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 :

<Tosa no Shōgen Kankyo>

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

<Ukiyo Matahei Sumika>

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

*The cast has been changed from the initial announcement.

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.

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 :

<Konomi, Kokingo Uchijini and Sushiya>

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

<Kawatsura Hōgen Yakata>

Satō Tadanobu / Tadanobu, in reality, the fox Genkurō

Onoe Shōroku

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

Nakamura Tokizō

Kawatsura Hōgen

Nakamura Tōzō

Shizuka Gozen

Nakamura Kaishun

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.