ENGEKIKAI #11 (November 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

 

Nakamura Fukusuke as Tokiwazu Mojifuku. (Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.)

The cover for the November 2021 (#11) issue of ENGEKIKAI, the monthly kabuki magazine of record, shows Nakamura Fukusuke as Tokiwazu Mojifuku in O-Edo Miyage, as performed at Tokyo’s Kabuki-za in September 2021. The issue’s main contents are listed on the cover (there are more inside), the chief feature being the headline at the upper left announcing a section on Bonds and Destiny among Women in kabuki, which features an illustrated series of brief essays on leading female characters. Other items mentioned are an interview with actor Kataoka Ainosuke on his then forthcoming program at Osaka’s Shōchiku-za; an article about the production activity of Onoe Matsuya; a discussion among four actors of the shinpa genre—an early form of modern Japanese drama that emerged in the 1890s—about their special forthcoming revival honoring the memory of great shinpa star Hanayagi Shōtarō; and the latest in the series of essays by star Matsumoto Kōshirō called “Kōshirō’s Thousand and One Nights.”

Upper left and left middle: Morita-za hand warmer. Upper right: Morita-za yagura kanban. Below: Kokusenya Kassen at the Morita-za.

Each issue of ENGEKIKAI begins with an item memorializing some artifact of kabuki history. Those featured here are a yagura kanban (theatre signboard) and a teaburi (handwarmer).  I’ve adapted the accompanying Japanese text by Kodama Ryūichi explaining what these are:

 In the Edo period (1603-1868), the name of each theatre’s producer (zamoto) was written on a signboard placed beneath the drum tower (yagura) over the theatre’s front. The number of major theatres was limited to three, the Edo Sanza as they were called, the Nakamura-za, the Ichimura-za, and the Morita-za, the last having the weakest track record of them all. Whenever business plunged at any theatre and the management had to close up shop, an alternative theatre (hikae yagura) was allowed to produce in its place. The alternative theatre for the Morita-za was the Kawarasaki (or Kawarazaki)-za, managed by a line of men called Kawarasaki Gonnosuke.

In 1856, the Morita-za, which had been shut down, once more was allowed to put up its drum tower, a sign that it had official permission to operate. However, on the ninth day of New Year’s month, 1858, a fire broke out on the third floor of the Morita-za and spread to other nearby streets in Asakusa’s Saruwaka-machi theatre district, destroying both the Morita-za and the Ichimura-za. The Nakamura-za, which survived unscathed, decided to cancel the rest of its New Year’s run. With each of the Edo Sanza unavailable, the young star Bandō Hikosaburō V departed Edo for Osaka’s Naka no Shibai, in the Dōtonbori entertainment district. Soon after, his father, Bandō Kamezō (formerly Hikosaburō IV), followed. Hikosaburō performed Musume Dōjōji and was highly praised but on the twenty-fifth day of the second month, the nearby Kado-za caught fire and all the Dōtonbori theatres, other than the Nishi no Shibai, were burned down.

It’s hard to imagine today, but theatres—built entirely of wood—were constantly being destroyed by fire in those days. According to one source, if one looks only at the Edo Sanza, the first half of the nineteenth century witnessed fifteen theatre fires, a pattern that didn’t let up, even in the second half of the century, when more modern construction methods were being used.

The Morita-za was soon rebuilt and opened on the seventh day of the seventh month of 1858, but from this time on it changed the character for “mori” from 森 to 守, thus turning the 森田座 into the 守田座. Producer Morita Kan'ya altered the spelling of his name accordingly. This also meant that the wooden signboard with the theatre’s name also had to be revised. On the surviving signboard, the rear side has the Japanese date (Manji 3) for 1660 engraved on it, that being the year the first Morita-za was founded.

Even after the new Morita-za was built, it burned down again in 1864 and 1876. We don’t know what happened to the signboards of those theatres, but in February 1875 (after the adoption of the Western calendar) the theatre’s name was changed to the Shintomi-za (which would be one of most renowned venues of its time) so we can confirm Morita-za items from before that time, which makes them extremely valuable. One such is the Morita-za kanban shown in the picture at the upper right.

Another is a triptych woodblock print by Umeda Kunimasa (Utagawa Kunimasa IV), “Tōkyō Shintomi-chō Morita-za Ōiri no Zu” (Picture of a Full House at the Morita-za in Tokyo’s Shintomi-chō) depicting a production of Kokusenya Kassen in October 1872. Standing on the bridge at center in the role of Watonai is Kawarasaki Gonnosuke VII (later Ichikawa Danjūrō IX, one of the three greatest stars of the Meiji period), while Kanki is played by Ichikawa Sadanji I (part of the same triad of stars), and Kinshōjo is taken by Iwai Hanshirō VIII.

On the lower right side of the picture is a young woman, standing on the secondary hanamichi runway as an usher shows her to her seat. In the usher’s hand is a “teaburi” (or “hakohibachi”), a wooden box holding a charcoal brazier and used for heating and pipe smoking. An actual example of one from the Morita-za is seen in the accompanying photos. It belongs to the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum at Waseda University in Tokyo. The words in black on its back say “Saruwaka-machi Morita-za,” using the later spelling of Morita. The words on its side say “daidai kanau,” which is short for “senshū banzai daidai kanau,” an imprecation formerly used in both kabuki and sumō meaning something like “Full houses forever!”

The drawer at the bottom is lined with copper onto which were placed ashes and charcoal, with a copper-lined grating (sunoko) over them through which passed heat from below. You placed your hands over it to warm them. The grating was also a safety measure, intended to prevent sparks from flying out. These offered a modicum of comfort to spectators on a cold winter day.  

Items like the teaburi were such commonplaces in theatres that no one seems to have bothered to write anything about them. It’s very fortunate that someone thought enough about preserving this artifact to donate it to the museum.  

 

 

 

 

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ENGEKIKAI #10 (October 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

 

Matsumoto Kōshirō as Kisō no Senjō Yoshikata (Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.)

The cover of the recently arrived October (#10) 2021 issue of Engekikai, the kabuki magazine of record, depicts Matsumoto Kōshirō as Kisō no Senjō Yoshikata in Genpei Nunobiki no Taki: Yoshikata Saigō, as performed at Tokyo’s Kabuki-za in August. The leading feature of the issue, noted at the upper right, is titled “Let’s Read Geidan,” geidan being books containing actors’ comments on their work. Leading kabuki actors have long left records of their thoughts on and approaches to the roles they play; these form an important resource for later actors. In addition to a well-illustrated survey of geidan, there’s a discussion about them by actors Ichikawa Ennosuke and Onoe Ukon.

Other contents listed on the cover (there are many more inside) include comments on the late, great onnagata (female-role specialists) stars Nakamura Utaemon VI, who died 20 years ago, and Nakamura Shikan VII, who passed 10 years ago. Those remembering them are Nakamura Baigyoku, adopted son of Utaemon, and Shikan’s son, Shikan VIII. The issue also contains a report on the Odori no Kai (Dance Association) of Nakamura Tanenosuke, and a piece about another young actor, Ichikawa Kōtarō, about his independent production of scenes from Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura last summer. Finally, there’s an interview with the veteran star Kataoka Nizaemon XV concerning his then upcoming performance at the Kabuki-za of Iemon in the famous ghost play Yotsuya Kaidan.

Among the issue’s interesting articles is one describing Tokyo’s two excellent theatre bookstores. The first shows Junichi Kobayashi in his tiny store, the Kobikido Shoten, in Higashi Ginza, across the street from the Kabuki-za. As the accompanying photo shows, the place is stacked high with books, magazines, posters, photos, records, and all sorts of printed memorabilia of kabuki. It’s a fascinating place to wander around in as long as you’re careful to keep your elbows close. Two or more customers at the same time can prove hazardous. Kobayashi-san is on FB and often posts photos of stuff he has for sale on one of FB’s kabuki pages.

Junichi Kobayashi in the Kobikido Shoten.

Tezuka Osamu in the Tezuka Shobō.

The other store shown, the Tezuka Shobō, is located on a backstreet in Jinbochō, Tokyo’s amazing bookstore neighborhood. As the photo shows, it’s a more orderly, well-organized shop, and has books not only kabuki but on all other forms of Japanese traditional theatre. The man in the picture is the proprietor, Tezuka Osamu (no, not that one). The first time I visited the place, about ten years ago, I was taken there by my friend and former PhD student, Prof. Hibino Kei. While I was searching the shelves, I noticed a young, attractive foreigner. Assuming her to be American or English, and, thinking she must be a Japanese theatre specialist, I struck up a conversation. She turned out to be a Polish scholar of kabuki named Dr. Iga Rutkowska and, when I introduced myself, knew precisely who I was and was extremely happy to meet me. I’ll never forget the meeting, which was one of the most serendipitous of my life. Since then Iga and I have become good digital friends, the only time we ever spent any real time together being when we took part in a Japanese theatre conference in Israel a couple of years ago.

 

ENGEKIKAI #9 (September 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

 

Ichikawa Ebizo as Hayakumo in Narukami Fudo Kitayama Zakura. Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.)

The September and October 2021 issues of Engekikai, the kabuki magazine of record, have finally arrived. Surface shipping from Japan takes about two months these days. Thank you, Prof. Kei Hibino, for forwarding these!

We’ll start with the September issue, whose brilliant cover shows Ichikawa Ebizō as Prince Hayakumo, the nobleman villain, in the full-length (tōshi kyōgen) production of Narukami Fudō Kitayama Zakura at the Kabuki-za in July.

The issue’s main feature is an illustrated tour through kabuki plays showing travel to various places in Japan. If you lived in the Edo period, and were restricted from traveling because of all the hardships involved (including having to walk, no matter how far, unless you could afford to be carried in an uncomfortable palanquin), kabuki could take you there with plays set all around the country, from the seashores to the mountains, and to all the famous temples, shrines, and castles that were principal destinations.

The issue also has an interview with star Matsumoto Kōshirō X re: his then upcoming August production, and an interview with young actor Nakamura Tsurumatsu. There’s also a conversation with Ichikawa Enya about his performance in the Broadway musical Anything Goes at Tokyo’s Meiji-za in August.

The last item mentioned on the cover is of a production titled Ibuki,. Assuming this means something like “a breath of fresh air” (it’s written in syllabic script rather than kanji), the added comma at the end was intended to suggest that it’s meant to be continued, with new iterations. That’s because the show was presented by top star Ichikawa Ebizō on behalf of young actors whose opportunities for stage experience was being constrained by the decrease of productions during the pandemic. Ibuki, was given at Kyoto’s Minami-za in seven performances over four days in June 2021, and was a two-part program including two scenes from the classic history play Imoseyama Onna Teikin and a well-known dance play, Noriaibune Ehō Manzai.  

Every issue of the magazine contains a photo essay on an interesting kabuki-related artifact. Below is the actual costume custom-built for Ichikawa Sadanji II, the first kabuki actor to visit the West, where he went to study foreign theatre in 1904. It was created in Rome, in preparation for when he'd return to Japan and play Marc Antony in Julius Caesar, at a time when Shakespeare was beginning to make an impression on Japanese theatre. 

ENGEKIKAI #8 (August 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

Ichikawa Ennosuke IV as Priest Nichiren. Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.

The August issue of ENGEKIKAI, kabuki’s monthly magazine of record, features a cover photo of Ichikawa Ennosuke IV as the priest Renchō (later Nichiren) in the new play Nichiren—Ai wo Shiru Hito (Nichiren—A Priest Who Knows Love). It was produced on part 3 of the June 2021 Kabuki-za program, celebrating the 800^th birthday of Nichiren, one of Japanese Buddhism’s most important figures. The Kabuki-za’s online synopsis says:

This play is set in the 13th century, a time of great turbulence caused by raging wars, a series of natural disasters, starvation and epidemics. In the depths of night on Mount Hiei, ascetic monks gather in front of the main temple hall. Inside, Renchō has remained confined for ten days without eating or drinking, and now his voice chanting the sutras can no longer be heard. In contrast to the other monks who are repulsed by Renchō’s uncompromising attitude, Jōben is moved by Renchō’s passion and is now concerned about him. Jōben breaks down the door to enter the hall. Please look forward to the kabuki production commemorating the 800th anniversary of Saint Nichiren’s birth. It will shine with the light of hope and bring the power of his thoughts into your hearts.

The cover provides a partial list of the issue’s contents, which offers numerous photos and reviews of this past June's productions. Most prominent of the items on the cover is a section devoted to the late Osaka-based kabuki actor, Kataoka Hidetarō, a Living National Treasure, who died this year at 79. Other features include interviews with actors Kataoka Nizaemon, Ichikawa Chūsha, and pieces about actors Nakamura Tanenosuke and Ichikawa Emisaburō. Finally, the issue contains the latest in the series by star Matsumoto Kōshirō, “Kōshirō’s Thousand and One Nights.” 

ENGEKIKAI #7 (July 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

 

Onoe Shōroku II as the spirit of the Earth Spider in Tsuchigumo. (Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.)

The cover for the July 2021 (#7) issue of Engekikai, the monthly kabuki magazine of record, shows Onoe Shōroku II in the role of the monstrous Earth Spider in Tsuchigumo, as performed at the Kabuki-za in May of this year. The main section of the issue, as noted on the cover at the right, is a collection of essays and exquisite photos devoted to “The World of Sakura-hime Kuruwa Bunshō,” a major early 19^th-century drama of sex and violence by Tsuruya Nanboku IV, the greatest playwright of his generation. You can see an abridged version of the recent Kabuki-za production here.

Among featured articles on the cover, representing only a partial list of the issue’s contents, is one about a filmed performance (in the Cinema Kabuki series) of Mishima Yukio’s  “Iwashi Uri Koi no Hikiami,” one of the best modern kabuki plays, starring the great female-role specialist (onnagata) Bandō Tamasaburō V.

Another beautifully illustrated piece focuses on two child actors, Onoe Ushinosuke and Bandō Kamesaburō, and their performance in Kagami Jishi. Also present is another in the long-running series by actor Matsumoto Kōshirō, “Kōshirō’s One Thousand and One Nights.” Sad news for fans of bunraku awaits them in the essay devoted to the retirement at 88 of the great puppeteer, Yoshida Minosuke III, whose handsome face is so evident in thousands of production photographs taken during his lengthy career. 

Finally, there’s an essay on the revision by one of today’s top stars, Nakamura Kichiemon II, of a 19^th-century bunraku play, “Hachijin Shugo no Honjō,” later adapted for kabuki, which Kichiemon starred in at the Kabuki-za in May. Kichiemon’s interest was stirred by the character of Katō Kiyomasa, a famous samurai hero who had appeared in several kabuki plays and was one of the roles most closely associated with his predecessor, Kichiemon I. For his writing credit, Kichiemon II used the pen name, Matsu Kanshi. The first Kanshi was an Edo-period bunraku playwright, but Kichiemon, while using the name, doesn’t designate himself as the second in the line.

ENGEKIKAI #5 (May 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

Note: it has come to my belated attention that the last posting in this series was listed as May (#5) 2021. However, that was my careless mistake, as it should have said June (#6) 2021, while the actual May issue is described below. The June issue has been corrected as well.

Kataoka Nizaemon XV as Kumagai Naojirō. (Photo: Shinoyama Kishin,)

The cover for the May (#5) 2021 issue of ENGEKIKAI, the kabuki magazine of record, shows Kataoka Nizaemon XV as Kumagai Naojirō in Kumagai Jinya, as performed in March 2021 at Tokyo’s Kabuki-za. The selective list of contents headlined on the cover is led by the titles on the lower left, announcing a series of exquisitely illustrated sections about “The Children of Kabuki.” As indicated by the four section titles shown, there are presentations about “Twelve Selected Plays” featuring children’s roles, “Child Actors Currently Active,” “Memories of Productions,” and “Famous Actor When They Played Children’s Roles.”

On the lower right, the titles point to a discussion between father and son stars Matsumoto Hakuō II and Matsumoto Kōshirō X regarding their then upcoming April production, and reviews of March productions at several theatres.

ENGEKIKAI #6 (June 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

 

Matsumoto Hakuō II as Benkei in Kanjinchō. (Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.

The June 2021 cover of Engekikai, the kabuki magazine of record, shows the great Matsumoto Hakuō (formerly Matsumoto Kōshirō IX), who once played the lead in Man of La Mancha on Broadway, as Benkei, the heroic warrior-priest, in Kanjinchō, as performed in April at the Kabuki-za. The lead segment, listed at the upper right, is called “Masculine Dignity,” and consists of a series of essays on the most famous pairings of characters who are well-matched opponents in kabuki classics, something like the pairing, for example, of Othello and Iago. They include Benkei and Togashi, Nagoya Sanza and Fuwa Banzaemon, and so on.

The issue also contains an article on the veteran star Onoe Kikugorō VII and his then forthcoming May appearance at the Kabuki-za. At the bottom right is a conversation with four young stars, Nakamura Kankurō, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Onoe Matsuya, and Nakamura Chōzaburō, who were appearing at Shibuya’s Cocoon Kabuki. Other materials found in the issue, which includes lots more, include the latest in the series “Kōshirō’s Thousand and One Nights,” a piece on a kabuki actor named Nakamura Kyōzō, who recently toured abroad with lecture-demonstrations of his art, and a piece on the dark nineteenth-century classic, Sakura-Hime Azuma no Bunshō.

An unusual item in the issue is a color photo of an exquisite model of the original Teikoku Gekijō (Imperial Theatre), the revolutionary theatre, built in 1911, that was Japan's first fully Western playhouse. It still stands on the same spot, near the Imperial Palace, albeit in a much altered form. Part of the original architect's blueprint accompanies the photo.

ENGEKIKAI #4 (April 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

 

Renjishi (left); Sodehagi Saimon (right). Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.

The cover for the April (#4) 2021 issue of ENGEKIKAI, the kabuki magazine of record, is split into two images. The issue is largely concerned with kabuki production in February 2021. The picture on the upper left is of Renjishi (Two Lions), the spirit of the father lion portrayed by Nakamura Kankurō VI, the spirit of the child lion by Kankurō’s son, Nakamura Kantarō III. The picture at the lower right  shows Ōshū Adachigara (a place name), also known as Sodehagi Saimon (Sodehagi’s Lament). Kankurō’s brother, Nakamura Shichinosuke II, is the blind Sodehagi, and his nephew (Kankurō’s other son and Kantarō’s brother), Nakamura Chōzaburō II, is her daughter, Okimi. Tokyo’s Kabuki-za has been producing three bills a day lately, and these plays were on the third part of February’s program.

The principal focus of the issue is, as the lower left headline asserts, the classic play Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees), a mid-eighteenth-century work originally written for the bunraku puppet theatre, soon adapted for kabuki, and now one of the so-called three masterpieces of bunraku-kabuki (all by the same playwrights), the other two being Kanadehon Chūshingura (The Treasury of Loyal Retainers) and Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (Sugawara’s Secrets of Calligraphy). The issue contains multiple, beautifully illustrated views of the play’s production history and values, supplemented by a narrative about the play by perhaps its foremost modern performer, Ichikawa En’o II (formerly Ennosuke III).

Also in the issue, among other features, are discussions with actors Nakamura Kazutarō, Onoe Ukon, Nakamura Yonekichi, and Nakamura Hashinosuke about their then upcoming March program at Kyoto’s Minami-za, focused on these rising “young stars” (hanagata). Finally, the issue includes the latest in actor Matsumoto Kōshirō’s long-running series, “Kōshirō’s Thousand and One Nights.”

 

ENGEKIKAI #3 (MARCH 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

 

Onoe Matsuya as Soga Gorō. (Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.) 

The cover for the March (#3) 2021 issue of ENGEKIKAI, the kabuki magazine of record, shows Onoe Matsuya as Soga Gorō in the celebratory Meiji-period dance KOTOBUKI TE HANAGATA HASHIRA DATE. The word hashiradate refers to the old custom of performing a ceremony to celebrate the first raising of a pillar during the construction of a new home. It was performed at Tokyo’s Kabuki-za in February. Soga Gorō is a historically-based hero who has attained mythical power in Japanese history—and especially in kabuki—because of a famous vendetta he and his brother Jūrō carried out in the twelfth century.

The issue’s leading contents (there are others), listed on the cover, are dominated by the headline at the upper left, meaning the First Show of the Year. This refers to a gorgeous section of color photos of all the major plays given in February at the Kabuki-za, the National Theatre (Kokuritsu Gekijō), the Shinbashi Enbujō, and Osaka’s Shōchiku-za. At the lower right is listed a section on the haiku poems of famous actors. At the center, bottom, are the names of four actors who offer their thoughts on February’s memorial production honoring the death thirty-three years ago of the great star Nakamura Kanzaburō XVII. To its left is the title of a section about an independently produced dance recital featuring Onoe Ukon and his Ken no Kai group. Finally, there’s a discussion between two stars, Matsumoto Kōshirō X and Ichikawa Ennosuke IV about “Zoom Kabuki.” Yes. Zoom is part of Japan’s theatre scene as well.

ENGEKIKAI #2 (FEBRUARY 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

Sakata Tōjūrō. (Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.)

The cover for the February (#2) 2021 issue of ENGEKIKAI, the kabuki magazine of record, shows the late, great Kamigata (Osaka/Kyoto) actor, Sakata Tōjūrō IV, who died last year at 89. As the headline on the lower right demonstrates, the issue has a large, lavishly illustrated section celebrating and describing his brilliant career as a specialist in the wagoto style of gentle, young men, and charming, beautiful young women, as seen in the photo of him as Ohatsu, the Tenmanya courtesan in Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s classic double suicide play, Sonezaki Shinjū (The Love Suicides at Sonezaki).  

Other materials headlined on the cover (the issue contains even more) are reviews of the January productions at the Minami-za, Kabuki-za, Kokuritsu Gekijō, and elsewhere; a piece on the Hakata-za theatre; the latest in actor Matsumoto Kōshirō’s series, “Kōshirō’s Thousand and One Nights”; and a report on the debut of child actor Ogawa Taisei, son of actor Nakamura Baishi.

Finally, there’s a large section devoted to an overview of the world of kabuki in 2020, subtitled “Looking Back on an Unprecedented Year.”

 

ENGEKIKAI #1 (January 2021): COVER AND CONTENTS

 

Onoe Kikugorō VII in Migawari Zazen. Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.

This is the cover for the #1 (January) 2021 issue of ENGEKIKAI, the monthly magazine that serves as the organ of record for the Japanese theatre art of kabuki. Most of its numerous photos and factual data pertain to November 2020’s productions, when Covid-19 continued to restrict the number of performances and the size of attendance. The cover photo shows veteran star Onoe Kikugorō VII as the leading man in the comical dance play, Migawari Zazen (“The Zen Substitute”), first produced in 1910 at Tokyo’s Ichimura-za, and dealing with a man who tries to deceive his wife regarding his being out all night with his paramour. It is closely based on a kyōgen farce called Hanako, whose original style is reflected in the adaptation of a noh/kyōgen-style stage setting. This places the piece in the category called matsubame mono, or “pineboard plays,” because of the pine tree painted on the upstage wall of the neutral, non-localized setting. The production represented here was done at Tokyo’s Kabuki-za this past November.

The biggest headline, at the right, is for the issue’s main section, about the coming reopening, during the pandemic, of Kyoto’s Minami-za with the annual December celebratory production called “Kaomise” (“face-showing”), in which a lineup of top Tokyo stars tour to Kyoto for the occasion. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the kaomise was typically a production given in the eleventh month by each theatre to introduce that season’s acting team to the public. The Minami-za had been closed since March 2020, so it’s reopening was a big deal, although, because of Covid protocols, there were to be three daily programs (each different), instead of the usual two, and for a mere two-week run. Kabuki theatres normally offer one or more new programs each month for around 25 days.

Other contents mentioned on the cover (which is only a partial list of what’s inside) include an archival article of particular interest because it recalls another time when the Minami-za’s kaomise was restricted due to external circumstances. This piece, which can be translated as “The Kaomise during Air Raids,” notes that the programs at the Minami-za in November 1943, during World War II, were shortened to 19 days out of caution regarding possible air raids. The article describes the two 1944 programs (daytime and evening), including photos of three plays.

Also in the issue are well-illustrated interviews with actors Kataoka Nizaemon, Kataoka Hidetarō, Nakamura Ganjirō, Nakamura Senjaku, Nakamura Kōtarō, Matsumoto Kōshirō, and Nakamura Ichitarō. There is a memorial to the recently deceased kabuki superstar Sakata Tōjūrō, who would be honored at the upcoming kaomise; reviews of the previous month’s productions; a survey of October and November events in the theatre world; and the latest in the series by popular actor Matsumoto Kōshirō, “Kōshirō’s Thousand and One Nights.” The banner for “Kabuki Actors Calendar” at the left is for the gift calendar sent to subscribers with this New Year’s issue.

ENGEKIKAI (December 2020, #12): COVER AND CONTENTS

Matsumoto Hakuō II. (Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.)

The cover for the December issue of ENGEKIKAI, the kabuki magazine of record, shows Matsumoto Hakuō II as the sumo wrestler Chōgorō in the “Sumō Scene” of Futatsu Chōchō Kuruwa Niki (Chōgorō and Chōkichi: Diary of Two Butterflies in the Pleasure Quarters) as produced at the Kabuki-za last October. This is the same character seen on the cover of the November 2020 issue, which I recently posted, but from another scene. As per the cover headlines, the issue again leads with a section on how several actors feel about performing at this time, the actors covered here being Nakamura Kaishun, Nakamura Karoku, and Nakamura Shidō. There is a new installment of Matsumoto Kōshirō X’s long-running series, “Kōshirō’s Thousand and One Nights,” “Trends in September-October Theatre,” reviews of October’s kabuki, a reprinting of archival materials from 1946 about touring Japan with kabuki, right after the war, and a lengthy obituary about the late Onoe Kikujūrō IV, who died last September at 88.

ENGEKIKAI, #11 (November 2020)

 

Nakamura Kichiemon II, Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.

Sorry for the delay, partly due to slower mail service from Japan during the pandemic, and partly because I’ve been so busy with other things, but here, at last, is the cover of ENGEKIKAI, the kabuki magazine of record, from last November, 2020 (#11). After a bit, I’ll post other recent issues as well. Theatre activity, of course, has slowed considerably during Covid-19. 

On the cover is Nakamura Kichiemon II as the sumo wrestler Chōgorō in the “Hikimado” (“Skylight”) scene of Futatsu Chōchō Kuruwa no Nikki (Chōgorō and Chōkichi: A Diary of Two Butterflies in the Pleasure Quarters), performed last September at the Kabuki-za. 

The chief article headlined on the cover is about how actors are feeling about performing at this particular time, covered in illustrated discussions with three stars, Matsumoto Hakuō, Nakamura Baigyoku, and Nakamura Shikan. Other selected highlights mentioned on the cover are reviews of last September’s limited productions; a section on kabuki productions given independently of the mainstream by important actors over the years; trends in last August and September’s theatre world; the latest in the series called “Kōshirō’s Thousand and One Nights,” by star actor Matsumoto Kōshirō X; and an essay with photos of Nakamura Kichiemon II’s special performance last August at Tokyo’s Kanze Nōgakudō noh theatre of a solo dance-drama called Suma no Ura (Suma Bay), derived from the classic history play Ichinotani Futaba Gunki, and performed in noh style. Its one performance was filmed with no audience present. 

ENGEKIKAI (No. 10, October 2020)

Ichikawa Ennosuke IV in Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura. Photo: Shinoyama Kishin.

Apologies for the delay in posting covers from Engekikai (Theatre World), Japan’s kabuki magazine of record. Postal restrictions stemming from the coronavirus are to blame. The issues themselves are less robust, of course, because of the limits placed on production over the past year. Two more issues recently arrived, closing out 2020. This cover is for October 2020 issue, #10. It shows the “Yoshinoyama” scene from Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura, starring Ichikawa Ennosuke IV as Satō Tadanobu, in reality Genkurō the fox.

 

While the issue has many other things in it, the headlines on the cover point to several of its leading articles. The biggest headline, at the right, is for “The Opening of Young Stars [Hanagata] Kabuki in August,” a series of commentaries by fifteen of the actors involved. At the left is mentioned an interview with the great star Nakamura Kichiemon II. Headlines at the bottom point to an essay on “Zoom Kabuki,” the streaming of kabuki productions during the pandemic; a transcript of the September “earphone guide” to that month’s productions at the Kabuki-za, a service inspired by the limitations on audience attendance in the wake of Covid-19; August and September theatre trends; the next installment in actor Matsumoto Kōshirō’s long-running series “Kōshirō’s Thousand and One Nights”; and the reprinting of an old essay about Nakamura Kichiemon I, one of the greatest stars of the first half of the twentieth century.