Kabukiza Theatre
June Program at the Kabukiza Theatre
Daily: Jun 03 (Sat) - Jun 25 (Sun), 2023
Matinee:11:00 AM
Evening Show: 4:00 PM
*No Matinee and Evening Show on the 12th (Mon) and 19th (Mon).
[Important Notice]
●Precautionary Measures at the Kabukiza Theatre
●(Updated) Notification of the changes made to the May and June performances(Apr 21)
Sales of Single Act Seats to resume at the Kabukiza Theatre(Apr 28)
●Notification of the absence and cast replacement of Ichikawa Ennosuke for the Matinee of the June performances(May 24)
On sale: from May 14 (Sun), 2023 10:00 AM(JST)
Box Seat: 20,000 /First Class Seat: 18,000 /Second Class Seat: 14,000 /Upper Tier A 6,000 /Upper Tier B : 4,000
Unit: Japanese Yen (tax included)
*Children over the age of 4 must purchase tickets to enter.
*Tea will not be offered at the Box Seats.
Kabukiza Theatre (at TOKYO) Theatre Information
- *Tickets for dates shown as "Sold Out" or for other preferred seating areas, may still be available from the promoter, Shochiku Co., Ltd. Please confirm the availability by phone or stop by the Box Office.
*No English supporting guide available.
*Free English flyer / Detailed English synopses are sold at the theatre.
The Matinee in June begins with a masterpiece from the 'Forty-eight Plays Selected by Ichikawa Ennosuke III' portraying the tender bond between a husband and wife. They are amazed when a miracle occurs caused by the power of the artist's brush. This is followed by a fantastic play by Kawatake Mokuami adapted from picture books of the Edo period. Finally, you will see a dance depicting the atmosphere of Edo (the old name for Tokyo) through the four seasons. In the Evening Show, please enjoy one of the three great classics of the kabuki repertoire. Of its many highlights will be a beautiful fight scene, a tragic story of a family's mutual love, and a scene in which spectacular stage trickery will fascinate you.
*Performance time is subject to change
KEISEI HANGONKŌ
Tosa no Shōgen Kankyo, Ukiyo Matahei Sumika 'Kabuki no Hana Meiga no Irodori'
['Matahei the Stutterer' and 'Matahei's House' in another title 'Gorgeous Kabuki Dance of Colorful Master Paintings' from 'The Courtesan and the Hangon Incense']
CAST :
- Ukiyo Matahei, later, Tosa no Matahei Mitsuoki
- Ichikawa Chūsha
- Otoku, Matahei's wife
- Nakamura Kazutarō *
- Kanō Utanosuke
- Nakamura Kashō
- Tosa no Shurinosuke
- Ichikawa Danko
- Ohyaku, a maidservant
- Ichikawa Juen
- Tosa no Shōgen Mitsunobu
- Nakamura Karoku
- Tosa no Matahei Mitsuoki
- Ichikawa Chūsha
- Otoku, Matahei's wife
- Nakamura Kazutarō *
- Catfish in Ōtsu-e painting
- Bandō Shingo
- Ichōnomae
- Nakamura Yonekichi
- Aeba Tarō
- Ichikawa Otora
- Obata no Jirō
- Nakamura Fukunosuke
- Daigo Saburō
- Nakamura Tamatarō
- Gamō no Shirō
- Nakamura Utanosuke
- Footman in Ōtsu-e painting
- Ichikawa Seiko
- Wisteria Maiden in Ōtsu-e painting
- Ichikawa Emiya
- Blind Man in Ōtsu-e painting
- Ichikawa En'ya
- Fuwa Banzaemon
- Ichikawa Omezō
<Tosa no Shōgen Kankyo>
<Ukiyo Matahei Sumika>
STORY :
This masterpiece by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, accompanied by Gidayū music, was revived in 1970, revised and directed by Ichikawa Ennosuke III, and was later chosen as one of the 'Forty-eight Plays Selected by Ichikawa Ennosuke III'. The latter half of the play, 'Matahei's House', will be performed for the first time in 53 years.
Matahei has long studied painting, but because of his stutter, his master has refused to give him an artistic name.
As a result, instead of being a respected artist, Matahei is forced to make his living drawing crude cartoons. Matahei and his wife come to beg his teacher for an official name once more, but when their request is turned down, they decide that suicide is the only choice. Before dying, Matahei paints his portrait on a stone washbasin, and such is the strength of his spirit that the painting permeates through the stone and appears on the other side. Finally, Matahei receives a name and is overjoyed to be able to serve his teacher with valor. The next morning, as the princess flees to Matahei's humble abode…
JIRAIYA
['Jiraiya']
CAST :
- Jiraiya, in reality, Ogata Hiroyuki
- Nakamura Shikan
- Yashagorō, a bandit
- Onoe Shōroku
- Takasago Yuminosuke
- Nakamura Hashinosuke
- Senso Dōjin
- Nakamura Matsue
- Koshiji, a vamp, in reality, Tsunade
- Kataoka Takatarō
STORY :
Jiraiya, the son of Ogata Hirozumi who lost his life in a war 20 years ago, is now the boss of a group of robbers in Shinano province, but they only rob the rich. He searches for Tsunade whom he is to marry and finds her in a hut on Mt. Myōkō. He encounters the old sorcerer Senso Dōjin who teaches him the sorcery of toads. Having mastered that, Jiraiya cooperates with Tsunade and uses it to fight against a huge serpent.
ŌGI JISHI
['The Lion-head Fans']
CAST :
- A geisha
- Nakamura Fukusuke
- A geisha
- Nakamura Kazutarō
- A geisha
- Bandō Shingo
- A geisha
- Nakamura Tanenosuke
- A geisha
- Nakamura Yonekichi
- A geisha
- Nakamura Kotarō
STORY :
This dance features geisha who describe the changes of the four seasons at Nihonbashi in Edo (the old name for Tokyo).
At the New Year there is a fine view of Mt. Fuji and a fresh feeling. This is followed by cheerful spring blossoms and the new leaves of early summer. In autumn the fish market thrives with a bountiful haul of fish, and in winter the Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarters are covered with snow.
*Performance time is subject to change
YOSHITSUNE SENBON ZAKURA
Konomi, Kokingo Uchijini, Sushiya and Kawatsura Hōgen Yakata
['Chestnuts', 'The Death of Kokingo', 'The Sushi Shop' and 'The Mansion of Kawatsura Hōgen' from 'Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees']
CAST :
- Igami no Gonta
- Kataoka Nizaemon
- Yasuke, in reality, Taira no Koremori
- Nakamura Kinnosuke
- Wakaba no Naishi
- Kataoka Takatarō
- Shume no Kokingo
- Kataoka Sennosuke
- Kajiwara Heizō Kagetoki
- Bandō Yajūrō
- Yazaemon of the Sushi Shop
- Nakamura Karoku
- Satō Tadanobu / Tadanobu, in reality, the fox Genkurō
- Onoe Shōroku
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune
- Nakamura Tokizō
- Kawatsura Hōgen
- Nakamura Tōzō
- Shizuka Gozen
- Nakamura Kaishun
<Konomi, Kokingo Uchijini and Sushiya>
<Kawatsura Hōgen Yakata>
STORY :
Konomi ['Chestnuts']
Kokingo Uchijini ['The Death of Kokingo']
Wakaba no Naishi, the wife of the Heike commander Koremori, travels with her young son and their retainer Kokingo, searching for her husband. After the war against the Genji, Koremori is now on the run. While resting at a small teahouse, they are met by Gonta, a local bully, who skillfully swindles them out of their money. Later, they are set upon by Genji forces and in a spectacular fight scene, Kokingo sacrifices himself to save his mistress and her son.
Sushiya ['The Sushi Shop']
With his clan defeated, Koremori now lives with Yazaemon's family disguised as Yasuke, a humble apprentice. Yazaemon runs a sushi shop, and owes Koremori's father Taira no Shigemori a debt of gratitude. As it happens, Yazaemon is also Gonta's father. Not knowing Yasuke's true background, nor that he already has a wife and child, Yazaemon's daughter innocently falls in love with Yasuke. One day, Gonta comes to the house. A short while later, Koremori's wife and child also appear miraculously at the sushi shop searching for a place to spend the night. Finding out that Yasuke is actually Koremori and knowing of the bounty on his head, Gonta hands the head together with Koremori's wife and son over to the Genji commander. Furious at his son, Yazaemon stabs him. Before he dies, however, Gonta reveals that he only pretended to kill Koremori. In fact, he sacrificed his own wife and son to save the real Koremori and his family.
Kawatsura Hōgen Yakata ['The Mansion of Kawatsura Hōgen']
This scene from this classic history play is full of quick-changes of role and costume. A magical fox takes on the guise of the warrior named Tadanobu in order to get close to a precious drum made from the skins of his fox parents. However, his mysterious activities throw suspicion on the real Tadanobu, and finally the fox reveals his true identity. In the end, he flies away joyously after he receives the drum.