who rebelled against his lord. This will be followed by a flowery dance portraying a loving couple in perfect harmony.
In Part 3 you can see a popular and fantastic play by the famous playwright Tsuruya Nanboku, performed by Nizaemon and Tamasaburō.
KOKAJI
['Swordsmith Kokaji']
CAST :
- A child, in reality, the great god of harvests
- Ichikawa Ennosuke
- Sanjō Kokaji Munechika
- Ichikawa Chūsha
- Tachibana no Michinari, an imperial envoy
- Ichikawa Sadanji
STORY :
A swordsmith named Munechika prays at the Inari Shrine for a person who will forge a sword with him. Then the great god appears in the form of a child, but in reality it is a fox. Munechika finishes forging the sword dancing dynamically with the fox in the figure of the great god.
Intermission: 20 minutes
KANJINCHŌ
['The Subscription Scroll']
CAST :
- Musashibō Benkei
- Matsumoto Hakuō
- Togashi no Saemon
- Matsumoto Kōshirō
- Kamei no Rokurō
- Ōtani Tomoemon
- Kataoka Hachirō
- Ichikawa Komazō
- Suruga no Jirō
- Ōtani Hirotarō
- Hitachibō Kaison
- Matsumoto Kingo
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune
- Nakamura Jakuemon
【Schedule A】
- Musashibō Benkei
- Matsumoto Kōshirō
- Togashi no Saemon
- Onoe Matsuya
- Kamei no Rokurō
- Ōtani Tomoemon
- Kataoka Hachirō
- Ichikawa Komazō
- Suruga no Jirō
- Ōtani Hirotarō
- Hitachibō Kaison
- Matsumoto Kingo
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune
- Nakamura Jakuemon
【Schedule B】
【Schedule A】(3rd・5th・7th・10th・12th・14th・16th・18th・21st・23rd・25th・27th)
【Schedule B】(4th・6th・8th・11th・13th・15th・17th・20th・22nd・24th・26th・28th)
STORY :
Disguised as traveling priests, the fugitive general Yoshitsune and his band of retainers are stopped at a road barrier. The head retainer Benkei claims they are soliciting contributions for the rebuilding of a temple, but the barrier guard Togashi insists that, if so, they must have the temple's book of solicitation. Benkei elaborately improvises the text with an empty scroll. When one soldier points out that one of the group resembles Yoshitsune, Benkei is forced to strike Yoshitsune with his staff. Togashi is convinced that they are the fugitives but, sympathizing with Benkei's loyalty, he tells them to proceed on their way.
EHON TAIKŌKI
Amagasaki Kankyo
['The Retreat in Amagasaki' from 'The Picture Book of Taikō']
CAST :
- Takechi Mitsuhide
- Nakamura Shikan
- Takechi Jūjirō, Mitsuhide's son
- Onoe Kikunosuke
- Hatsugiku
- Nakamura Baishi
- Satō Masakiyo
- Bandō Yajūrō
- Mashiba Hisayoshi
- Nakamura Senjaku
- Satsuki, Mitsuhide's mother
- Nakamura Tōzō
- Misao, Mitsuhide's wife
- Nakamura Kaishun
STORY :
This is a 'jidaimono' history play portraying General Takechi Mitsuhide's life after his rebellion. Mitsuhide has killed his lord Oda Harunaga and taken over the country, but after a few days, he is in danger of losing all that he has gained to his rival general Mashiba Hisayoshi. Mitsuhide intends to attack Hisayoshi with a bamboo spear, only to find that he has fatally wounded his own mother. His mother and wife reprimand him for the disloyal act of killing his lord, but he refuses to repent. His will of steel is only broken when his son arrives to report on the battle and dies from his injuries.
Intermission: 15 minutes
DANGO URI
['The Dumpling Peddlers']
CAST :
- Kinezō
- Nakamura Baigyoku
- Ousu
- Kataoka Takatarō
STORY :
This dance with Gidayū music portrays a couple making and selling rice dumplings on the streets. They demonstrate how they make the rice dumplings in a lively way. The making of rice dumplings is often associated with the prosperity of one's descendants, so it is considered to bring good fortune.
5:45 PM - 7:13 PM
(Intermission: 15 minutes)
7:28 PM - 7:59 PM
SAKURAHIME AZUMA BUNSHŌ
Jō no Maki
[The first half of 'The Scarlet Princess of Edo']
CAST :
- Seigen/Tsurigane Gonsuke
- Kataoka Nizaemon
- Iruma Akugorō
- Nakamura Ganjirō
- Awazu no Shichirō
- Nakamura Kinnosuke
- Nagaura, a lady-in-waiting
- Kamimura Kichiya
- Zangetsu, a sexton
- Nakamura Karoku
- Shiragikumaru/Sakurahime
- Bandō Tamasaburō
STORY :
This is one of the masterpieces by playwright Tsuruya Nanboku IV. Priest Seigen of Hasedera Temple falls in love with the page Shiragikumaru and agrees to commit double suicide with him, but Seigen alone survives the attempt. Seventeen years later, Seigen has become a high priest and accepts, Sakurahime’s wish to become a nun. Tsurigane Gonsuke appears before her as she waits to take the tonsure. He once stole into her mansion and violated her. After this unexpected reunion, she loses her will to become a nun and gives herself to him. Sakurahime is arrested for her immoral deed, and Seigen notices that Sakurahime is the reincarnation of Shiragikumaru. Gonsuke’s sin of having relations with a woman is blamed on Seigen and he is kicked out of the temple.