KURUWA SANBASŌ

[ Sanbasō in the Pleasure Quarters ]

CAST :

Chitosedayū, a courtesan

Kataoka Takatarō

Matsugae, an apprentice courtesan

Nakamura Kazutarō

Tōjū, a taiko mochi entertainer

Nakamura Kashō

STORY :

'Sanbasō' is an auspicious dance based on the play 'Okina' from the classical Noh theatre. It usually features an old man who is actually a god, his attendant Senzai, and the energetic Sanbasō. In this version, however, a beautiful top-ranking courtesan appears in place of the old man, an apprentice courtesan in place of the old man's attendant Senzai, and a taikomochi entertainer instead of Sanbasō.

Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami - KURUMABIKI

[ The Fight Over the Carriage - From Sugawara's Secrets of Calligraphy ]

CAST :

Matsuōmaru

Nakamura Matagorō

Sakuramaru

Nakamura Senjaku

Sugiōmaru

Nakamura Tanenosuke

Fujiwara no Shihei

Bandō Yajūrō

Umeōmaru

Nakamura Ganjirō

STORY :

Umeōmaru and his triplet brother, Sakuramaru, try to get revenge on Fujiwara no Shihei who falsely accused Umeōmaru's lord of treason. However, they are confronted by their other brother, Matsuōmaru, who is one of Shihei's retainers. This energetic play is a showcase for the bombastic 'aragoto' style of acting.

KŌCHIYAMA

[ The Tea-ceremony Priest Kōchiyama ]

CAST :

Kōchiyama Sōshun

Matsumoto Kōshirō, taking the new name Matsumoto Hakuō II

Takagi Kozaemon

Bandō Yajūrō

Miyazaki Kazuma

Ichikawa Komazō

Namiji, a female servant

Nakamura Kazutarō

Kitamura Daizen

Matsumoto Kingo

Matsue Izumonokami

Nakamura Karoku

STORY :

The 'tea-ceremony priest' Kōchiyama is a skilled extortionist and he is now working on another scheme to obtain money. He disguises himself as a high-ranking priest in order to gain the freedom of a girl captured by a powerful samurai lord because she will not become his mistress. During his heated discussions, in which the actor speaks the famous poetic cadences of the late 19th century playwright Kawatake Mokuami, Kochiyama not only succeeds in his mission to rescue the girl but manages to extort a fair amount for himself.

KANJINCHŌ

[ The Subscription Scroll ]

CAST :

Musashibō Benkei

Ichikawa Somegorō, taking the new name Matsumoto Kōshirō X

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

Kataoka Takatarō

Kamei Rokurō

Ichikawa Komazō

Kataoka Hachirō

Nakamura Kashō

Suruga Jirō

Nakamura Tanenosuke

Hitachibō Kaison

Matsumoto Kingo

Togashi Saemon

Kataoka Nizaemon

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.

Genroku Chūshingura - OHAMA GOTEN TSUNATOYO-KYŌ

[Lord Tokugawa Tsunatoyo]

CAST :

Lord Tokugawa Tsunatoyō

Kataoka Nizaemon

Tominomori Suke'emon

Ichikawa Chūsha

Okiyo, a lady-in-waiting

Nakamura Kazutarō

Kotani Jinnai

Kataoka Matsunosuke

Urao, the top lady-in-waiting

Kamimura Kichiya

Ejima, a private secretary

Nakamura Senjaku

Arai Kageyu

Nakamura Karoku

STORY :

After Asano Takuminokami attacked and wounded Kira Kōzukenosuke within the shogun's palace in 1701, he was ordered to commit ritual suicide, his domain was confiscated and his retainers all became masterless samurai. A group of these masterless samurai planned to avenge their lord's death by killing the man they held responsible, Kira. The story takes place the following year. Lord Tokugawa Tsunatoyo is holding a beachside party. Learning that Kira will attend this party, one of the masterless samurai, Tominomori Suke'emon, asks to observe from a distance. However, he hears from Lord Tsunatoyo that the Asano family will soon be reinstated, which means there will be no more reason for revenge. However, he ambushes Kira and makes his attack. The story focuses on the meanings of revenge.

SHŪMEI HIRŌ KŌJŌ

[Stage Announcement Commemorating the Name Succession]

CAST :

Matsumoto Kōshirō, taking the new name Matsumoto Hakuō II
Ichikawa Somegorō, taking the new name Matsumoto Kōshirō X
Sakata Tōjūrō
Together with other top-ranking actors.

STORY :

This month Matsumoto Kōshirō succeeds to the name Matsumoto Hakuō II and his son Ichikawa Somegorō succeeds to the name of Matsumoto Kōshirō X. This is the stage announcement of their succession.

ONNA GOROSHI ABURA NO JIGOKU

[The Woman Killer and the Hell of Oil]

CAST :

Kawachiya Yohē

Ichikawa Somegorō, taking the new name Matsumoto Kōshirō X

Okichi, Shichizaemon's wife

Ichikawa Ennosuke

Yamamoto Moriemon

Ichikawa Chūsha

Kogiku, a geisha

Ichikawa Komazō

Oguri Hachiya

Nakamura Kashō

Okachi, Yohē's sister

Nakamura Kazutarō

Hake no Yagorō

Ōtani Hirotarō

Kohē, an agent of money lender

Kataoka Matsunosuke

Kaishu no Zenbē

Sawamura Sōnosuke

Osawa, Yohē's mother

Bandō Takesaburō

Teshimaya Shichizaemon

Nakamura Ganjirō

Tahē, Yohē's brother

Nakamura Matagorō

Kawachiya Tokubē

Nakamura Karoku

STORY :

This play by the great Chikamatsu Monzaemon was virtually ignored at the time it was written but it has become phenomenally popular in modern times for its hard-boiled sensibility and sensuous killing scene in which the protagonists slip and struggle through puddles of spilled oil. Yohē, the son of the oil shop Kawachiya is living a life of debauchery. He starts a fight in town and incurs debts at the pleasure quarters, and even hits his own stepfather and sister. Not being able to take this any longer, his mother finally disowns him. Troubled by this and needing to pay back the debts, he tries to borrow money from the wife of a neighboring oil merchant. He tries to blackmail her, but rejected, he ends up killing her.