theater

A CHIVALROUS MAN IN II SHIBARAKU," ONE OF II THE EIGHTEEN BEST PLAYS II

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Reproduction of thp color print . by Toyokuni Utagawo the first (1769-

-1825), owned by the Theatrical Arts Museum at Waseda University

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KABUKI DRAMA BY

- - SHUTARO MIYAKE

JAPAN TRAVEL BUREAU TOKYO

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COPYRIGHT BY THE AUTHOR & JAPAN TRAVEL BUREAU

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published 'in April, 1938; revised in

December, 1948 j February, 1952;

February, 1953

Printed b¥ fj:OSOKAWA PRINTING CO,! Tok yo, Japan

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EDITORIAL Nait

The purpose of the Tourist Library Series is to give to the passing tourists and other foreigners interested in J lipan a basic knowledge of various phases of Japanese culture. When completed, the Series is expected to in- clude a hundred volumes or so, and will give a complete picture of Japanese culture, old and new.

The Library was started in 1934 by the Board of Tourist Industry and was transferred to the Japan Travel Bureau in 1943, when 40 volumes had been completed.

From the beginning the Library attained a high rep- utation as a concise but reliable interpreter of Japanese culture, and the demand for the volumes steadily increas- ed both in Japan and abroad . Unfortunately, however, the old volumes are all out of print. The Japan Travel Bureau, therefore, has begun a new series,-revising and reprinting some of the old volumes, and issuing others on entirely new and equally interesting subjects.

Each volume in the Library is the work of a recogniz- ed authority on the subject, and it is hoped that by perusing the se studies of Japanese life the reader will gain some insight into the unique culture that has developed in this country throughout the ages.

The present volume, "Kabuki Drama," is the work of Mr. Shiitaro Miyake, who is an acknowledged au- thority on the Bunraku Puppet Playas well as the Kabuki Drama. He is also well known as the regular

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drama crItIc of the Mainich i Newspaper and a member of the spec jal co un cil of the Cultur al Properties' Pro- tection Commiss ion .

This fo "th d" . h -. Ul e It1On, p ublIshed only half a year after t .e thIrd revised edition went to press, is an evidence of t~e ever-increasing interes t shown by foreign en- thusIasts, both here and abroa d, in this grand old art of Japan.

The new editi on h as an added fea t . -h fi ure m t e lne grade o~ art paper th at is used for most of the photo- graphs m th e text. Thi s, tog~ther with the up-to-date revisions and I d h co ore p otographs, adds greatly to its readabili ty.

Dece mber, 1952 THE EDITOR

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CONTENTS

Pa ge

1. How to Appreciate Kabuki. . . . . . . . . . .. 11 An Analysis of the Kabuki-A Land of Dreams- " Daikon"-Its Power of Expression.

II. Characteristics of the Kabuki. . . . . . . . . . . 16 Female Roles-Their No ted Players-High- born Daughters-Courtesans.

JII. l\1achinery Peculiar to the Kabuki Stage .. 33 Curtains - "Hanamichi " - The Revolving Stage - " Ki" - "Chobo" - Geza" - " Deba-

h," " t T " yas 1 - Auro go

1V. Principal Kabuki Plays. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 45 The Eighteen Bes t Plays-"Arago to"-Clas- sical P lays-"Sewamono"-"Kizewamono"

V. Technique Peculiar to the Kabuki . . . . . . . 52 The Pantomime Show-"Koroshi"-"Michi-

k'" " T h' ." "l\I,r t' " I yu 1 - a c Imawa n - l lono gaa n - n- spection of the Head - Revue Element- "Sawari" and " T surane"-"Seppuku"

VI. Symbolism and Impressioni sm m the Kabuki ... ...... . ..... .. ........ 69

The Black Curtain-"Yabudatami"-"Nami- ita"-The Story of Ri ce .

-VII. The Story Value of the Kabuki. . . . . . . . . 72 "Sukeroku"-"Kumagai's Camp"-"Kampei "

VIII. Practical Guide to the Present-day Kabuki. 78 Appendix (Notes on Some of the Famous

Kabuki Plays)... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 85 Index ............... . ............. 121

Ancient Sketches of Kabuki Actor&-

ILLUSTRATIONS

A Chivalrous Man in "Shibaraku" (Color Print)' . . . . . . . Frontispiece

Page

The Fagade of the Kabukiza Theater . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Interior of the Kabukiza Thea ter. . . . . . . . . . . 14 Players on the Passage to the Stage ........... . 14 Utaemon Nakamura as a Woman-servant-from

"K . J' h'" agamI I S 1 .. ... ......... . .........• 17 A L · 'D f "K . J' h'" IOn s ance--rom agamI IS 1

(In Colors) .......... . ...... . ....... 18, 19 Children Actors and Tokiz6 Nakamura as a Wet

Nurse . . .... . .... ... ................. . 20 Baik6 Onoe, as Princess Y aegaki -hime ....... .. . 21 A Female Impersonator Preparing for the Stage 22, 23 Wig-dressers in the Dressing Room ........... . A Scene from "Sukeroku" .................. . A S f "II h- NT" - h 'k- " cene rom onc 0 IJUS 1 0 ........... • "Kumadori," Special Make-up Used in Kabuki .. Varieties of "Kumadori" (In Colors) ......... . The Authentic Curtain Used on Kabuki Stages ... . Actors on the H anamichi . ...... .. .......... . A Samurai Rises onto the Hanamichi by the Trap-

lift ...... . ........................... .

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35 A Part of the Revolving Stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 36 Chobo Musicians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Ki yo m oto Musicians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39 A Kurogo , Black Hooded Attendant . . . . . . . . . . . 4-0 From the Eighteen Best Plays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 44 "Chushingura" and "Sugawara Denju Tenarai-

I kagami" ............................ . . 47

A scene from "Koibikyaku Yamato Orai" ...... . 48 A Scene from "Shinju-Ten-no-Amijima" ....... . 51 A Scene from "Sannin Kichisa" .............. ' 51 A Pantomime ·Show ....................... . 52 A "1\1)~l).iyuki" . (Travel of Two Lovers) ...... " 55 A Sw.ord . Fight : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Inspe~t.ing a Severed Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 56 Tales of Princess Usuyuki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 56 "Kumagai Monogatari" by Kichiemon Nakamura

(In Colors) ................... .. ... .... 59 A Scene from "Musume Dojoji" ............ " 63 A Chorus Dance. . . . . . 64 A Scene from "Kirare y~~~;,' ............. " 67 The Harakiri Scene from "Chfr~hi'n'g~~~;': : : : : : : 67 A Scene from "Sukeroku" 73 The '~Michiyuki" Scene fr~l~' ;'Chfr~hi~'g~~~;' : : : : 75 A Scene from "Ichinotani Futabagunki" . . . . . . .. 76 Poses of Well-known Kabuki Actors. . . . . . . . . 81-84. At the Kabukiza Theater. .................. 107, 108 Scenes from the Popular Kabuki Plays (8 photos)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 109-112 A Scene from "Kamakura Sandaiki". . . . . . .. 109 The Sushi Shop Scene from "Yoshitsune Sem- .

bonzakura" 109 The "Kinkakuji~;' S~~n'e' . fr~~ . ~'G'i~~ . 'S'ail:~i

Sh 'k-k'" 1 0 1 " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 110 The Amagasaki Scene from "Ehon Taikoki". .. no The Mustering Scene from "Benten Kozo". . .. 111 A Scene from "Kochiyama to Naozamurai". . .. 111

. "Fujimusume," the Dance of a Wistaria Maiden 112 The Katsuragi Mountain Scene from "Tsuchi-

gumo" .......... . ............. . ...... 112

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L HOW TO ApPRECIATE KABUKI

~hat is Kabuki? An answer for the uninitiated may be supplied by

the study of the etymology of the word itself, which shows that (gabuki" is a type of acting based on the arts of singing and dancing. It will thus be seen that Kabuki is not acting, pure and simple; it . is fundamen- tally different from Western dramiJ

rln the Kabuki play, singing and dancing occurs dur- ingThe course of the development of a story characteriz- ed by dramatic elements, and the whole performance is executed as a highly refined art. To be exact the Kabuki may be described as a play more like a revue than a drama, in the European sense-a play in which a clas- sical story is enlivened with spectacular scenes .

@.e Kabuki is a classical play for the masses and is rich in artistic qualities. It naturally follows that the Kabuki is presented in large theaters, and not, as with modern plays of the West, in a small theater intended to serve the sole purpose of art for its own sake.:J --i:\1oreover, the Kabuki is a very complicated dramatic

form. A Kabuki play contains material not in accordance with reason, and its classic style is but a feeble excuse. Foreigners seeing a Kabuki play for the first time in- v ari ably think it is "wonderful." And "wonderful" is a fitting epithet for the irrational element in KabukD So a theater built with the principles of modern stage science

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FROM THE /I EIGHTEEN

BEST

PLAYS "

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1/ Kanjincho /I

(above )

/I Su keroku /I

(belo w)

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IV. PRINCIPAL KABUKI PLAYS

I. The Eighteen Best Plays

As already mentioned, the eighteen masterpieces se- lected from the plays of Kabuki origin staged since the birth of the Kabuki about two centuries and a half ago are collectively styled "Kabuki Juhachiban ." These eighteen were the reperfoire of the nine generations of the illustrious Ichikawas from the first Danjuro of the Genroku period (1688-1703) .to the ninth in the Meiji era. The plays have been the monopoly of the Ichikawas, and even now th e rights of printing and staging them are in the hands of the present representive of the family. About ten out of the eighteen are now staged, the re st having died a natural death. The following seven are considered by general consent to be of greatest merit:-"Sukeroku" (The Love of Sukeroku, an Edo Beau), "Kanjincho" (A Faithful Retainer), "Shiba- raku" (Stop a Minute!), "Yanone" (The Arrow-head), "Kenuki" (Hair Tweezers), "N arukami" (Thunder) , and "Kamahige" (Shaving with a Large Sickle).

Of the se seven, "Sukeroku" and "Kanj incho" are the most di ?tinguished, being the best of the plays of Kabuki origin. All the plays of the "Kabuki Juhachi - ban" are characterized by the spirit of hero -worship, and are l abelled Aragoto, or pl ays of masculine character, and are theatrical products peculiar to Edo.

2. Classical Plays l id aimono is th e general name fo r Kab uki plays with

hi storical background s. Most of these plays are tho se of puppet-play origin . A Jidaimono is usually only part of a play-one act taken from a longer story. To the mo st distingui shed, being the best of the p] ays of name r epresentati ve K abuki plays of the lidaimono type there are "Sugawara Denju Tenaraikagami" (The Suga- wara School of Penmanship), "Kanadehon Chuu shin- gura" (Treasury of the Loyal League) by Izumo Takeda (1691-1756 ) and "Shin tTs uyuki Monogatari" (Tales of Princess Usuyuk i) by Koiz umo Takeda (d. 1753?), son and p upil of I zumo. These were originally written for the puppet stage ab out two hundre d years ago. Plays of true Kabuki Ol"igin incl ude such ma sterpieces as "Sukeroku" and "Kanjincho" but these are only one- act plays while tho se of classical loruri origin usuaJly contai n mo re than five acts.

"Kanadehon Chushingur a," famous for its arti stry in technique and plot , is an eleven-act play. Becau se of its length, the play is usually performed in abridge d form -only the fir st seven acts of the eleven be ing give n. The present tenden cy is toward s longer performances, and in the autumn of 1947 the firs t nine acts of tbi splay were performed in Tokyo.

It will be remembered that John Mas efield produced an Engli sh vers ion of thi s play under the title of "The Faithful." The Ac t from "Sugawara Denju Tenarai- kagami" called the "Ter akoya" has been made into a play and staged in America and Germany. -This is proof

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" C hushingura " (upper) and" Sugawara Dcnju Tena!alKag all l1, -- both typical plays of the ]id a i'!!ono (c1ass;cal) type,

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"Koibikyaku Yamato Orai," revised version of .. Meido no Hikvaku" (An Attemp t to Elope to th e Other World) . . .

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that among the hi storical Kabuki plays are to be found dramas of universal appeal. The reader is reminded that the chobo, or classical musi c, plays an important part in the effective presentation of these dramas.

3. "Sewamono" In contrast with the historical plays, there are genre

plays dealing with love and other affairs of every-day life, and though they seem classic they are very realistic. These plays may be also regarded as adaptations from puppet plays. As briefly referred to in a preceding pas- sage, the dramatic genius, l\10nzaemon Chikamatsu wrote a number of genre plays of extraordinary merit for the puppet stage, expressing in them scenes from contem- porary life. He li ved in Osaka in the Genroku period, the last quart er of the 17th century, when people in that commercial capital were enjoying luxurious living.

There are "Shinjll Ten-no-Amijima" (A Double Sui- cide at Amijima) and "Meido no Hikyaku" (An Attempt to Elope to the Other World), to mention only a few. These were made into Kabuki plays with more or less modification. Genre plays were created' and developed in Osaka, and even in present-day Osaka, actors are noted for their special skill In performing them.

4 . "Kizewan1.ono" . . These plays were first produced in Edo about 130

years ago, and so were called Kizewamono in order to distingui sh them from Sewamono, mo st of which were products of · Osaka. Kizewamono means later genre plays and they are more r eali sti c than similar Osaka

pIa ys. Aii of the Kiz~wamono are of Kabuki origin, and belonging as they do to later times, they have no connec- tion with the puppet play. The pioneer writer of this type of play was the fourth Namboku Tsuruya (1755- 1829), who flouri she d in the Bunka and Bunsei eras, or, to be more exact the first quarter of the nineteenth cen - tury. Shortly bef~re the Restoration of Meiji, another famous playwright appeared . His name was Mokuami Kawatake (1816-1893), who might be called a pupil of N amboku. By the time of his death in the middle of the Meiji era, he had given to the world a number of plays, the majority of which were Sewamono. Contempora- neou s with him were such great luminaries of the stage as the fourth Kodanji Ichikawa and the fifth Kikugoro Onoe (father of the sixth Kikugoro, d. 1949 ). Mokuami wrote plays with a view to providing the se actors with fitting parts. As a writer of plays of Kabuki origin, he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest Japan has ever known . All hi s plays portray contemporary life and culture in Edo and they are made much of even in these days. Edo being their birthplace, these plays are see n at their best when acted by Tokyo actors. Mokuami was very skilful in combining hi s plays with appropriate music. Espe- cially is he noteworthy for his mastering of stage tech- nique. He is almost without a peer in this respect. Hi s representative plays are "Murai Choan" (Murai Choan, a Fiendish Quack-Doctor), "Sannin Kichisa" (Three Robb ers ), "Kamiyui Shinza" (A Villain Barber Shinza) and "Kochiyama to Naozamurai" (Two Rogue s in Con- spiracy) .

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.. Sannin Kichisa," one of the Kizewamono P lays.

"Shinju-Ten-no-Amijima," one of the Sewamono plays.