6 shows in Tôkyô (Kabukiza, National Theatre, National Nô Theatre), 1 in Nagoya (Chûnichi Theatre), 2 in Ôsaka (National Bunraku Theatre, Kintetsu Art Kan)!

Nakamura Hashinosuke, Ichikawa Ennosuke, Nakamura Senjaku, Nakamura Kankurô, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Bandô Yajûrô, Ichikawa Somegorô, Nakamura Shidô, Kataoka Kamezô, Ichikawa Ukon, Bandô Takesaburô, Ichikawa Komazô and Ichikawa Monnosuke perform at the Kabukiza !

Ichikawa Ebizô performs at the Chûnichi Theatre!

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

Nakamura Hashinosuke, Ichikawa Ennosuke, Nakamura Senjaku, Nakamura Kankurô, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Bandô Yajûrô, Ichikawa Somegorô, Nakamura Shidô, Kataoka Kamezô, Ichikawa Ukon, Bandô Takesaburô, Ichikawa Komazô, Ichikawa Monnosuke, Ichikawa Emisaburô, Ichikawa Emiya, Bandô Shûchô, Matsumoto Kingo, Sawamura Sônosuke, Ichikawa Juen, Nakamura Kazutarô, Nakamura Kamenojô, Bandô Minosuke, Nakamura Kotarô, Ôtani Hirotarô, Bandô Shingo, Nakamura Kunio, Nakamura Muneo, Nakamura Yoshio, Matsumoto Kintarô, Ichikawa Danko, Namino Noriyuki, Suruga Tarô

The usual summer program at the Kabukiza! It is entitled Hachigatsu Nôryô Kabuki (literally "the August cool-breeze Kabuki"). This is the first stage appearance (omemie) of Nakamura Kankurô's second son Namino Noriyuki, who plays the role of a little page in the dance-drama "Tsuchi-gumo".

Yaegiri Kuruwa Banashi: Yamanba, or the mountain hag, has been celebrated for centuries in traditional Japanese dance and theater. In the Kabuki version, Yamanba becomes a beautiful woman, a courtesan who becomes the wife of the samurai Tokiyuki and retreats to the mountains to miraculously give birth to the powerful warrior Sakata Kintoki. This play was originally by the great Chikamatsu Monzaemon I and is a classic of Kansai style Kabuki. Nakamura Senjaku appears as the courtesan who tells the humorous story of a fight between courtesans over a handsome man and then mysteriously becomes pregnant by the spirit of her husband. Starring Nakamura Hashinosuke and Bandô Minosuke in the roles of Yaegiri's husband Sakata Tokiyuki and the villain Ôta Jûrô.

Gonza to Sukejû: in this comedy by Okamoto Kidô, two palanquin bearers constantly argue and their wives, but when they witness a murder, it changes everything in the nagaya tenement where they live. This modern play takes one of the classic stories of the wise magistrage Ôoka Tadasuke and looks at it from the point of view of common townspeople. Starring Nakamura Shidô and Ichikawa Somegorô in the roles of Gonza and Sukejû. Featuring also Nakamura Shichinosuke, Bandô Yajûrô and Kataoka Kamezô.

Benikan: in the late Edo period, Beniya Kanbê (Benikan for short), a peddler of cosmetics, traveled through the streets of Asakusa and the Yoshiwara pleasure district performing with a shamisen made of a broomstick for the neck, a round sieve for the body of the instrument and the paddle used to scoop rice for the plectrum. He also had a drum and gong tied to his waist and played light, entertaining music on his unusual instrument. This dance recreates the figure of Benikan (Nakamura Hashinosuke) and features Nakamura Shichinosuke, Nakamura Kankurô and Nakamura Senjaku as a variety of the colorful peddlers to be seen around Asakusa selling fans, morning glories and insects.

Hizakurige: this is a rare performance of what was once one of Kabuki’s most popular plays. Based on Jippensha Ikku’s Edo period novel, the play follows the wandering edokko Yaji and Kita as they travel down the Tôkaidô highway with comic adventures along the way. Starring Ichikawa Somegorô as Yaji and Ichikawa Ennosuke as Kita.

Tsuchi-gumo: a dance play adapted from the classical Nô theatre. The samurai Lord Minamoto Raikô is famous in legend for ridding Kyôto of demons. While Raikô is confined to bed with illness, a priest (Nakamura Hashinosuke) from a prominent temple comes to pray for his health. In fact, the priest is actually the spirit of the earth spider which has caused Raikô's illness in the first place and hopes to destroy him. The spider's plan to kill Raikô is defeated by his retainers (the famous shitennô) in an exciting fight. Featuring Nakamura Shichinosuke as Raikô. Featuring also Nakamura Senjaku, Nakamura Kankurô, Ichikawa Ennosuke and Nakamura Shidô.

Kuruwa Banashi Yamanaya Urazato: it is adapted from rakugo story telling based on history. Sakai Sôjûrô (Nakamura Kankurô) visits pleasure quarters to attend the meeting of officers of daimyô lords representing the lord during his absence in Edo. He is so serious that he proposes holding the next meeting at his office to talk about the future of his domain and Japan. Other officers take no notice of this proposal and declare to introduce their regular prostitutes. As Sakai performs a rustic dance of his domain, not only is he laughed at, but they even mock at his lord as 'monkey lord.' Outraged with this, he declares that he will show his regular prostitute at the next meeting and leaves. Just then, he encounters the procession of courtesan Urazato (Nakamura Shichinosuke) and decides to take Urazato, one of the most beautiful and popular courtesan to the next meeting. Sakai visits the Yamanaya brothel and tells the proprietor Yamanaya Hyôbê (Nakamura Senjaku) that he would like to accompany Urazato to the next meeting, not to be laughed at by officers of other daimyô lords. As the proprietor declines his wish, Urazato appears and ...

Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Ichikawa Ebizô, Kataoka Ichizô, Ichikawa Unosuke, Ichikawa Kudanji, Ôtani Hiromatsu, Katayama Kurôemon, Kanze Yoshimasa, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Shigeyama Ippei, Ichikawa Botan

A special program mixing Kabuki, Nô and Opera. The young heir of the Naritaya guild performs in a special version of "Genji Monogatari", featuring the Nô actors Katayama Kurôemon X and Kanze Yoshimasa, and the Opera Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. The script for this version of "Genji Monogatari" focuses on the story from Oborozukiyo to Suma/Akashi.

Genji Monogatari: Japan's oldest love story is reborn from a wondrous collaboration of Kabuki, Nô and Opera. The Tale of Genji was written in the 11th century by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady of the Heian court. The whole story consists of 54 chapters and unfolds in a number of human relationships and romances that Hikaru-no-kimi,,the hero of the tale(acted by Ichikawa Ebizô), had in his life while describing to the court about life in the Heian period of Japan. This story is to recreate a new "The Tale of Genji" incorporating the essence of Kabuki, Nô, another form of traditional Japanese theatre culture, and Opera, an art long-cultivated in Western culture. That is sometimes elegant and quiet, yet sometimes dramatic and aggressive. The beautiful four seasons of Japan are recreated on the stage which will remind audiences of profoundness Japanese sensitivity.

Source: Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Onoe Ukon, Ichikawa Somegorô, Kamimura Kichiya, Nakamura Yonekichi, Nakamura Tanenosuke, Nakamura Takanosuke, Ichimura Kitsutarô

2nd edition of the Ken no Kai, which stars Onoe Kikugorô VI's great-grandson Onoe Ukon. Ken no Kai literally means 'Ken's Association' with Ken being the first ideogram in Onoe Ukon's real first name Kensuke. Ichikawa Somegorô and Kamimura Kichiya are the two guest stars of this program.

Teppô Watashi/Futatsudama/Kanpei Harakiri: this section of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura" is about Hayano Kanpei (Onoe Ukon) and his wife Okaru (Nakamura Yonekichi). Kanpei survives as a hunter and is desperate for the money that will allow him to become a samurai again. He encounters two former retainers of Lord En'ya Hangan who offer to allow him to participate in a vendetta to avenge Lord En'ya Hangan's death by attacking Kô no Moronô. Unknown to him, though, Okaru's family has decided to raise the memory by selling her into prostitution as a courtesan in the Gion district of Kyôto. Okaru's father travels on a dark mountain road, eager to bring the first half of the money to Kanpei. But he is attacked and robbed by Sadakurô (Ichikawa Somegorô), also a former retainer of Lord En'ya Hangan who has gone bad and become a thief. At this point, Kanpei aims and fires at s wild boar and instead kills Sadakurô. He finds the purse with all the money and, thinking that is the gift of heaven, rushes home. At home, the brothel keeper is already there to collect Okaru and Kanpei wants to refuse to let her go, until he realizes where the money came from and believes that he killed Okaru's father by mistake. He urges Okaru to go to the pleasure quarters, not wanting her to know what has happened. In one of the dramatic highlights of the play, Kanpei commits suicide to atone for his multiple failures in duty.

Funa Benkei: although he won a war against the enemy Heike clan, the young general Yoshitsune (Nakamura Takanosuke) has gained the disfavor of his brother, the Shôgun, and tries to flee to Kyûshû by boat. Before he sets sail, he must say farewell to his lover Shizuka (Onoe Ukon), who performs a dance expressing her grief at their separation. Once the boat sets sail, the spirit of the great Heike general Tomomori (Onoe Ukon), killed by Yoshitsune in battle at sea, appears and attacks to take revenge for the destruction of his clan. They are only saved by the prayers of Yoshitsune's companion, the warrior-priest Benkei (Ichikawa Somegorô). The roles of both Shizuka and Tomomori are played by the same actor.

Source: Earphone Guide website

18th edition of the summer program of the association Ne no Kai (literally 'the Sound Association'). Only "Gappô Anshitsu" is staged with Kabuki actors.

22nd 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.

Kotobuki Shiki Sanbasô: Okina is the oldest ritual in the Nô theater. This Kabuki version shows Okina, an old man who symbolizes eternal youth, his attendant Senzai and the vigorous Sanbasô, who perform dances solemnly for good fortune. Sanbasô dances vigorously, stamping and shaking bells, praying for agricultural fertility and prosperity for all.

Soga no Taimen: this is one of the oldest and most classical of all Kabuki plays. In the Edo period, every January, plays appeared about the vendetta carried out by the Soga brothers Jûrô and Gorô after eighteen years of hardship. In "Soga no Taimen" the brothers confront Kudô Suketsune, the man responsible for their father's death. More ceremony than play, it features each of the important Kabuki character types, including the bombastic aragoto style of Gorô and the soft wagoto style of Jûrô.

Onna Kurumabiki: a usual practice was celebrated female impersonators to have famous male roles rewritten for them. Numerous titles of already popular plays to which the character onna (“woman”) was added appeared in the Kabuki repertory over the centuries, such as "Onna Narukami" ("Female Narukami") or "Onna Shibaraku" ("Female Shibaraku"). "Onna Kurumabiki" is a female parodic dance based on "Kurumabiki". The three brothers Matsuômaru, Umeômaru and Sakuramaru are replaced by their wives Chiyo, Haru and Yae.

Sushiya: this is one act of an epic originally written for the Bunraku puppet theatre. The full-length play shows the fate of various Taira generals in hiding after the victory of their enemy, the Genji. In this act, Koremori, the heir to the Taira clan is hiding in a sushi shop disguised as a humble apprentice, and Osato, the daughter of the house, falls in love with him. However, Gonta, the evil son of the house plots to gain a reward by turning in Koremori to the top Genji general Kajiwara, but in the end, he has a surprising change of heart in one of the most heart-rending scenes in Kabuki.

Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

Nakamura Kashô, Nakamura Tanenosuke, Nakamura Baishi, Nakamura Yonekichi, Nakamura Umemaru

2nd edition of the Sôchôkai (literally "the Two Butterflies Association"), which stars Nakamura Kashô and his brother Nakamura Tanenosuke. Nakamura Shibajaku, Nakamura Matagorô, Ichikawa Somegorô and Onoe Shôroku are the guest stars of this program.

Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami:
(Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy)
Sugawara no Michizane (known in this play as Kan Shôjô) was a high-ranking imperial court minister who was a brilliant calligrapher and scholar. But political rivalries forced him to be exiled to distant Kyûshû, where he died. After Michizane's death, a series of disasters in the imperial capital were attributed to his angry spirit and he was appeased by being made a god known as Tenjin, and he is now revered as the god of learning. His story was dramatized as an epic puppet drama in 1746 and the play remains a favorite in both Kabuki and the Bunraku puppet theatre.

Kurumabiki:
(The Tug-of-War Over the Carriage)
There are three brothers serving three masters. Umeômaru serves Kan Shôjô. Sakuramaru serves imperial prince Tokiyo. Kan Shôjô has been sent into exile and Tokiyo is in disgrace. Umeômaru (Nakamura Tanenosuke) and Sakuramaru (Nakamura Umemaru) lament the disaster that has overtaken their masters. But they hear that the carriage of Fujiwara no Shihei is coming. Shihei is the villain that has sent Kan Shôjô into exile. But when the two brothers confront the carriage, they are stopped by their brother Matsuômaru (Nakamura Kashô), who serves Shihei. Nonetheless, they attack the carriage and are driven back by the magical powers of Shihei. The three brothers agree to meet again at the seventieth birthday of their father, Shiratayû.

Terakoya:
(The Village School)
Genzô (Nakamura Tanenosuke) and his wife Tonami (Nakamura Yonekichi) run a small school and are protecting Kan Shôjô's son and heir, saying that he is their son. However, word has gotten out Kan Shôjô's son is there and Genzô has been ordered to behead him. Moreover, Matsuômaru (Nakamura Kashô) is to come to inspect the head. Their only alternative is to kill one of the other students as a substitute, but all of the students are farmer's children who could never pass for the son of a court aristocrat. However, a new boy arrives that day and Genzô makes the terrible decision to kill him in the place of his lord. As it turns out, Matsuômaru has sent his own son to be sacrificed, because of his family's long loyalty to Kan Shôjô. But he must face the most terrible situation for a father, inspecting the head of his own son and lying when he says that it is the genuine head of the son of Kan Shôjô. Finally Matsuômaru reveals his true feelings to Genzô and he and his wife Chiyo (Nakamura Baishi) mourn their dead son.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Kataoka Matsujûrô, Kataoka Senjirô, Kataoka Senju

The 2nd gala of the Sora no Kai (literally 'Sky Society'), in Ôsaka at the Kintetsu Art Kan, which stars Kataoka Matsujûrô, Kataoka Senjirô and Kataoka Senju, 3 disciples of the Matsushimaya guild. Sora no Kai literally means "Sky Association". "Ise Sangû Kami no Nigiwai", based on a famous Kamigata rakugo story, is a newly-created drama. It is staged under the supervision of Kataoka Hidetarô and the dance master Yamamura Tomogorô III. These performances are entitled Abeno Kabuki (Abeno is the name of a famous district in Ôsaka).

26th 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, with the guidance of Kataoka Nizaemon and Kataoka Hidetarô.

Natsu Matsuri: this grisly murder story became a smashing hit when it was first performed in 1745 because of the chivalrous spirit of the many Ôsaka characters appearing in this story, the contrast between a brutal murder and the jovial mood of a summer festival, and the splashing of real water used on the stage. Danshichi, a gallant fishmonger, does everything he can to protect the weak young son of his patron with the help of his companion Tokubê and the older Sabu. Although even Tokubê's wife Otatsu heroically helps out, in the end, Danshichi is betrayed by his evil father-in-law Giheiji and, in the most famous scene of the play, must kill him in a mud-covered fight in a lonely alley with the shouts of the local festival nearby.

Gojôbashi: a short dance showing Ushiwaka, a delicate young man who actually is a powerful warrior picking fights on the Gojô Bridge in Kyôto and Benkei, the stout warrior priest who challenges him.

Dango Uri:
(The Dumpling Peddlers)
the mortar and pestle used for pounding rice cakes and dumplings are a symbol of a happily married couple. This short, lively dance shows a couple peddling dumplings with a series of songs and dances.

Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

3rd edition of the Shô no Kai, a gala program which stars Nakamura Tomijûrô V's son Nakamura Takanosuke. Nakamura Takanosuke performs in "Kakitsubata" and "Sukeroku". His sister Watanabe Aiko performs in "Shiokumi". The long-time NHK announcer Kasai Seiji is the guest in charge of all the talking.