12 shows in Tôkyô (Kabukiza, Shinbashi Enbujô, Nihonbashi Kôkaidô, National Theatre, Shibuya-ku Bunka Sôgô Center Ôwada, Cerulean Tower Nô Theater) and 2 in Ôsaka (National Bunraku Theatre)!

Bandô Mitsugorô, Nakamura Senjaku, Nakamura Hashinosuke, Nakamura Kankurô, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Bandô Yajûrô and Nakamura Shidô perform at the Kabukiza !

Ichikawa Ebizô performs at the Shinbashi Enbujô!

All the others great Kabuki actors are on vacation ...

Bandô Mitsugorô, Nakamura Senjaku, Nakamura Hashinosuke, Nakamura Kankurô, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Bandô Yajûrô, Nakamura Shidô, Ichimura Manjirô, Kataoka Ichizô, Kataoka Kamezô, Bandô Shûchô, Bandô Minosuke, Nakamura Kotarô, Bandô Shingo, Nakamura Toranosuke, Nakamura Kunio, Namino Naoya

The usual summer program at the Kabukiza! It is entitled Hachigatsu Nôryô Kabuki (literally "the August cool-breeze Kabuki"). There is the first stage appearance (omemie) of Nakamura Kankurô's son Namino Naoya, who plays the role of Kinbê's son Umekichi in Osaragi Jirô's drama "Tanuki".

Kyôfu Jidai:
(The Age of Terror)
This is a modern play by Tanizaki Jun'ichirô written in 1916 and first performed as Kabuki in 1951. The Shundô clan is a daimyô family which has a spacious second residence in the Fukagawa district of Edo (old Tôkyô). The lord Shundô Unemenoshô’s favorite mistress Ogin (Nakamura Senjaku) plots with her lover Shundô Yukie (Bandô Yajûrô), an evil chief retainer of Unemenoshô (Nakamura Hashinosuke), to poison Unemenoshô’s pregnant legal wife and let Ogin’s son Teruchiyo, in fact born to Yukie and her, succeed to the Shundô clan. She makes the house doctor Gentaku (Kataoka Kamezô), who is attached to her, prepare poison for her plan and poisons him, making him believe that she will answer his love. Then she frightens a tea server Chinsai (Nakamura Kankurô) into undertaking to poison Unemenoshô’s legal wife. Ogin’s maidservant Umeno (Ichimura Manjirô) loves Isogai Iorinosuke (Nakamura Shichinosuke), a beautiful page of Unemenoshô, and is engaged to him, but he is in fact in love with Ogin. Chinsai rushes to them and reports that Ujiie and Suganuma, Unemenoshô’s two loyal retainers from the home province, seize Unemenoshô and remonstrate with him about indulging in songs and dances and slaying innocent people every day as an entertainment at a drinking party. Iorinosuke appears and challenges them to a fight with real swords, as they desire to kill Ogin, because they think she escalates the lord’s misconduct and does harm to the lord’s family. He slays them down in an instant. Unemenoshô gets excited to see blood, and orders Umeno, who is skilled in the military arts, a fight with real swords against Iorinosuke. He slays her cruelly, too. It is reported that Unemenoshô’s legal wife is poisoned and Chinsai is suspected. Ogin and Iorinosuke smile to each other as they are left alone. Noticing that Yukie witnesses this, Iorinosuke slays Yukie. Moreover Iorinosuke slays Unemenoshô, when Unemenoshô gets angry at them to learn of their plot from Chinsai’s confession. Ogin and Iorinosuke stab each other, as he has murdered too many people and their plan to take over the clan has failed.

Ryûko: this is a modern piece created after the end of World War II on the universal theme of the unending fight between the dragon, the greatest power in the sky, and the tiger, the greatest power on land. Starring Nakamura Shidô as the spirit of the dragon and Bandô Minosuke as the spirit of the tiger.

Terutora Haizen: a rare performance of a historical play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. The warlord Nagao Terutora (Nakamura Hashinosuke) wants the services of the great strategist Yamamoto Kansuke who is now the strategist for his rival Takeda Shingen. The wife of one of Terutora's retainers is Kansuke's sister and so Terutora invites Kansuke's wife and mother to see her. When the two women arrive, Terutora brings the food tray himself and knowing what he has in mind, the old woman Koshiji (Ichimura Manjirô) kicks it. The furious Terutora wants to kill them all, but is restrained by Kansuke's wife Okatsu (Nakamura Senjaku), who desperately defends her mother, despite the fact that she cannot speak and must express herself in koto music instead. Featuring also Bandô Yajûrô and Nakamura Kotarô.

Tanuki: in Japanese tradition, tanuki, an animal like a raccoon dog, is supposed to be crafty, magical creatures. In this modern play by Osaragi JiroOsaragi Jirô, human beings are shown as being even more deceitful than tanuki. A man named Kashiwaya Kinbê (Bandô Mitsugorô) dies and is about to be cremated when he strangely comes back to life. He decides to live with his mistress Osome (Nakamura Shichinosuke) only to see that she actually has a lover, Sayama Sangorô (Nakamura Shidô), on the side and has been lying to him all the time. Kinbê is disgusted with his family and mistress and decides to change his name and make a new life. But one day, he happens to go by his old house. His young son Umekichi is the only one to recognize him and, moved by Umekichi’s sincere love, Kinbê returns home. Featuring also Nakamura Senjaku (Kinbê's wife Oseki), Nakamura Kankurô, Bandô Yajûrô and Bandô Shûchô.

Kioi Jishi: this dance shows an Edo festival with its lively lion dance and other entertainments. The festival is full of handsome firemen and attractive geisha who do a series of graceful dances. One of the highlights of this dance is the story of the Soga brothers avenging the death of their father by attacking their enemy during a hunting party for the Shôgun at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Featuring Bandô Mitsugorô, Nakamura Hashinosuke, Nakamura Senjaku, Nakamura Kankurô, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Nakamura Shidô and Bandô Yajûrô.

Chibusa no Enoki:
(The Ghost and the Milk-Giving Tree)
Based on a rakugo story by Sanyûtei Enchô, this is a showpiece for the star actor (Nakamura Kankurô) who plays multiple roles, culminating in a thrilling fight scene in a waterfall where he switches rapidly from one to another. An artist named Hishikawa Shigenobu (Nakamura Kankurô) is killed by a handsome samurai named Isogai Namie (Nakamura Shidô) who makes love to Shigenobu's wife Oseki (Nakamura Shichinosuke). He carries out the murder with the help of Shigenobu's honest, but simple minded, servant Shôsuke (Nakamura Kankurô) and the tattooed villain Uwabami no Sanji (Nakamura Kankurô). But the baby is rescued by the ghost of Shigenobu and finally the boy avenges the death of his father by killing Isogai.

Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Ichikawa Ebizô

2nd edition of ABKAI - Ebikai, the gala of the young star Ichikawa Ebizô. The first item in this program is a newly-created dance. The second item is the classic "Kawatsura Hôgen Yakata" of the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". Ichikawa Ebizô performs a chûnori at the end of this play.

Onoe Matsuya, Kamimura Kichiya

A gala program called Idomu (Challenge) for the young actor Onoe Matsuya

16th edition of the summer program of the association Ne no Kai (literally 'the Sound Association').

20th edition of the common program for 2 associations, the Chigyokai (the Young Fishes Association) and the Kabukikai (the Kabuki Association), which stars stars' disciples in the leading roles of all the items in the program.

Matsumoto Kôshirô, Nakamura Kichiemon, Nakamura Shibajaku, Ôtani Tomoemon, Ôtani Hirotarô, Ôtani Hiromatsu, Nakamura Kyôzô

A special dance program (Buyô) which commemorate the 2nd anniversary (3rd memorial service) of the passing away of Living National Treasure Nakamura Jakuemon IV. There are two programs (one afternoon show and one evening show) which are almost identical.

Kuruwa Sanbasô: the sanbasô is an auspicious dance based on the ritual play Okina in the classical Nô theater which shows an old man as a symbol of longevity and the energetic sanbasô as a symbol of fertility and prosperity. In Kabuki there are many different versions, but this particular one sets the dance in the pleasure quarters and has a beautiful top-ranking courtesan in place of the old man and a taiko mochi entertainer instead of the boisterous sanbasô. This dance features Nakamura Jakuemon's disciples.

Genzai Dôjôji: "Musume Dôjôji" or "The Maiden at Dôjôji Temple" is the most famous dance to display the alluring charm of an onnagata female role specialist and has inspired many variations. It shows the ghost of a woman who was transformed into a serpent out of passion and destroyed a temple bell. In this particular version created in 1749, the shirabyôshi is replaced by a keisei named Kiyotaki. This is the oldest Kabuki dôjôjimono. Starring Nakamura Kyôzô.

Teidan: a conversation on stage about late Living National Treasure Nakamura Jakuemon with either Matsumoto Kôshirô (afternoon show) or Nakamura Kichiemon (one evening) and somebody from the Shôchiku Company.

Yoshinoyama: a dance travel scene from the epic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". Now in exile and disgrace, Yoshitsune has left his lover Shizuka in the safekeeping of his trusted retainer Tadanobu. But she is unaware that this Tadanobu is actually a magical fox who has disguised himself to be near the treasured drum that Shizuka carries, a drum made from the skins of his fox parents. Starring Ôtani Hirotarô as Tadanobu, with Ôtani Hiromatsu as Shizuka.

Kane no Misaki: Ôtani Tomoemon appears as a beautiful young girl, expressing her love and feelings of jealousy. This is the same story as the colorful "Musume Dôjôji" dance, but is performed in a restrained chamber style.

Kagami Jishi: one of the most important dances for onnagata female role specialists and is an audience favorite. The maidservant Yayoi performs an auspicious lion dance for the Shôgun in his opulent palace, but she gradually finds herself under the control of the lion spirit. In the second half of the dance, the lion spirit itself appears and performs its crazed dance among peonies and fluttering butterflies. Starring Nakamura Shibajaku as both Yayoi and the spirit of the lion.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Sakata Tôjûrô, Bandô Takesaburô, Kamimura Kichiya, Nakamura Kazutarô

The 8th edition of an NHK-sponsored program, which is called Gei no Shinzui (the Essence of Art in English) and is dedicated to the Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô.

Fuji Musume: the spirit of wisteria blossoms dances of love in the form of a beautiful young maiden. One of Kabuki's most famous and colorful dances, it will feature the dancing skills of Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô.

Ninin Wankyû: the fabulously wealthy Wan'ya Kyûbê (nicknamed Wankyû) is disowned by his family for falling in love with the courtesan Matsuyama. Then, when she dies, he goes mad with grief and wanders through the countryside. This dance shows him as he imagines meeting Matsuyama again and there is a lively dance recalling their happiness together before the vision fades and he is left alone. No actor on stage, only the Nagauta ensemble.

Yoshidaya: the roots of this play go back to the earliest days of Kabuki. Izaemon, the son of a wealthy family, has been disowned for loving a courtesan and now has nothing but a paper kimono. This role is a classic example of the wagoto or soft style of acting that is one of the representative acting styles of the Kansai region. Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô stars as Izaemon, a role that is a specialty of his family's Kansai acting style. Featuring his grandson Nakamura Kazutarô as the courtesan Ôgiya Yûgiri (Izaemon's lover), Bandô Takesaburô and Kamimura Kichiya as the proprietor and proprietress of the Yoshidaya teahouse.

Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

The Matsuo-juku Kodomo Kabuki [website in Japanese] is a kodomo shibai troupe, founded in Ôsaka in 1988 by Matsuo Hazue, the wife of Matsuo Kunizô (1899~1984), whose name is closely associated to the Matsuo Artistic Awards (Matsuo Geinô Shô). The troupe is now led by Matsuo Hazue's daughter Matsuo Hideko. The troupe celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2012.

The Matsuo-juku Kodomo Kabuki [website in Japanese] is a kodomo shibai troupe, founded in Ôsaka in 1988 by Matsuo Hazue, the wife of Matsuo Kunizô (1899~1984), whose name is closely associated to the Matsuo Artistic Awards (Matsuo Geinô Shô). The troupe is now led by Matsuo Hazue's daughter Matsuo Hideko. The troupe celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2012.

24th edition of the Kamigata Kabukikai (the Kamigata Kabuki Association), a summer program in Ôsaka which stars Kamigata Kabuki stars' disciples in the leading roles of all the items.

Ichikawa Somegorô, Ichikawa En'ya, Onoe Kikunojô III

A newly-created Kabuki program full of dances for children based on the legend of the hero Shibuya Konnômaru. "Kabuki Koku he no Izanai" means "Invitation to the Country of Kabuki". Not for the adults! The first adventures were staged in the same location in November 2010. A website dedicated to this project has opened.

Ichikawa Enshi, Ichikawa Emino

2nd edition of the Tenshôkai, a gala for the young actor Ichikawa Enshi, a disciple of Ichikawa Ennosuke. "Buyô to Nagauta no Tanoshimikata" is a stage speech which can be translated by "How to enjoy Buyô and Nagauta". Others items in this program are dance-dramas.