Guest Episode (Part 2): Kabuki Critic Tatsushi Nakamura Discusses the 'Awe of Tradition' in Nakamura Kichiemon II and the History of Onnagata
This is the final installment of our guest interview series featuring Kabuki critic Tatsushi Nakamura!
In this episode, we delve into the profound impact of the legendary actor Nakamura Kichiemon II, whom Tatsushi-san decided to follow for the rest of his life, and explore the historical background behind the question, 'Why are there no actresses in Kabuki?'
'Performing what has been passed down, exactly as it was passed down, at a high level.'
About a year after Tatsushi-san began watching Kabuki,
he says he was struck by a performance of Nakamura Kichiemon II, who played the young samurai Momoi Wakasanosuke in a full-length production of 'Chushingura'.
'He was a person with very little consciousness of expressing himself or doing something original. I really felt that he was a person who staked his life on performing what had been passed down, exactly as it had been passed down, and doing so at a high level.'
Kabuki has a format called 'toshi kyogen' (full-length performance), where a long story is performed from beginning to end. Within this, it is not uncommon for different actors to play the same role, such as 'Oboshi Yuranosuke' (the equivalent of Oishi Kuranosuke), in different scenes.
The audience discusses 'who was the best Yuranosuke in that scene' over drinks, and critics evaluate the performance along a historical vertical axis, comparing it to the generations of the actor's father or grandfather.
Because 'tradition' is valued, the 'slight differences' that emerge through the actor's body become their individuality. This, he says, is the bottomless charm of Kabuki.
Why are there no female actors in Kabuki?
In the second half, we also asked him about the question that every Kabuki beginner asks at least once: 'Why do men (onnagata) play female roles?'
In fact, Izumo no Okuni, the root of Kabuki, was a woman.
However, the Edo Shogunate banned women from performing on stage due to concerns about public morals. Next, young men (wakashu) took the stage, but this was also banned for the same reason.
Ultimately, only 'adult men' (yaro) were allowed on stage, and being forced into a situation where they 'had to win over the audience with the content of their performance' caused the form of the theater to quickly solidify.
Yoshizawa Ayame, an early onnagata, left behind a book called 'Ayamegusa' detailing how to appear feminine while having a male body. The gaze, the movement of the hands, the footwork, the handling of the hem... all were carefully considered.
And today, onnagata costumes and wigs have evolved to be so heavy that it would be difficult to perform freely on stage without the physical strength of a man.
'Tradition' is not built in a day
This concludes our three-part interview with Tatsushi Nakamura about Kabuki.
His perspective, cultivated through 20 years of theater-going experience and rigorous training, truly conveys the weight of 'tradition'.
Recently, new Kabuki works such as 'Lupin III' and 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind' have been performed, expanding the audience. (Apparently, even Fujiko Mine was played by a beautiful onnagata, which became a hot topic!)
"The steady work of getting people interested through new productions and broadening the base is not something that started just now; it is something Kabuki has been doing all along," says Tatsushi.
Why not take a peek into the world of Kabuki yourself, whether through a new entry point or a traditional classic?
💬 A word for today
I was struck by the idea that one's individuality shines precisely by "faithfully preserving what has been passed down." Are there any people or jobs around you that you feel "shine by keeping to the form"?
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