The , or Eighteen Best Kabuki Plays, is a set of
kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.
Kabuki is thought to ...
plays, strongly associated with the
Ichikawa Danjūrō
is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family. It is a famous and important name, and receiving it is an honor. There are a number of r ...
line of actors ever since their premieres. These works were chosen and assembled as "the eighteen" by actor
Ichikawa Danjūrō VII (1800-1832). The pieces were considered to be seminal representations of the ''
aragoto
, or 'rough style', is a style of kabuki acting that uses exaggerated, dynamic (forms or movements) and speech. roles are characterised by the bold red or blue makeup () worn by actors, as well as their enlarged and padded costumes. The term i ...
'' style in the repertoire.
[Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al.'' (2005). "Kabuki Jūhachiban" in ] The Danjūrō line has continued to dominate the leading roles, and the printing and production of these plays ever since.
''Shibaraku'', ''Narukami'', ''Sukeroku'', ''Ya-no-Ne'', and ''Kanjinchō'' are still considered among the greatest of all kabuki plays, and are performed at least once a year. These plays are also often performed for ''
shūmei
''Shūmei'' (, "name succession") are grand naming ceremonies held in kabuki theatre. Most often, a number of actors will participate in a single ceremony, taking on new stage-names.
These stagenames, most often those of the actor's father, gran ...
'', auspicious naming ceremonies in which actors who receive new names, particularly those receiving the illustrious name "Ichikawa Danjūrō", perform in these great plays which are strongly associated with that lineage.
While the plays contained within the ''Kabuki Jūhachiban'' do number 18, the number, along with other eight-related numbers such as 80 and 88, is symbolic of the general concept of "a great many."
A ''
Shin-Kabuki Jūhachiban'' (New Eighteen Best Kabuki Plays) was assembled by
Ichikawa Danjūrō IX
was one of the most successful and famous Kabuki actors of the Meiji period (1868–1912).
Ninth in the line of actors to hold the name Ichikawa Danjūrō, he is depicted in countless ''ukiyo-e'' actor prints (''yakusha-e''), and is widely c ...
in the
Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
, representing his favorites, many of which are particularly representative of Meiji period kabuki.
Of the original eighteen, only ten or eleven are considered to still be actively performed, though some are performed far less frequently than others.
The Eighteen
File:Fuwa, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Fuwa Banzaemon and Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Nagoya Sanza.jpg, ''Fuwa
The Fuwa (; literally "good-luck dolls", also known as "Friendlies") were the mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The designs were created by Han Meilin, a famous Chinese artist. The designs were publicly announced by the Nation ...
''* (1680)
File:Narukami, Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Narukami Shonin.jpg, '' Narukami'' (1684)
File:Shibaraku, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Kamakura Gengoro Kagemasa.jpg, ''Shibaraku
''Shibaraku'' (暫, しばらく) is a play in the Kabuki repertoire, and one of the celebrated ''Kabuki Jūhachiban'' ("Eighteen Great Plays"). The play is noted for its flamboyantly dramatic costumes and makeup (''kumadori''). {{citation need ...
'' (1697)
File:Fudo, Ichikawa Ebizo V as the Mystical Image of Fudo Myoo.jpg, '' Fudō'' (1697)
File:Uwanari, Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Yokawa no kohijiri and Ichikawa Ebizo V as Teruhi no miko.jpg, '' Uwanari''* (1699)
File:Zobiki, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Suzuka no Oji and Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Yamanoue Gennaizaemon.jpg, '' Zōhiki'' (1701)
File:Ebizō Ichikawa V as Benkei and Danjūrō Ichikawa VIII as Tokashi.jpg, ''Kanjinchō
''Kanjinchō'' (勧進帳, ''The Subscription List'') is a kabuki dance-drama by Namiki Gohei III, based on the Noh play '' Ataka''. It is one of the most popular plays in the modern kabuki repertory.
Belonging to the repertories of the Narita ...
'' (1702)
File:Sukeroku, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Hige no Ikyu and Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Agemaki's Sukeroku.jpg, ''Sukeroku
''Sukeroku'' (助六由縁江戸桜) is a play in the Kabuki repertoire, and one of the celebrated ''Kabuki Jūhachiban'' ("Eighteen Great Plays"). The play is known in English as ''The Flower of Edo''.
The play is strongly associated with the ...
'' (1713)
File:Uiro, Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Toraya Tokichi.jpg, '' Uirō Uri'' (1718)
File:Oshimodoshi, Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Chinzei Hachiro Tametomo.jpg, '' Oshimodoshi''* (1727)
File:Yanone, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Soga no Goro Tokimune.jpg, '' Ya-no-Ne'' (1729)
File:Kagekiyo, Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Shigetada and Ichikawa Ebizo V as Kagekiyo.jpg, '' Kagekiyo'' (1732)
File:Kan'u, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Juteiko Kan'u.jpg, '' Kan'u'' (1737)
File:Nanatsumen, Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Maskmaker Gakoze Akaemon and Ichikawa Ebizo V as a Mask.jpg, '' Nanatsumen''* (1740)
File:Kenuki, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Kumedera Danjo.jpg, '' Kenuki'' (1742)
File:Gedatsu, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Kazusa Shichibyoe Kagekiyo.jpg, '' Gedatsu''* (1760)
File:Jayanagi, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Kongo Kukai and Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Suho Sozu.jpg, '' Jayanagi''* (1763)
File:Kamahige, Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Tawara no Toda Hidesato and Ichikawa Ebizo V as Soma no Masakado.jpg, '' Kamahige'' (1769)
:
* These plays are generally considered to be no longer performed (to have fallen out of the repertoire); however, revivals have been done, and continue to be done, while on the other hand some of those plays considered to still be in the repertoire may be performed only very infrequently.
Notes
References
* Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia.''Cambridge:
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
.
OCLC 48943301
External links
Kabuki Glossary at Kabuki21.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kabuki Juhachiban
Kabuki plays