![Engei Shashin / Engei Shashinchō 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] / 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] A GLIMPSE INTO THE PERFORMING ARTS DURING THE TAISHŌ AND EARLY SHŌWA ERAS](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GCFV2IB0toQtDInbTuWYSpuUjNpdrMdTXpv8UEG6aCccSAuWKPQChBfwgLjpCVsVOVSa-vDVslbstxChWs5teGEX4ATLaQPfHJW-kJ1TKvBtPfurOS8gwx9szXA8JwJh7g=w1280)
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PERFORMING ARTS DURING THE TAISHŌ AND EARLY SHŌWA ERAS
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![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 2, Number 10 October 1, 1923 cover art: Noh hannya (般若) demon mask by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ebS9TAfuHWwzZQlvIPxmbyNg8PYqClMO5snwzk3fTGUG2L6Hq6qJQZMV08Zy3mo4IA5uDe7Hoajexyuu7Us7CYRB7qSRVqTT8NUvuj9tT4AwoHn9kKuF3dLixRcEXAznZQ=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 2, Number 10
October 1, 1923
cover art: Noh hannya (般若) demon mask
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2788
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 2, Number 11 November 1, 1923 cover art: Shibaraku by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/jIj1dkJamhrXnXgmy_lPE7Zk5eTfbuIn7pZUgqfv3VdCt2ZIwguiY8O3V0PAwjYBpZ7d5B_llTYJ9jFhvyJ6sPVSIP1oTWIjAXG6OgDURoty6jsfIstXsDpD1g4ZVP81dQ=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 2, Number 11
November 1, 1923
cover art: Shibaraku
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2738
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 2, Number 12 December 1, 1923 cover art: Kikugorō VI as Naozamurai by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/t9DXb58-itY0sWxeMtmIiXImJmdyD2JKWjb2fLZFvCR8w8vdyTMWDqJTBV6gdNUjhNWygmGSI25rejdkFz6e25xShp486M7MoLAkdVnRKLm4MdoYgkGHMzdmhB-nR0ET=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 2, Number 12
December 1, 1923
cover art: Kikugorō VI
as Naozamurai
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2739
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 1 January 1, 1924 cover art: Sanbasō dancer by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926) IHL Cat. #2740](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/UZjptS8yEtkGzyZRVqk_BK_wED6R8YiELLXuPNI81WgdeP4HMQCs6qUImmu3inVxuyEFLpsKo0IeO1wq0J-uGyiPXfbkOvRzSdE5zDxFjnC20c8tbycF2yO6kbDUY3Dbbw=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 1
January 1, 1924
cover art: Sanbasō dancer
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2740
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 2 February 1, 1924 cover art: Nakamura Utaemon V as Yoshitsune by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cmIdZ6NhxT3lDJZ--Kmo6_tl_JMee94R7y1uI2i4qw9PA6FzMPJx_LdgtcYIRXMnWYfEhmGHr1L_c__aYjR6HR_nS7V3Bd55THzd0MQ5yzkEB0HnbLZ1o6x9lPCKiEBO=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 2
February 1, 1924
cover art: Nakamura Utaemon V
as Yoshitsune
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2741
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 3 March 1, 1924 cover art: Nakamura Ganjirō I as Togashi by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dqr07NOsshvLZU315bW-VTIcnBDb03v1EyIPIph68zZYWWknPgewH4zy66UC-qp5QXiM4nL2VaKo3hF8mbNYEmwdCYsqpv-AVfilc-0PiGgiGff9SvDYSB77QIqCvXuEqA=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 3
March 1, 1924
cover art: Nakamura Ganjirō I
as Togashi
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2742
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 4 April 1, 1924 cover art: Nakamura Utaemon V as Yoshitsune by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/aZHXJxZf9DhsyzgvF2H5VHuT3rQmCUnedfBcF0PZ-u9gn67wtF3YBz1LuLA-nLwWACIXI8WhDD3ucJp9ZPrygrhtycsAIIZZvpwhCgpVkUiMnWtxmugwcFRLzIzuNdzp-A=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 4
April 1, 1924
cover art: Nakamura Utaemon V
as Yoshitsune
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2743
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 5 May 1, 1924 cover art: Ichimuara Uzaemon XV as Kanpei by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/44dAcsf9yE0vVs_AImGYwbld1Ynfz1OkiFMshKIAD_WIarvsh70jRlh9qlp8TYauWH-ZtRHKWTHFKWuXt2ZahwJcKhpucvukwrKESVifvRMI-_KvXJ2pd8AROHHdVHeOvA=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 5
May 1, 1924
cover art: Ichimuara Uzaemon XV
as Kanpei
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2744
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 6 June 1, 1924 cover art: Onoe Baikō VI as Okaru by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/RzUAjji_tUmfmvmJoxzTV9E6p_bUkmSv6a3Haxd6adrTf4ysMh50YsMdVY1Mqlnbb39XBttaPvhxHYMOc61IFURmPUluQhHTsMHCiLJtfO6zv0pgXnnlvj-G0EJ1FgKtzg=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 6
June 1, 1924
cover art: Onoe Baikō VI
as Okaru
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2745
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 7 July 1, 1924 cover art: Nakamura Kichiemon I as Kajiwara Heizo by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/colus0PuDBkdGEqPphfKViSpyky0Gc2jQ0Us19JpWrg6aBZImkVP8xOT-8Pl9MBBZbN6jVb40Ncl1rE-wJ6hnly1HDU6YUu2WWLzzfZAcdJc_xwaCxH991eVB7uy2VkjwQ=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 7
July 1, 1924
cover art: Nakamura Kichiemon I
as Kajiwara Heizo
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2746
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 8 cover art: Jitsukawa Enjaku II as Igami no Gonta by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926) August 1, 1924](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/eiJsPlZupD10I7oLyyLjQ5dn27A-a4JavL42hGAdYjyYXwU_e7fSQa76mHLIUo82sdvqyHMHsoWHVYoc4BAkFAYSQ42Zxy5CWT9kcZDImNvlBin0kW6zMExzoj6atQy2cQ=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 8
cover art: Jitsukawa Enjaku II
as Igami no Gonta
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
August 1, 1924
IHL Cat. #2747
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 9 September 1, 1924 cover art: Ichikawa Shōchō II as Chigusaya Oman by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/nClhCvhJyH_6anXpauLbFnZVvzBWbVpRMl_iHT9MdAUxrAIjR6y9VEVdH5m-rFUB9z_U61d-mMlLYTEMK5Tz6FXammbjYwLtEKXdoEUkPzaBNtjLMlWymb65W_7J4-gaUQ=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 9
September 1, 1924
cover art: Ichikawa Shōchō II
as Chigusaya Oman
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2748
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 10 October 1, 1924 cover art: Ichikawa Chūsha VII as Higuchi Jirō Kanemitsu by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Xy8CPRW409z98Q2unxHycmoI-maCXBAQbdlY-mVLPZ4-wq_ZQ08aexkh6CJ9v9-6E0V0rZrCnV1oRGGbrhGS6H3XhkS5MZovr1Inlr0iuWmMhIEUjLmhJnm9DwvaQDQbhQ=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 10
October 1, 1924
cover art: Ichikawa Chūsha VII
as Higuchi Jirō Kanemitsu
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2749
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 3, Number 11 November 1, 1924 cover art: Nakamura Kaisha [VII] as Ohaya by KKoshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/I3b4tG3Ja3s_Fjr3xJzwwhwjcPisUbsHYK_QZ4WV4NYSwAd7xZsJ0n0zbCgNWyud1sy1NccfmGgmLMhjkZcAsyicxaW9Ddh9P4bWr66UxIDo3Ou9PUrAxJFUmmW7rDlL=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 3, Number 11
November 1, 1924
cover art: Nakamura Kaisha [VII] as Ohaya
by Koshō Nobukata (active 1896-1926)
IHL Cat. #2750
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 1 January 1, 1925 cover art: Nakamura Ganjirō I as Kumagai Naozane by Natori Shunsen (1886-1960)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/V280FoT3xQYinKOOH_ubZvi5RwdvbTXceCs4pFWCJIg9LywJl_bgmjvCcUInk-mNZ2d9ocRx0U9rxuqI-ci_AJaMw9dDHCI40YvfESEnnHdwo_1xcy-A05RPgTGYEfHfQA=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 1
January 1, 1925
cover art: Nakamura Ganjirō I as Kumagai Naozane
IHL Cat. #2774
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 2 February 1, 1925 cover art: Onoe Baikō VI as Togashi Saemon by Natori Shunsen (1886-1960)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YBOMiMkbsitaWaXDx91l2_KRbQ_y7CepGW7eRC8w5PzVfh8LBBEBd_4cpIUfUdR7rOpFev1rBWaZ4W9cb8njGRzdjF0l_rk19odXUjuWlzIHpc9mNxse5FsTbBOpm5-nuw=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 2
February 1, 1925
cover art: Onoe Baikō VI
as Togashi Saemon
IHL Cat. #2775
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 3 March 1, 1925 cover art: Nakamura Fukusuke [IV] as Ohide no kata by Natori Shunsen (1886-1960)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Zih-J7Q_lNm89ZBlEJUwDIs1hwfEVmsfgJu_-14jvq8kJ9Lq-81WvwSyCIYLWOi0xkxh9kKZojQZxTQGiSMx6hl6F5dElez2W7Fc36EeXy_Y4Fyy5ExfpaFTwXl97aJtTg=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 3
March 1, 1925
cover art: Nakamura Fukusuke [IV] as Ohide no kata
IHL Cat. #2776
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 5 May 1, 1925 cover art: Nakamura Kaisha [IV] as Sanemori Saitō by Natori Shunsen (1886-1960)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/v59DRTPqdwc2GwO8R6qYQCKwubLyuL3y2AjW_xLqn7q581r0dcbOFInj9W7g9upPDXcKQCMLMwWXpsvz3ClMzC7_yaMZJ7x81xh27lvRlpKKrPqGOP2THwctx74riAMxLQ=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 5
May 1, 1925
cover art: Nakamura Kaisha [IV] as Sanemori Saitō
IHL Cat. #2778
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 6 June 1, 1925 cover art: Ichikawa Sumizō [VI] as Shirai Gonpachi by Natori Shunsen (1886-1960)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OCJd2mWaUqIHyTUDby6k0Oos820snrvAwwtfTBNGG42i1S8Lfxqa1tNMM9Fe0L0Y7U1LPBReFhFXDCRYvJ5NKXFcBzWxmEetMJv9PXsPkEprNghc0eZ05ZPooDCH-AE_rw=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 6
June 1, 1925
cover art: Ichikawa Sumizō [VI] as Shirai Gonpachi
IHL Cat. #2779
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 7 July 1, 1925 cover art: Nakamura Jakuemon III as Tokubei's wife Nyōbō by Natori Shunsen (1886-1960)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vlYK1rqLPohtx7kxHlbhBQeGf_hg8rCSDUytZtTx-GVtsh6zuXp2EK5C_7zpyarZc7tSW5gbQWIe9FSVwfe4_lr5uk96ga2NpS11RnBYbd2Px2fQcfZBT1d4SuMk-tEqjQ=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 7
July 1, 1925
cover art: Nakamura Jakuemon III
as Tokubei's wife Nyōbō
IHL Cat. #2751
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 8 August 1, 1925 cover art: Onoe Eizaburō VII as Ama Isona by Natori Shunsen (1886-1960)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VNV8LCKutTPCprDZKhOA07cw0FZ5aIEiUcJobJDl9pyVgaG6ZqJ2fPGAq3QFXLSXjuLiuwpil9eHXCFgU4_gNM__crFXMbVLwGHFA5eYL_mY0-sHwPs8JrOAMqpTsmjTIw=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 8
August 1, 1925
cover art: Onoe Eizaburō VII
as Ama Isona
IHL Cat. #2752
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 9 September 1, 1925 cover art: Onoe Kikugorō VI as Adachi Motoemon likely designed by Itō Shinsui (1898-1972)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2TtTdhC_FVaNwXnzWE8ol1YyLucMeLp1RwahNFCnSeTrQgq8gbFB9h8YRLIqCMSMlWIETALHebnHSQha8IzQei6HVsBaEn1olV-5yeaPth0XIGOzl7ikycSFpYAdJp5Kng=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 9
September 1, 1925
cover art: Onoe Kikugorō VI
as Adachi Motoemon
likely designed by Itō Shinsui (1898-1972) (no signature or seal)
IHL Cat. #2753
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 10 October 1, 1925 cover art: Matsumoto Kōshirō VII as Gongorō by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BsP3_3IPS7iOcu6cR9FGC1VjhGPedoNnHBPn2Xhkqq8Qheoc1pNOtjX_TG5GTtOiUDs6sfi2bwT6lUDOYwhnXM7-XKmaNdJa-BePZxM2LQke6SaFXJIvZzs5FC_gJ1bHig=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 10
October 1, 1925
cover art: Matsumoto Kōshirō VII
as Gongorō
IHL Cat. #2754
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 11 November 1, 1925 cover art: Jitsukawa Enjaku II as Chienai by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/n3Cwt4-PAlQD0DrI45660OaAOv-qZOSPAqR7K-SUyKeZRCMIhLYUpPgksVYUKAoJqchI9-u-L2_gWqhoIZEn6ei14Tqh-KKANc5nTxRC_PD4BV7kJ-PJCgYC9yv9aak5qw=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 11
November 1, 1925
cover art: Jitsukawa Enjaku II
as Chienai
IHL Cat. #2755
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 4, Number 12 December 1, 1925 cover art: Nakamura Utaemon V as Tonase by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pPX8820wvwUCMOJRRdtXUv_ZF1NNX8cT6xfrOOOPv2zWafqpPTFa7__15w9JBg3qwhykOVkymBUJqKM7a1EnVzYqe-PjynzKWNkEoFO6iKRfEvpUprXe5WZgzdTeAo50Nw=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 4, Number 12
December 1, 1925
cover art: Nakamura Utaemon V
as Tonase
IHL Cat. #2756
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 5, Number 1 January 1, 1926 cover art: Ichikawa Chūsha VII as Benkei by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/IYJjfzWQxWFQQy7Owh-WyfcUdraV5jOz54bfrVsld50aSfdUt5nT1dHRlEQMiQAPV4c5Zh-ur6YaLiBrw-IpLN_BCMqFw5HSFWln6MxXxA3o43QdgsBjgFyE6OtlXmsMwQ=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 5, Number 1
January 1, 1926
cover art: Ichikawa Chūsha VII
as Benkei
IHL Cat. #2757
(The British Museum 1992,1225,0.2)
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 5, Number 2 February 1, 1926 cover art: Nakamura Jakuemon III as Osome by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dzv4LnOb1yG0ffkOzdLd1nyJP0ioZgXkBRvIJlnIE72aPXaSQDHhO1NbC3KkxJeeZkN_o6e3tP7ZkV0jm5s_s_rocggysaRJscghWsx89cwLtNFV5nnrlTcQxKH-_qhhrA=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 5, Number 2
February 1, 1926
cover art: Nakamura Jakuemon III
as Osome
IHL Cat. #2758
(The British Museum 1992,1225,0.3)
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 5, Number 3 March 1, 1926 cover art: Ichimura Uzaemon XV as Sukeroku by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/aMqjPZ2_3PesOj4QCJpLexKfezSFNklIFo_Xw20pJ_cgor9XOZSJNkYZ-EN4gSG-SyVPVx3nmJSmqxAqsv-CBw3t_DBMu0zJwOHfyRonzYTzbOW2_r3_Z71Rt7IxuS1mSQ=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 5, Number 3
March 1, 1926
cover art: Ichimura Uzaemon XV
as Sukeroku
IHL Cat. #2759
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 5, Number 6 June 1, 1926 cover art: Ichikawa Shōchō II as Osato by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/NmLiZSTB0uhWRm6a_6sLRGL9QdBPCuygdsESJjN0AWRV3WK0iTwJMvFeGtc1sXliTKMMBG9VFoNILFtKc2HALKxaJB_wysXWimTnBI840RIVnBIj2PYmsYQme1_eFgfGkQ=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 5, Number 6
June 1, 1926
cover art: Ichikawa Shōchō II as Osato
IHL Cat. #2760
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 5, Number 7 July 1, 1926 cover art: Nakamura Kaisha as Genzō nyōbō Tonami by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0643zbKYiYZC3Wq12x_TBNHQoG_LplH2DpKHS5_BaQ-PhcsrQKG1fc3ow5G9rmOQWXbHB05v9x3h84kPF9o13AC7YIxykULZFbLuwwYKYuapciIhsUJsICeA1rjyYKidNw=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 5, Number 7
July 1, 1926
cover art: Nakamura Kaisha
as Genzō nyōbō Tonami
IHL Cat. #2761
(The British Museum 1992,1225,0.5)
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 5, Number 8 August 1, 1926 cover art: Ichikawa Sumizō VI as Matahei by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_mEDppUpIfZKqUfugK5Q6H7c3zOqDPVAkLh0AwVwVTQBy_biTgAtSI8zTWY4mnCJW2C8Vh3W8jWfiVFfygyQD0CkRGO844Fm4bYXDZEZ2ILpeCGpPPIWCAcFW-VISrkmeg=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 5, Number 8
August 1, 1926
cover art: Ichikawa Sumizō VI
as Matahei
IHL Cat. #2762
(The British Museum 1992,1225,0.6)
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 5, Number 9 September 1, 1926 cover art: Ichikawa Sadanji II as Nangō Rikimaru by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KtGiGPi8ysOpFZqk0VspDaFR5VySJLE1AtY5fvnxZ5v9hOA3NaPgPwA-HbniF0_LZ1wlaIh8jaos36GFufSR9hZEYYJDZ857JKh8pZAxbq1LCOlJA-WTNmIFyvIjVMB8tQ=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 5, Number 9
September 1, 1926
cover art: Ichikawa Sadanji II
as Nangō Rikimaru
IHL Cat. #2763
(The British Museum 1992,1225,0.7)
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 5, Number 12 December 1, 1926 cover art: Sawamura Sōjūrō as Satō Tadanobu by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/4lEF2Z_TCk6ut5LOA5CL9B98K-GCXO5w4PXehG7WS-0Oxe69KIo36t-umlZLkWeTn_gWDF76WdI1A7LKffkG196S4UJo2wApdP8nL7DAk-wrF9HpZV-vIPiTyUyXPcpLzw=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 5, Number 12
December 1, 1926
cover art: Sawamura Sōjūrō
as Satō Tadanobu
IHL Cat. #2764
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 5, Number 12 December 1, 1926 cover art: Sawamura Sōjūrō as Satō Tadanobu by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Y5UhWWnBj8G9p9YK802g9GlxRf8igcnn3iF8Z-oYj7okBATqJCIJzsz0Moan6C66lCpdeTy9Rxg2ZqFJQ9EauNWvJSfw0HX7w7uzYzPMHBc_64m64R-mDFvzE-u9Dku3_g=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 6, Number 1
January 1, 1927
cover art: Osaka's Nakamura Fukusuke
as the Wet Nurse Asaoka
IHL Cat. #2765
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 6, Number 8 November 1, 1927 cover art: Raizan: The Stage of Imamiya Jūmandō and Kataoka Chiyonosuke as Konishi Seibei by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/mbC6fOwuJYz77QrnhSXUSzKjwffxOiprSMzHe5ecCOFYcRwTCqGJP6TOR7UqED3_zabZjSLDMF-ERt0RR9ku3E5AI4T3lH2IfiLZD_WMwMVbrpGfdKZjCc0_uW_GiRFpFw=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 6, Number 8
November 1, 1927
cover art: Raizan: The Stage of Imamiya Jūmandō and Kataoka Chiyonosuke as Konishi Seibei
IHL Cat. #2780
-coming soon-
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 6, Number 10 October 1, 1927 cover art: Nakamura Ganjirō I as Kamiya Jihei by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2sx_2gjZxyKGy5PYNwGPBu7poerv26ey1LFuGJRj87hddREAIKrIOGDc6oh6NKLD4yKzb37RYkwsBe0n2SEXtdxpVZbmVarvju1dZgSUP-NQRpiVf7B5rzdjALDTURKDNg=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 6, Number 10
October 1, 1927
cover art: Nakamura Ganjirō I
as Kamiya Jihei
IHL Cat. #2789
-coming soon-
![Engei shashinchō 演藝寫真帖 [演芸写真帖] Volume 6, Number 11 November 1, 1927 cover art: Nakamura Ganjirō I as Kamiya Jihei by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8dxj38RxYWrFfEMFQrQZs3M4kfhkEyVY66sCcyNyFCZJT9L8wb1rA53fAAgs5YrGzGNEUywxPfGNmBF0GfKx5bzhQ0qrU1I7SijZWHycYPlnDOhwwxRB_sq6BOo0bnPw7w=w1280)
Engei shashinchō
Volume 6, Number 11
November 1, 1927
cover art: Nakamura Ganjirō I
as Kamiya Jihei
IHL Cat. #2790
-coming soon-
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Number 12 December 1, 1927 cover art: Ichikawa Chūsha [VII] as Yamada Kōnosuke by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0ehXvDCUZdnSFvg6q-t_Z1F0PR4gr8gZB3MlDBBv7I1I4PqCDEmvDnMWul1V2aRyS4m5ZPF-A7GAVba5V3fJhN0M9mmBQE0W5kou2h5rzGxiWsmeJWeOGpe4F6SI6udNIw=w1280)
Engei shashin*
Number 12
December 1, 1927
cover art: Ichikawa Chūsha [VII]
as Yamada Kōnosuke
IHL Cat. #2791
*note change in magazine title. No volume number appears on cover.
-coming soon-
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 2, Number 1 January 1, 1928 cover art: by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PhBLOw0aKv65DvScdDstDCbceF_zjYNXtUZVOP6Njc_Wpj37ehNRNEWQ0U-rc2rwMc0U-PEoNxyyzOAQh1vDcYxs6SeWehR_r13C7BVjWZoOkdB4weoE9h-5f93KPB-Iyg=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 2*, Number 1
January 1, 1928
cover art:
IHL Cat. #2792
*Volume renumbering beginning with this January 1928 New Year's issue Volume 2, Number 1 (第一 巻 第二號) as printed on the cover.
-coming soon-
![Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 [演芸写真] Volume 2, Number 2 February 1, 1928 cover art by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kOIVXUNaIjQzUg_Qc4fawFjGtlmOV6lR2GtNv-1fdY0lu14f-vTHtf09qKKFWpXlLpJPIDTKa4g_CTGwXN6xf4N7uPwv7MQsT_YBP8tpdkWMCJ3huEaY9U9Otu42Dlplgw=w1280)
Engei shashin
Volume 2, Number 2
February 1, 1928
cover art:
IHL Cat. #2793
-coming soon-
Published monthly from July 1921 through September 1928, Kansai-based Engei shashin 演藝寫眞 was one of the earliest pictorial magazines covering theater and film through photographs and accompanying text. It was published during a time when kabuki, sometimes referred to as "old school" (kyūha) theater, shared the stage and the theater-goer's money with newer forms of theater, shinpa 新派 (shinpageki - "new school theater" emerging in the late 1880s) and shingeki 新劇 ("new theater" emerging in the early 1900s), along with opera (e.g. Asakusa Opera 浅草オペラ, dating from 1917), ballet and modern dance.[1]
Over Engei shashin's seven year lifetime, its publishing company changed three times, as recorded in the magazine's colophon. Initially issued by Kansai bungeisha 関西文藝社 (as managed by Engei shashinsha 演藝寫眞社), with editor and publisher 高島駒之助 (Takashima Komanosuke), in January 1925 (Vol. 4, No. 1) its publishing company briefly changed to Engei shunjūsha 演藝春秋社, editor and publisher 中島彌 (Nakajima Ya - reading uncertain), followed in March 1925 (Vol. 4, No. 3), by the publisher Taishō tsūshinsha 大正通信社 with the same editor and publisher, 中島彌 (Nakajima Ya?).[2] In the May 1925 issue (Vol. 4, No. 5) the merger of the three companies—Taishō tsūshinsha, Engei shunjūsha, and Kansai bungeisha—was announced. Starting with the June 1925 (Vol. 4, No. 6) the magazine was published under the name Taishō tsūshinsha.
With the change in publisher to Engei shunjūsha in January 1925 the magazine's title was changed to 演藝冩眞帖 Engei shashinchō (Performing Arts Photographic Album).[3] With the December 1927 issue (denoted on the cover as 十二月號 [December issue], with no volume or issue number) the title appearing on its cover was changed back to 演藝寫眞 Engei shashin (Performing Arts Photographic). For subsequent issues of Engei shashin, starting with the January 1928 issue, the volume number was reset to 第一 巻 or volume 1.
Engei shashin's pictorial content was largely photographs (shashin), depicting stage scenes, backstage photos, photos of actor "private" lives, movie stills, and portraits of actors. As reproductive and printing technologies improved, more color photographs with better resolution (e.g. 3-color separations) appeared in its pages. To build circulation, it offered its readers contests where winners received free issues and other perks such as fold out high-quality reproductions of theater-related ukiyo-e woodblock prints.
The cover of each issue featured a color lithograph of an actor in role and most, if not all, issues contained a color lithograph frontispiece of a well-known kabuki actor in character. The designs for these works were commissioned from both lesser-known and well-known shin hanga artists, including Kawase Hasui 川瀬巴水 (1883-1957), primarily known for his landscape work, but a kabuki aficionado, who designed 34 covers for the magazine between October 1925 and July 1928, Natori Shunsen 名取春仙 (1886-1960), the foremost designer of actor portraits, nigao-e, in the shin hanga style, Itō Shinsui 伊東深水 (1898-1972) who specialized in the bijinga (beautiful women) genre in the shin hanga style, and Matsuda Seifū 松田青風 (1880-1978), known for his depictions of actors and his lifelong study and documentation of theatrical wigs.
The photographs appearing in the magazine are uncredited, with some likely taken by in-house and contracted photographers and others provided by distribution and entertainment companies, including Shōchiku 松竹 (see examples below) the entertainment giant whose businesses included actor and troupe management, theater ownership and management, and a film studio.[4] The commentaries accompanying most of the photos are also uncredited, but are likely those of the editor.
The magazine's title is seen transcribed on the web in various ways reflecting variants and simplified forms of the characters appearing in its printed title on the cover 演藝冩眞.[5] In addition to the English translation of the magazine's title I've chosen, "Performing Arts Photographic" and, when its title changed from Engei shashin to Engei shashinchō, "Performing Arts Photographic Album," other translations are often seen, such as "Theater Photo Album" or "Photo Album of Performances."[6]
![Engei shashinchō Volume 4, Number 1 Ichimura Uzaemon [XV] as Yoemon in the play Iromoyō Chotto Karimame](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7N01GLS_1a7IP2SNP9C2uT1N-Yq_pyl3KpkPU6GhvlSwUYyGC2z43RsSd8BXAVcUsbCpxb_PaFGKz9j4CUAk5aeArFt4ZOLrbNt4pWpjHwy47WqUv0Srym4VOdLcmDj1MQ=w1280)
Ichimura Uzaemon [XV] as Yoemon in the play Iromoyō Chotto Karimame
![Shōchiku "bromide" postcard Ichimura Uzaemon [XV] as Yoemon in the play Iromoyō Chotto Karimame, photo by the Shōchiku Entertainment Photography Department](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/nBIzr60EYkuVKJOn3uuj9uc_71z6QrgMUTOJxrsa_DCaYeEtpl3WFfJseNgkndQMRtI4ybZfUV9E-OWCEpvSyuQgECWWvyS-4K36I78__wYJ9fM4bItGn5XVAW-DAe8k=w1280)
Shōchiku "bromide" postcard,* photo by the Shōchiku Entertainment Photography Department
* see the article Kabuki Postcards
image source: Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University,
https://www.dh-jac.net/db/butai-photo/sol-E-02-06-43/portal/
right panel: Onoe Baikō VI as
the Old Woman Ibara in the play Hitotsuya – The lonely house
Shōchiku "bromide" postcard,* photo by the Shōchiku Entertainment Photography Department
* see the article Kabuki Postcards
image source: Japan Arts Council BM009520
As a magazine devoted to the performing arts, publishing at a time when entertainment magazines were at the height of their popularity, it had a number of competitors, including Shibai to Kinema 芝居とキネマ (Stage and Screen), launched in September 1924 (ended May 1929), published by Ōsaka Mainichi Shinbunsha 大阪毎日新聞社, Eiga to engei 映画と演藝 published beginning in September 1924 by Ōsaka Asahi Shinbunsha 大阪朝日新聞社, and the long lasting and influential Engei gahō 演藝畫報, a smaller format magazine, originally published from 1907 to 1943 by Engei Gahōsha 演藝畫報社.
Responding to what must have been fierce competition, Engei shashin's preface would, on occasion, chastise its competitors, without naming them, for copying their content or not presenting current plays and films, warning their readers against "imposter" magazines who conduct "fraudulent activities under the guise of our brand." In April 1925, the publisher Kokusai Jōhōsha 國際情報社, publisher of the magazines Fujin Gurafu (The Ladies Graphic) and Geki to eiga (Theater and Film), released the first issue of a very similar magazine to Engei shashin simply titled Engei 演藝 (Performing Arts) with a look-and-feel very similar to Engei shashin and with a frontispiece by Natori Shunsen who previously designed covers and frontispieces for Engei shashin.
演藝冩眞
第三年 第九号
大正13年9月
(Engei shashin - Performing Arts Photographic)
Price: 50 sen
cover art (lithograph):
Ichikawa Shōchō [II] as Chigusaya Oman by Koshō Nobukata 古荘信方
(active 1896-1926)
overall size:
approx. 8 9/16 x 11 7/8 in. (21.8 x 30.1 cm)
芝居とキネマ
創刊號
(Shibai to kinema - Stage and screen)
September 1924, first part
price: 80 sen
cover art (lithograph): reproduction of the woodblock print Ichikawa Ebizö as Usui Aratarö Sadamitsu by Utagawa Kunimasa I, 1796
overall size:
approx. 13 x 9 7/8 in. (33 x 25 cm)
演藝画報
九月號
(Engei gahō - Theater illustrated)
Volume 18, Number 9,
September 1924
price: 80 sen
overall size:
approx. 10 x 7 1/4 in. (25.4 x 18.4 cm)
映画と演藝
第一卷第一號
(Eiga to engei - Screen and stage)
Volume 1, Number 1
September 1924
price: 50 sen
overall size:
approx. 14 1/2 x 10 in. (36.8 x 25.4 cm)
A lookalike competitor:
Engei, Volume 1, Number 1, April 1925 published by Kokusai Jōhōsha with a frontispiece by Natori Shunsen and a full-page feature titled "The Authentic Faces of Contemporary Actors" 現代の素顔俳優, profiling a contemporary actor, very similar to Engei shashin's actor feature titled "Contemporary Popular Actors" 當世人氣俳優.
[1] Shinpa (new school drama), also seen written as shimpa, which made is debut in the 1880s, was built on kabuki performance styles, including the onnagata (male actors in female roles), while incorporating contemporary political and social drama and sentimental melodrama. Shingeki (new theater), which became popular in the early 1900s, was inspired by Western theater which brought "a different style to stage works in a completely new genre: plays [adaptations of works by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Tolstoy, etc.] translated by literary figures into the vernacular [and contemporary works by Japanese authors] presented using female as well as male actors." [See "Edo Kabuki in Transition from the Worlds of the Samurai to the Vengeful Female Ghost," Satoko Shimazaki, Columbia University Press New York, 2016, p. 238-239.] Asakusa Opera encompassed "All varieties of musical performance [including] revue and operetta as well as traditional opera, with Japanese versions of Rigoletto and Carmen being shown and attracting massive audiences. Following the typical Taishō pattern, these forms evolved rapidly from wholesale adoption of Western styles to a uniquely Japanese aesthetic." [See "Asakusa Opera, Modernism in musical theater, (Taishō, Part 3B)," Stieg Hedlund, Published in Deru Kugi Jul 22, 2018, https://medium.com/deru-kugi/asakusa-opera-954b18d6f27f [accessed 1-8-25]
[2] Taishō tsūshinsha was a domestic news agency formed in 1901. [See "Creating a Public: People and Press in Meiji Japan," James L. Huffman, University of Hawai'i Press, 1997, p. 471n64.] In addition to Engei shashinchō, it published a number of magazines, including Kokusai gahō 国際画報 (The International Pictorial News), Shashin tsūshin 寫眞通信 (The Monthly Photographic Illustrated) and Gekkan eiga 月刊映画 (Screen Pioneer).
[3] The title 演藝冩眞帖 is also seen incorrectly romanized as Engei shashinjō.
[4] The Shōchiku 松竹 theatrical conglomerate traces its roots back to 1895 when Takejirō Ōtani started promoting theatrical performances as the owner of Kyoto Shin Kyōgoku Hani-za. In 1902 he was joined by his twin brother Shirai Matsujirō in establishing the general partnership company of Shōchiku. Within a few years, Kyoto's Minami-za, Osaka's Bunraku-za, Tokyo's Shintomiza and Kabuki-za came under their control and they moved into the movie business in 1920 with Kamata Studios and a string of film theaters. By 1930 Shōchiku purchased or acquired control over all the large theatres that staged kabuki in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, and they placed all kabuki actors under personal contract. The Shōchiku conglomerate is still strong today with an entertainment focused venture company in addition to a multitude of other entertainment-related companies.
[5] Character variants seen in Engei shashin's title include:
"冩" a variant of the traditional character "寫"
"写" simplified form of "冩" and "寫"
"芸" simplified form of "藝"
"真" simplified form of "眞"
The magazine's title is most commonly written using the simplified characters 演芸写真 and 演芸写真帖
[6] The British Museum which holds eight issues simply references the magazine as an "Illustrated magazine on the theatre."
I first came across the performing arts magazines Engei shashin and Engei shashinchō while searching for Japanese theater ephemera on Japan Yahoo and similar sites to enhance a future exhibition on Japanese theater arts. Captivated by their striking cover art, I began acquiring the few available copies. It soon became clear that, beyond their visual appeal, these magazines offered fascinating snapshots of the evolving Taishō-era peforming arts scene. They introduced me to newer theatrical forms, such as shinpa (shinpageki – new school drama) and shingeki (new theater), where the written play itself—rather than the actors, as in kabuki productions—took center stage.
These newer theatrical styles incorporated adapted Western plays and literature into their repertoire, while also featuring Japanese playwrights addressing contemporary themes. Though less prominently featured, the magazines also documented the rising popularity of both Japanese and Western cinema and the struggling bunraku theater.
Assistance
With thanks to the Asian Art Forum and, in particular, I. Nagy for assistance in deciphering little known artist signatures and seals.
Artificial Intelligence tools for translation assistance*: Chat GPT, Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, Claude
*As a general rule, all proper nouns were double checked and corrected as necessary.
Books and Articles
The Bunraku Handbook, Hironaga Shūzaburō, Maison des Arts - Tokyo, 1987
The Kabuki Handbook, Aubrey S. & Giovanna M. Halford, Charles E. Tuttle Company, 12th printing 1981
"The Modern Theatre: Shimpa," Benito Ortolani, appearing in The Japanese Theatre: From Shamanistic Ritual to Contemporary Pluralism, Princeton University Press, 1990, p. 233-242.
New Kabuki Encyclopedia: A Revised Adaptation of Kabuki Jiten, Samuel Leiter, Greenwood Press, 1997
Photography Layouts in Shibai To Kinema (Stage and Screen) Magazine: Theatrical Images Reproduced on Magazine Spreads by Yamato Aya 雑誌『芝居とキネマ』にみる写真レイアウトの実践 :誌面で再現された演劇のイメージ, 山本, 彩 , Osaka University Knowledge Archive https://doi.org/10.18910/89276
Online
"Chronology of Japanese Cinema" http://eiga9.altervista.org/chronology.html [accessed 8-16-24]
Japan Arts Council Cultural Digital Library https://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/dglib/ [accessed 11-9-24]
Japan Arts Council Bromide Search https://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/dglib/collections/submenu?division=collections&class=bromide [accessed 8-16-24]
Kabuki 21 website https://www.kabuki21.com/ [accessed 8-16-24]
Shibusawa Shashi Database ("50 Years of the Imperial Theater") https://shashi.shibusawa.or.jp/details_basic.php?sid=14940 [accessed 8-16-24]
Shōchiku Movie Database https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/database/ [accessed 11-9-24]
Shōwakan Digital Archive 昭和館デジタルアーカイブについて https://search.showakan.go.jp/ [accessed 11-9-24]
Waseda University Cultural Resources Database - Theatre Museum https://archive.waseda.jp/archive/?arg={%22advanced_search%22:false,%22institute_id%22:%223%22}&lang=en [accessed 11-9-24]
Waseda University Cultural Resources Database - Contemporary Theatrical Performance Records https://archive.waseda.jp/archive/subDB-search.html?arg={%22item_per_page%22:20,%22sortby%22:[%22%22,%22ASC%22],%22view%22:%22display-simple%22,%22pagination%22:{%22page%22:1},%22subDB_id%22:%2237%22,%22id%22:%221078521;18%22,%22advanced_search%22:false,%22search_key%22:%22%E6%A3%AE%E8%8B%B1%E6%AC%A1%E9%83%8E%22}# [accessed 11-19-24]
last revision:
4/6/2025 - added alt text