''Renjishi'' (連獅子), or Two Lions, is a

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 ...

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

with lyrics written by

Kawatake Mokuami (birth name Yoshimura Yoshisaburō; 吉村芳三郎) (1 March 1816 – 22 January 1893) was a Japanese dramatist of Kabuki. It has been said that "as a writer of plays of Kabuki origin, he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Japan ...

, choreography by Hanayagi Jusuke I and music by Kineya Shōjirō III and Kineya Katsusaburō II, first performed in 1872. Originally staged for a private dance recital in 1861, it was later expanded and reused in July 1872 as the fourth act for another play at the Murayama-za in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

. ''Renjishi'' continued to evolve, with two different sets of music being used (both still performed), and the comic interlude added in 1901. A later version was created for one father and two lion cubs. One of many kabuki works based on the

noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

play '' Shakkyō'' (The Stone Bridge), in the last stages of ''Renjishi'' development as a kabuki dance it was brought closer back to the

version. In particular, in the February 1901 performance at the Tokyo-za, ''Renjishi'' was turned into a ''matsubame mono'' (pine-board play), modifying the stage to replicate the noh stage's green pine tree background. It is a popular dance in the kabuki repertoire that is often performed.

Characters

* Ukon - an actor * Sakon - another actor, younger * Rennen - a

Nichiren Nichiren (16 February 1222 – 13 October 1282) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. Nichiren declared that the Lotus Sutra alone contains the highest truth of Buddhist teachings suited for the Third Age of B ...

buddhist monk on pilgrimage to Mount Seiryō * Hennen - a

Pure Land A pure land is the celestial realm of a buddha or bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. The term "pure land" is particular to East Asian Buddhism () and related traditions; in Sanskrit the equivalent concept is called a buddha-field (Sanskrit ). Th ...

buddhist monk on pilgrimage to Mount Seiryō * Spirit of the Parent

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

* Spirit of the

Cub * Stage assistants *

Nagauta is a kind of traditional Japanese music played on the and used in kabuki theater, primarily to accompany dance and to provide reflective interludes. History It is uncertain when the was first integrated into kabuki, but it was sometime dur ...

- musical ensemble

Plot

Performances

Ennosuke Ichikawa II as Oya-jishi no Sei

The first performance of ''Renjishi'' happened at a private dance recital in May 1861 at the Nakamura-rō, a restaurant in the

Ryōgoku is a district in Sumida, Tokyo. It is surrounded by various districts in Sumida, Chūō, and Taitō wards: Yokoami, Midori, Chitose, Higashi Nihonbashi, and Yanagibashi. In 1659, the Ryōgoku Bridge was built, spanning the Sumida River j ...

are in Edo. The recital celebrated the name succession of the famous dance master Hanayagi Jusuke I (1821–1903) by his son Hanayagi Yoshijirō. Father and son performed the original dance, with Jusuke's choreography and

's lyrics. The performance took place in a very simple setting, with only a golden screen, and no costumes or makeup. This unadorned style of dance is called ''suodori''. The dance made its debut at the kabuki stage in July 1872 at the Murayama-za in

, as the fourth act for another play. Bandō Hikosaburō V played the role of the parent lion, and Sawamura Tosshō II the role of the cub lion. ''Renjishi'' was staged at the

Kabuki-za in Ginza is the principal theater in Tokyo for the traditional ''kabuki'' drama form. History The Kabuki-za was originally opened by a Meiji era journalist, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō. Fukuchi wrote kabuki dramas in which Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and ot ...

in July 2017, with

Ichikawa Ebizō XI may refer to: Places *Ichikawa, Chiba, a city in Chiba, Japan ** Ichikawa Gakuen (Ichikawa Junior and Senior High School), a large private boys and girls school in Moto-kita-kata, Ichikawa, Chiba * Ichikawa, Hyogo, a town in Hyōgo, Japan *Ichikaw ...

as the parent lion and

Bandō Minosuke II is a Japanese actor, kabuki actor, and the leading bassist of buyō Bandō-ryū. His real name is . He is the current and second holder of the Kabuki name "Bandō Minosuke". Yamatoya is his yagō and Mitsudai is his family crest. He is represe ...

as the cub. In September 2019, the Kabuki actor Ichikawa Udanji III and his son Ukon performed part of the ''Renjishi'' at the

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening match ...

opening ceremony as the ''shishi'' of ''Renjishi'' were used as mascots for the tournament.

Translation

The play was translated into English by Paul M. Griffith in ''Kabuki Plays on Stage IV: Restoration and Reform, 1872-1905'', edited by James R. Brandon and Samuel L. Leiter and published in 2003. * ''Kabuki Plays on Stage IV: Restoration and Reform, 1872-1905''. (2003) University of Hawaii Press, .

External links

Renjishi at Kabuki21.com

References