TÔKYÔ GEKIJÔ

Name

Tôkyô Gekijô

City

Tôkyô

History

1930: opening of the Tôkyô Gekijô in the district of Tsukiji. It is a modern 1898-seat theater, which is managed by the Shôchiku and designed for Kabuki, Western Operas or movies.

July 1931: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Hasegawa Shin's drama "Ippon Gatana Dohyô Iri", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Komagata Môhei	Onoe Kikugorô VI
Otsuta	Nakamura Fukusuke V
Tatsusaburô	Morita Kan'ya XIII

September 1933: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the Nagauta-based kyôgen "Takatsuki", which is adapted to Kabuki by Hisamatsu Issei (lyrics) and Kashiwa Izaburô (music) and performed by Onoe Kikugorô VI and Bandô Mitsugorô VII.

April 1934: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kimura Tomiko's Tokiwazu-based dance "Hanami Yakko", with a choreography and a musical accompaniment made by Hanayagi Jusuke II and Tokiwazu Mojibei III. The leading role of the yakko is played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II.

June 1934: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Hasegawa Shin's drama "Kurayami no Ushimatsu", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Ushimatsu	Onoe Kikugorô VI
Oyone	Ichikawa Omezô IV
Shirôbei	Bandô Hikosaburô VI
Okuma, Oima	Onoe Taganojô III

January 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Uno Nobuo's drama "Fubuki Tôge", which is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
Naokichi	Ichikawa Sadanji II
Sukezô	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
Oen	Ichikawa Shôchô II

January 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Edojô no Ninjô" and "Daini no Shisha", the first and second plays of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura".

April 1935: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Saigo no Ôhyôjô", the third play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura".

April 1936: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Ninin Sambasô", a 2-dancer version of the Sambasô dance, starring Ichikawa Ennosuke II and his son Ichikawa Danshirô III.

February 1939: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of the second act of "Sengoku Yashiki", the ninth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura".

November 1939: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kimura Tomiko's dance-drama "Kurozuka". The musical accompaniment is written by Kineya Sakichi IV and the choreography is made by Hanayanagi Jusuke II. This dance-drama is staged with the following casting:

Roles	Actors
The old woman Iwate, the ogress	Ichikawa Ennosuke II
The yamabushi Priest Yûkei	Sawamura Sôjûrô VII
Tarôgo	Ichikawa Danshirô III
The yamabushi Priest Yamatobô	Ichikawa Yaozô VIII
The yamabushi Priest Sanukibô	Sawamura Tanosuke V

January 1940: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Ohama Goten Tsunatoyokyô", the fifth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura".

April 1941: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of Kimura Tomiko's Gidayû-based dance "Yoi Yakko". The leading role of the yakko Bekunai is played by Ichikawa Ennosuke II.

November 1941: premiere at the Tôkyô Gekijô of "Sengakuji", the eighth play of Mayama Seika's cycle "Genroku Chûshingura".

10 March 1945 (00:08 AM): 344 US Army B29 bombers drops 2,000 tons of bombs on Tôkyô, killing more than 120,000 people and destroying almost everything; the Tôkyô Gekijô is the sole standing theater in the devastated city.

February 1946: Ichimura Kakitsu VII and Ichimura Matasaburô II take at the Tôkyô Gekijô the respective names of Ichimura Uzaemon XVI and Ichimura Kakitsu VIII.

1952: the Tôkyô Gekijô becomes a movie theater.

1975: the Tôkyô Gekijô is rebuilt and modernized. Its name becomes Tôgeki.

The Tôkyô Gekijô in 1947