Kabuki has made an auspicious start to the Year of the Monkey, with performances at no less than three venues in Tokyo: the Kokaido (Public Hall) in Asakusa, the Kabukiza in Ginza and the National Theater in Hanzomon. Of these, the first two venues offer the special excitement of watching up-and-coming young kabuki stars of the future tackling major roles.
Three well-known dramas being staged at the Kokaido this month offer a taste of traditional theater in the downtown surroundings of Asakusa, where the hall is nestled in a back street behind Senso-ji Temple.
The practice of presenting kabuki plays and dances at the Kokaido was started by the Shochiku Company in 1980, as a sort of proving ground for young actors before they performed at the Kabukiza. Young stars-in-the-making featured this year include Ichikawa Kamejiro, Nakamura Kantaro and his younger brother Shichinosuke, Ichikawa Omezo and Nakamura Shido, all of whom are in their 20s. To broaden their experience, the actors double up in roles, meaning that the same part will be played by a different young talent in the morning and afternoon presentations of the program.