◇ New Year's Greeting ◇ [Partial translation]

As we bid farewell to the Year of the Fire Tiger (1926) and welcome the joyous New Year of the Wood Rabbit (1927), I first extend my congratulations on the health and well-being of all our members, and express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering support. Since the earthquake, this marks the third New Year, during which time our theatrical world has seen unprecedented growth. Last year, in particular, was marked by remarkable success, rarely seen in modern theatrical history.  

At the same time, our magazine, Engei Shashinchō, the oldest specialized publication in the performing arts, has shown outstanding development and now occupies the top position among all pictorial publications and magazines related to the performing arts, achieving monthly growth even amid the so-called economic downturn.

口繪 三十六家撰(その廿五)

尾上松助の久作 

川瀬巴水氏筆

Frontispiece: Thirty-Six Selected Actors (No. 25)

Onoe Matsusuke [IV, 1843-1928] as Kyūsaku

Designed by Mr. Kawase Hasui

Regarding the featured kuchi-e [frontispiece] 'Thirty-Six Selected Actors', Mr. Onoe Matsusuke is 85 years old this year, and yet his stage performance surpasses that of young actors—no, it goes even further, showing such energy that it could be said the young performers can't keep up with him. This year happens to be a particularly significant year for him, so in celebration of his health, we requested the esteemed artist Hasui to capture his image at the beginning of the year.

當世人氣俳優 (その卅二)

市川松蔦丈

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 31)

Ichikawa Shōchō [II]

京都南座顔見世狂言 

(菅原伝授手習鑑) 

Kyoto Minami-za kaomise performance

(Sugawara denju tenarai kagami - Sugawara and the secrets of calligraphy)

top right: 吉田社頭車曳の場

Scene at Yoshida Shrine, kurumabiki - The carriage pulling scene

top left: 芹生の里寺子屋の場

The village school scene at Seriyū no Sato 

bottom right: 松王丸 — 市川中車

Matsuōmaru — Ichikawa Chūsha [VII]

bottom center: 梅王丸 — 松本幸四郎

Umeōmaru — Matsumoto Kōshirō [VII]

bottom left:

樱丸 — 中村鴈治郎

Sakuramaru — Nakamura Ganjirō [I]

帝国劇場師走狂言第四

(法場換子 [とりかえご])

Imperial Theater December production No. 4 (Torikaego)

松居松翁氏補譯並に舞臺監督

Translated* and directed by Mr. Matsui Shōō

田中咄哉氏舞臺裝置

Stage set by Mr. Tanaka Tossai?

徐策 — 勘彌

Xu Ce — Kan'ya

[Morita Kan’ya XIII 森田勘彌]

薛猛 — 介十郎

Xue Meng — Sukejūrō

[Ichikawa Sukejūrō II 市川介十郎 (?-?)]

同夫人馬氏 — 日出子

Madame Ma, Wife of Xue Meng — Hideko

[Hideko Higashi 東日出子 (?-?)]

除策夫人 —  嘉久子

Madame Xu Ce — Kakuko

[Murata Kakuko 村田嘉久子 (1893-1969)]

*likely a translation of the Chinese opera Fa chang huan zi (Exchanging sons on the execution ground)

歌舞伎座師走狂言中幕

(姿の借駕籠 [すがたのかりかご])

Kabuki-za December production, middle act

(Sugata no karikago)

岡鬼太郎氏脚色

Original work by Chikamatsu  

岡鬼太郎氏脚色 

Adapted by Mr. Oka Onitarō [1872-1943]

平岡左近 一 左團次

Hiraoka Sakon 一 Sadanji

[Ichikawa Sadanji II 市川左團次]

源之助 一 雄之助

His son, Gen'nosuke 一 Yūnosuke

[Itō Yūnosuke 伊藤雄之助 (1919-1980)]

伊左衛門 一 羽左衛門

Izaemon – Uzaemon

[Ichimura Uzaemon XV 市村羽左衛門]

夕霧 一 松蔦

Yūgiri – Shōchō

[Ichikawa Shōchō II 市川]

---------------------------

lower right: 扇屋タ霧 (市川松蔦)

Ogiya Tagiri - Ichikawa Shōchō [II]

lower left: 

藤屋伊左衛門 (市村羽左衛門)

Fujiya Izaemon - Ichimura Uzaemon [XV]

京都南座顔見世狂言

(假名手本忠臣藏)

Kyoto Minami-za kaomise performance

(Kanadehon chūshingura)

山科閑居の場

Scene at Yamashina retreat

戶無瀬 — 福助

Tonase — Fukusuke

[Nakamura Fukusuke IV 中村福助]

小浪 — 扇雀

Konami — Senjaku

[Nakamura Senjaku I 中村扇雀]

帝国劇場師走狂言第一

Imperial Theater December production, first program

(阿國出世 [おくにしゅっせ])

(Okuni shusse - Okuni's rise to fame)

額田六福氏作

Written by Nukada Roppuku [1890-1948]

小村雪岱氏舞臺裝置

Stage set by Komura Settai

[shin hanga artist and set designer (1887-1949)]

Nagoya Sansaburō – Sōjurō

[Sawamura Sōjūrō VII (1875-1949) 澤村宗十郎]

Okuni of Izumo – Ritsuko

[Mori Ritsuko (1890-1961) 森律子]

Elderly Servant Dennai – Matsusuke

[Onoe Matsusuke IV 尾上松助 (1843-1928)]

Ido Uemon – Kan’ya

[Morita Kan'ya XIII (1885-1932) 森田勘彌]

歌舞伎座師走狂言二番目

Kabuki-za December production, second program

(享和巷談 延命院)

(Kyōwa kōdan Enmei-in)

河竹默阿彌翁作

Written by Kawatake Mokuami [1816-1893)

延命院日當 ― 羽左衛門

[Priest] Enmei-in Nitto ― Uzaemon

[Ichimura Uzaemon XV 市村羽左衛門]

 奥女中竹川實は幸十郎妹おつた ― 秀調
Oku jochū Takekawa (in reality, Otsuta, Kōjūrō's younger sister) ― Shuchō

[Bando Shuchō III 阪東秀調]

市村座師走興行新國劇

(假名手本忠臣藏)

Ichimura-za December production, Shinkoku-geki

(Kanadehon chūshingura)

祇園一力茶屋の場

Scene at Gion Ichiriki teahouse

大星由良之助 — 澤田

Ōboshi Yuranosuke — Sawada

[Sawada Shōjirō 澤田正二郎 — founder and leader of Shinkoku-geki]

寺岡平右衛門 — 中井

Teraoka Heiemon — Nakai

[Nakai Tetsu 中井哲]

おかる — 久松

Okaru — Hisamatsu

[Hisamatsu Kiyoko 久松喜世子]

新橋演舞場 新歌舞伎 十八番内

『高時』

Shinbashi Enbujō - New Kabuki - Eighteen Best Plays,

Takatoki

尾上菊五郎の北條高時
Hōjō Takatoki played by Onoe Kikugorō [VI]

歌舞伎座『森有禮』

Kabuki-za - Mori Arinori

[Japanese statesman (1847-1889)]

市川壽美蔵の吉田清成

Yoshida Kiyonari played by Ichikawa Sumizō [VI]

市川左團次の森有禮

Mori Arinori played by Ichikawa Sadanjī [II]

歌舞伎座師走狂言二番目

Kabuki-za December production, second program

(享和巷談 延命院)

(Kyōwa kōdan Enmei-in)

延命院日當 [延妙院日当] ―

羽左衛門

Enmei-in Nittō ― Uzaemon

[Ichimura Uzaemon XV 市村羽左衛門]

粂村召使おころ ― 福助

Okoro, Maidservant of Kumemura ― Fukusuke

[Nakamura Fukusuke IV 中村福助]

非人頭小栗の馬吉 ― 羽左衛門

Oguri no Umakichi, leader of the outcasts ― Uzaemon

[Ichimura Uzaemon XV 市村羽左衛門]

岩淵柳藏 ― 猿之助

Iwabuchi? Ryūzō [later the priest Ryūzen] ― Ennosuke

[Ichikawa Ennosuke II 市川猿之助]

大阪辨天座十二月同志劇

(坂本龍馬)

Osaka Benten-za December production, Dōshi geki* (Sakamoto Ryōma)**

中岡慎太郎 ― 田中

Nakaoka Shintarō [a confederate of Sakamoto] ― Tanaka

[Tanaka Kaiji 田中介二 (1886-1962) ― one of the founders of the Dōshi-za]

阪本龍馬 ― 小川

Sakamoto Ryōma ― Ogawa

[Ogawa Takashi 小川隆 (1891-?)]

佐々木只三郎 ― 加藤
Sasaki Tadasaburō [a pro-Shōgun involved in assassination of Sakamoto] ― Katō

[Katō Seiichi 加藤精 (1889-1963)]

*Dōshi-za 同志座 – Dōshi theater company

**Sakamoto Ryōma (1836-1867) - influential Imperial loyalist assassinated on eve of the Meiji Restoration

淺草松竹座師走狂言

(悲慈心鳥* [慈悲心鳥])

Asakusa Shōchiku-za December production

(Jishinchō – Bird of Compassion) 

* first two characters are transposed on title appearing on photo

菊池寛氏原作

Original work by Kikuchi Kan [Kikuchi Kan 菊池寛 (1888-1948)]

川口松太郎脚色

Adapted by Kawaguchi Matsutarō [1899-1985]

洋一 (楠雄)

Yōichi ― Kusuo

[unidentified child actor]

靜子 [しづこ] (花柳)

Shizuko ― Hanayagi

[Hanayagi Shōtarō 花柳章太郎]

留美子 (よし子)

Rumiko ― Yoshiko

[unidentified child actor]

篠原 [しのはら] (藤村)

Shinohara ― Fujimura

[Fujimura Hideo 藤村秀夫 (1889-1968)]

河井 [かはゐ] (山田)

Kawai ― Yamada

[Yamada Kōryō 山田好良]

Colophon (see Colophon Details for publishing information)

Advertisements for the publisher's, Taishō Communications Company, Ltd. (大正通信社), magazines and three new books including "The Treasures of the Woodblock Print World (by Hiroshige): The Complete Collection of the Eight Views of Omi."

Back cover

Advertisements for publication of two large picture books.

*see Back Cover details