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.
The performance will be “Kaka Saiyuki” (“Kaka’s Records of the Journey to the West”) based on part of “Xiyouji,” a lengthy 16th-century novel written by the Ming-dynasty writer Wu Chengen, featuring the adventures of the renowned Buddhist priest Xuanzang (known in Japan as Priest Sanzo) who went to India during the 7th century with three unique attendants: a monkey named Songoku (Sun Wukong) with supernatural powers, a pig with human qualities named Chohakkai (Zhu Bajie), and a water sprite (kappa) named Sagojo (Sha Wujing).
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