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Rei Sasaguchi

For Rei Sasaguchi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Oct 15, 2010

The history hidden behind the mask

Kiyotaka Imai, 67, is a prominent noh performer from the Kongo School, which was established in the Kansai region during the 14th century, and headquartered in Kyoto. The son of the late Ikusaburo Imai, a Kongo noh master of the highest ranking (shokubun) and a designated Intangible Cultural Asset, Imai began to study noh while young under his father and the late Iwao Kongo II, the former head of the Kongo school, making his debut on the stage in 1950, at age 7.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Sep 10, 2010

From scorn to love: Mishima and bunraku

Yukio Mishima (born in 1925 as Kimitake Hiraoka) is best- known internationally for his novel "Kinkaku-ji" ("The Temple of the Golden Pavilion"), a fictionalized account of the burning down of the famous golden temple of Kyoto. He may also be remembered for his contemporary plays, many of which were translated and performed worldwide, and for his daring modernization of traditional noh plays.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Jul 30, 2010

Bringing samurai spirit and business acumen to kabuki

On July 1, 2009, Kenzaburo Mogi, 72, a former vice chairman of the soy sauce manufacturing giant Kikkoman Corporation, was appointed to direct the Japan Arts Council, which covers all traditional performing arts of Japan, including noh, kabuki and bunraku (puppet theater).

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

May 28, 2010

When a priest loves a woman, he can do so much wrong

T1 his year, the National Theater's summer program "Kabuki Class" will be showing the 75-minute play "Narukami" ("Thunder God"), part of a classical play known as "Narukami Fudo Kitayamazakura," originally written in 1742 by the Kamigata (Kyoto-Osaka) playwrights Yasuda Abun and Nakada Mansuke. Based on the Noh play "Ikkaku Sennin" ("Ikkaku, the Wizard"), it was written for Ichikawa Danjuro II to take the lead role of a young Buddhist monk with supernatural powers, who violates the Buddhist commandments when corrupted by a woman.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Mar 5, 2010

A rogue on high

In real life, Ishikawa Goemon was the leader of a band of burglars in Kyoto who was caught in the summer of 1594 trying to kill Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the foremost politician of his day, and was duly executed at age 36 along with many members of his family and his gang.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Jan 15, 2010

Breathing life into the mythical shachihoko

In 1610, as ordered by Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, the shogunal main office of Owari province (present-day Aichi Prefecture) was moved from Kiyosu to Nagoya, where a new castle was built. To commemorate the beginning of this magnificent castle's construction, which boasted a five-storied main tower crowned with a pair of large gold shachihoko (mythical dolphinlike creature), the National Theater of Japan is presenting a kabuki play titled "Asahi ni Kagayaku Kin no Shachihoko" ("The Gold Shachihoko Shining in the Morning Sun") till Jan. 27.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Nov 27, 2009

How 'new' kabuki has captivated theater audiences for decades

In 1893, at age 78, the great playwright Kawatake Mokuami died. Since he left no protege, his death also ended the tradition of classical Kabuki writing. Mokuami, who, during the 19th century wrote more than 360 plays over his long career, became the last of the professional writers to work exclusively for Kabuki theaters in the old capital of Edo.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Aug 28, 2009

Swept away by the 'Tenpesuto'

"The Tempest," Shakespeare's play of sorcery, was originally planned for bunraku puppet theater for the 1991 Japan Festival in London. The script was to be written by Shoichi Yamada (b. 1925), the former executive director of bunraku at the National Theater, using a Japanese translation by Tsubouchi Shoyo, a renowned novelist, dramatist and critic of the Meiji-Taisho Era.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Jul 10, 2009

The monster that was made of fear

What's a nue? A sobbing thrush? A splendid monster? Or the shattered souls of those excluded from society?

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Jun 12, 2009

Is it a spider? Is it a monkey? Yes, it's a work by Ennosuke

As a "kabuki class" for beginners, the National Theater of Japan is presenting in its large auditorium until June 24 a performance by Ichikawa Ennosuke, the master of "super-kabuki" productions, which he started to develop in 1986.

Japan Times

Events / Events Outside Tokyo

May 15, 2009

Bunraku theater to celebrate an anniversary

"Hiragana Seisuiki" ("Records of the Battles between the Minamoto and Taira Clans in the 12th Century"), a five-act historical bunraku play by Bunkodo and collaborators, which was first staged at the Takemoto-za in Osaka in 1739, is being presented at the small auditorium of the National Theater in Tokyo till May 24.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Mar 20, 2009

Okinawan flavors of entertainment

Manabu Oshiro, the chief of the Research and Training Section of the National Theater, Okinawa since 2006, attributes the creation of kumiodori, a form of drama unique to Okinawa, to the friendly relationship that the Ryukyu Kingdom maintained with China for over 400 years spanning the 15th to the 19th century. As far back as 1372, Chinese ambassadors visited the Ryukyu Islands — present-day Okinawa — with edicts from the Chinese emperor. For following visits, banquets would be held for the Chinese guests at Shuri Castle (in the present-day city of Naha), where officers were appointed to produce court dances, including group dances called kumiodori.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Dec 18, 2008

Committed to the feminine craft

O ff stage, kabuki actor is a tall, handsome and sensitive- looking man with white hair but a young face. On stage, the respected onnagata (male actor who specializes in female roles) can be anything from a sexy concubine to a faithful spouse.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Sep 18, 2008

Hitting skins to find sound's color

'It is amazing that I have participated in 12 out of the 31 performances of the 'Nihon no Taiko' program that started at the National Theater of Japan in 1977," says the drummer Eitetsu Hayashi, who helped start the wadaiko (Japanese drums used in festivals) boom that has lead to the formation of more than 3,000 taiko groups in Japan. "I can trace my development as a taiko player through those performances. I was a member of the Ondeko-za taiko group when we were invited to take part in the third program in September 1979."

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Aug 7, 2008

Nihon buyo dancers pass on their culture

As far back as elementary school, Yukari Hatori, now age 34, dreamed of becoming a nihon buyo (Japanese dance) performer.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

May 15, 2008

Kabuki-za's Dankikusai festival: From romantic crimes to civilian sacrifices

Like royalty, kabuki families can trace their lineages back years and years into the distant past, interrupted only occasionally by an adoption to keep a line going. This May the Kabuki-za holds the monthlong Dankikusai, a theatrical festival that was started in 1936 to commemorate the outstanding achievements of two dramatic giants in the Meiji Period (1868-1911), Ichikawa Danjuro IX and Onoe Kikugoro V. In celebration, the two titan's descendents, Danjuro XII and Kikugoro VII, will step into the trademark roles of their namesakes.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Mar 13, 2008

A graceful step onto Edo's stage

'Now that his life-long dream of having the stage name of Sakata Tojuro has come true, I think Tojuro aspires to revitalize the style of kabuki acting unique to the Kamigata (Kansai) region," says Shoichi Yamada, the former executive director in charge of bunraku puppet theater at the National Theater. Having followed Tojuro's career since 1949, Yamada attributes Tojuro's theatrical success to the invaluable training he received in his 20s in Japan's traditional performing arts. Still, Yamada says, "Even Tetsuji Takechi, who helped the young Senjaku 60 years ago because he thought he was so promising, would not have dreamt that his protege would make such a remarkable career as a Kabuki actor."

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Jan 17, 2008

The faithful student

"I love Las Vegas shows," says kabuki actor Ichikawa Kamejiro. "I go to Las Vegas because I think they use the most advanced techniques to create stunning productions. I find their attitude toward show business completely different from ours."

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Dec 6, 2007

Out from under noh's shadow

'F or kyogen actors, Japan losing the war in 1945 was a wonderful event as it liberated kyogen from its long subjugation to noh," actor Shigeyama Sennojo says. "For the first time in 400 years, kyogen was recognized as an independent form of theater."

Japan Times

CULTURE / Stage

Sep 13, 2007

Look inside the puppet's head

"One aspiring to become a puppet operator would have to spend 10 years to master the handling of the puppet's feet and another 10 years to be able to operate its left hand," says Yoshida Bunjaku, 79, one of two omozukai (principal puppeteers) awarded the title of Living National Treasure. "While he is learning . . . he is supposed to watch what the omozukai, who is constantly giving him signs, does on stage."

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