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.