HO AGETE IOU TAKARABUNE

['Celebrating a new Start of the Actors']

CAST :

Hashihiko

Nakamura Hashinosuke

Fukuhiko

Nakamura Fukunosuke

Utahiko

Nakamura Utanosuke

STORY :

This dance was created in 2016 to celebrate the name-taking ceremony of the three sons of Nakamura Shikan VIII: Nakamura Kunio, who became Nakamura Hashinosuke IV; Nakamura Muneo, who became Nakamura Fukunosuke III; and Nakamura Yoshio, who became Nakamura Utanosuke IV. It will now be performed for the first time since its premiere. A lively and celebratory dance performed by the three brothers.

KANADEHON CHŪSHINGURA
- Act 9: Yamashina Kankyo

['The Treasury of Loyal Retainers Yuranosuke at Yamashina']

CAST :

Tonase

Nakamura Shichinosuke

Ōboshi Yuranosuke

Nakamura Kankurō

Oishi

Nakamura Senjaku

Kakogawa Honzō

Nakamura Ganjirō

STORY :

This is Act 9 of the epic play based on a sensational incident in the early eighteenth century. Lord En’ya Hangan's attack on the senior official Kō no Moronō affected people even outside his own household. When Honzō, the senior retainer of another lord, stopped En’ya from killing Moronō, he thought that he was doing a good thing. But his actions earned him the scorn of En’ya's retainers and brought personal tragedy to his daughter who was engaged to Rikiya, the son of Yuranosuke, En’ya's head retainer. The scene is set in snowbound Yamashina near Kyoto where Yuranosuke has seemingly retired. It shows the tragedy as it affects Honzō's wife and daughter and how ultimately Honzō sacrifices his life to atone for his misjudgment.

RENJISHI

['Parent and Child Lion Dance']

CAST :

The actor Ukon, later, the spirit of the parent lion

Nakamura Kankurō

The actor Sakon, later, the spirit of the lion cub

Nakamura Kantarō

The actor Sakon, later, the spirit of the lion cub

Nakamura Chōzaburō

STORY :

This is a dance adapted from a tale featuring the legendary 'shishi', a mythical lion-like beast. It is based on the belief that a 'shishi' will push its cubs over a steep cliff as a test of their strength, only nurturing those cubs strong enough to climb up by themselves. Two priests dance the tale of the legendary 'shishi' that live at the foot of a holy Buddhist mountain. The dance portrays a parent 'shishi' forcing its cubs to undergo harsh training in order to grow up strong. In the finale, the 'shishi' themselves appear and perform their dance with the wild shaking of their long manes.

GOZONJI SUZUGAMORI

['Gonpachi and Banzui'in Chōbē']

CAST :

Banzui'in Chōbē

Nakamura Shikan

Shirai Gonpachi

Nakamura Kantarō

STORY :

This is a short scene from Tsuruya Nanboku's play 'Ukiyozuka Hiyoku no Inazuma'. The young samurai Gonpachi is ambushed near the execution grounds of Edo on a dark night, but he manages to escape after a gruesome but humorous fight scene. Watching from a nearby palanquin, Chōbē, a chivalrous townsman, is impressed with Gonpachi's fighting skills and agrees to give him shelter in the city. This meeting between the handsome young Gonpachi and the heroic Chōbē is one of the most famous meetings in kabuki.

SUKEROKU KURUWA NO HATSU ZAKURA

['Sukeroku in the Pleasure Quarters']

CAST :

Hanakawado no Sukeroku

Nakamura Kankurō

Agemaki, a great courtesan of the Miuraya

Nakamura Shichinosuke

Hige no Ikyū

Nakamura Shikan

Soga no Mankō, Sukeroku’s mother

Nakamura Kamenojō (from 1st to 22th)

Nakamura Senjaku (from 23rd to 25th)

Rigyō, a man-about-town

Nakamura Ganjirō

Shinbē, Sukeroku’s elder brother

Nakamura Senjaku (from 1st to 22th)

Kataoka Nizaemon (from 23rd to 25th)

STORY :

The Yoshiwara Pleasure quarters in Edo (old Tokyo) are bustling as always. Wearing the most gorgeous kimono, Agemaki, the top courtesan of the Miuraya teahouse, is tipsy and rests in front of the shop. Ikyū, the bearded gallant is in love with her and speaks ill of her lover Sukeroku out of jealousy. Hearing these words, she becomes furious and picks a fight. Just then, Sukeroku himself appears, and after showing off his handsome appearance, he tries to start a fight with Ikyū. This is not a surprise, for Sukeroku is famous for starting fights with people, but this is actually Sukeroku's plan to unsheathe people's swords in order to find out who stole the treasured sword that led to his father's death. Sukeroku finally sees that Ikyū has this very sword and ambushes him ....