Kabuki Jūhachiban

The , or Eighteen Best Kabuki Plays, is a set of kabuki plays, strongly associated with the Ichikawa Danjūrō 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'' 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'', 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 in the Meiji period, 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''* (1680)
File:Narukami, Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Narukami Shonin.jpg, '' Narukami'' (1684)
File:Shibaraku, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Kamakura Gengoro Kagemasa.jpg, ''Shibaraku'' (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'' (1702)
File:Sukeroku, Ichikawa Ebizo V as Hige no Ikyu and Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Agemaki's Sukeroku.jpg, ''Sukeroku'' (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.
OCLC 48943301

External links

Kabuki Glossary at Kabuki21.com

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Kabuki plays