TEN'ICHIBŌ ŌOKA SEIDAN

['The Case of Ten'ichibō' from 'The Judgements of Ōoka']

CAST :

Ōoka, Lord of Echizen

Onoe Shōroku

Yamanouchi Iganosuke

Kataoka Ainosuke

Ten'ichibō

Ichikawa Ennosuke

STORY :

Tales of wise magistrates are common in the Far East, and while China has Judge Dee, Japan has Ōoka, Lord of Echizen. In the late 19th century, the success of such stories in the form of 'Kōdan' inspired kabuki adaptations, including this one, written by Kawatake Mokuami.
In remote Wakayama Prefecture there lives an old wet nurse. Her daughter fell in love with the shōgun Yoshimune and bore his child. The mother and child soon died, but the old wet nurse still possesses a sword and a document signed by the shōgun. An evil priest learns her secret, kills her and takes the sword and document. He goes to Edo and poses as the son of Yoshimune under the name Ten'ichibō. He gathers an army of masterless samurai and collects money from supporters, all eager for advantage when Ten'ichibō becomes shōgun. Ten'ichibō's plot seems unstoppable until he meets the wise magistrate Ōoka, Lord of Echizen.

Edo-e Ryōgoku Hakkei
ARAKAWA NO SAKICHI

['Sakichi of Arakawa']

CAST :

Sakichi

Matsumoto Kōshirō

Narikawa Gōemon

Nakamura Baigyoku

Oyae

Kataoka Takatarō

Sumida no Seigorō

Ichikawa Komazō

Oshin, the wife of Marusō shop's master

Nakamura Kaishun

Sagamiya Masagorō

Matsumoto Hakuō

STORY :

It is the mid-19th century in Edo (old Tokyo). Though Sakichi is a carpenter, he adores the world of gangsters and becomes a henchman of Shōki no Nihē whose territory is the Ryōgoku district. Though Nihē is successful, he is cut in the arm by a masterless samurai named Narikawa Gōemon. He falls on hard times and lives with his daughter Oyae in a tenement. Sakichi, surprised to see him ruined, decides to look after them. Oyae's sister Oshin has borne a blind baby called Unokichi, and Nihē leaves him in Sakichi's care as he goes out to a gambling house. There, after playing with doctored dice, he is killed. Seven years pass by and Unokichi has grown into a healthy and wise boy. Sakichi avenges his dead boss by killing Narikawa who took over the Ryōgoku district as his territory. However, though he takes over from Nihē and becomes a dignified boss, he prefers being a wanderer to having many henchmen. He returns Unokichi to his real mother Oshin and leaves Edo.

YOSHITSUNE SENBON ZAKURA
Hototogisu Hana Arusato

['A Cuckoo in a Field of Flowers' from 'Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees']

CAST :

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

Nakamura Baigyoku

Washio Saburō

Nakamura Ganjirō

Miyoshino, a shirabyōshi dancer

Nakamura Senjaku

Terukichi, a puppet player

Nakamura Matagorō

STORY :

Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his retainers are on their way from Daimotsu Bay to Mt. Yoshino, and rest here along the road to Yamato Province. A shirabyōshi court dancer and a puppet player pass by. Each dances in a lively manner and comforts Yoshitsune. This is a lively dance accompanied by the nagauta lyrical ensemble.

JĪSAN BĀSAN

['The Old Couple']

CAST :

Minobe Iori

Kataoka Nizaemon

Shimojima Jin'emon

Nakamura Karoku

Run, Iori’s wife

Bandō Tamasaburō

STORY :

Based on a short story by Mori Ōgai, this modern play by Uno Nobuo shows the deep love of the couple, Iori and Run. The young samurai Iori travels to Kyoto with his lord, leaving Run, his beloved wife, behind. There, he attacks another man in a fight over a sword and is put under house arrest, which separates him from his wife. 37 years later, he returns to his home as an old man. There he meets an elderly woman. This turns out to be Run who has also aged. They do not recognize each other until the woman sees Iori's peculiar habit of putting his hand to his nose, the one thing that has not changed.

OMATSURI

['The Festival']

CAST :

A geisha

Bandō Tamasaburō

STORY :

The gallant commoners of Edo's neighborhoods loved nothing better than a festival, and this performance is a dance based on one of the biggest festivals in Edo (the old name for Tokyo). In this dance, a geisha appears on stage with a group of young men in a display of their 'Edo-style' spirit. The geisha, who has become a little tipsy, performs a beautiful and enticing dance, and caught up in her performance, the young festival goers put on a brilliant display as they all dance together.