During the Q&A corner, I had things I wanted to ask — but I couldn’t quite work up the courage to raise my hand. Even so, the whole hall had such a warm, easygoing mood that just watching was a joy. Yes, today too was wonderful.
What is the Shungyō Kabuki Special Performance?
Every spring, the brothers Nakamura Kankurō and Nakamura Shichinosuke tour the country with this special performance. Unlike a grand venue such as the Kabukiza, it has a talk corner, the performers feel close, and the whole thing carries a soft, welcoming air that even people new to kabuki can ease into. Maybe it’s just who they are.
The program that day was a talk corner plus two dance pieces (buyō): Benikan and Suminuri Onna. I went to the matinee.
A heartwarming talk corner
In this corner, the brothers field questions from the audience. When someone mentioned they’d come all the way from Kokura (down in Kyushu, in the far southwest), the two of them chimed in together — “What, from Kokura?! We’ll be there too — Kokura (we’re performing there)!” — and something about that little exchange just warmed me.
I had things I wanted to ask, too. Their father passed away (the late Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII), and surely there are still moments when they wish they could ask him for guidance… so how do they handle those times, I wondered. And also — any chance we’ll get to see Chōzaburō (Kankurō’s young son) on stage soon? (haha) But in the end I had no nerve, and my hand stayed down. Next time I’d like to be a little braver. (Though probably not. lol)
Suminuri Onna was hilarious
The second dance piece, Suminuri Onna (“the ink-smeared woman”), was just so much fun. It’s based on a kyōgen — the comic theater that traditionally accompanies noh. In a parting scene, a woman makes a show of weeping, but her tears are fake. Tarōkaja, the stock servant character who serves the master, sees through it and quietly swaps the water in the inkstone for ink… that’s the gist.
The woman, played by Shichinosuke, keeps “crying” — and her face turns blacker and blacker without her noticing a thing, all while she carries on with the fake sobbing. So absurd (haha). And the look on her face the moment she finally realizes — that’s my favorite part. Beyond the beauty of the onnagata (a male actor in a female role), I love seeing him take on a role that’s playful and just a little mischievous.
What crossed my mind in an unfamiliar theater
The venue, Ota Citizens’ Hall Aprico, isn’t like the Kabukiza or the Minamiza — it’s a multipurpose space, built more like a concert hall. I found myself imagining all the plays and concerts that must be staged here.
For me, a day at the theater is special — set apart from ordinary life. But for the people who work here, it’s probably just another day: “Ah, kabuki today.” One small, ordinary moment among many. I caught myself feeling that little gap. Not that it means anything, really — but it’s something I always seem to think about when I visit a multipurpose hall.
Wrapping up
The warm, easygoing mood of the talk, the comedy of Suminuri Onna. It wasn’t a packed program, but it was a matinee that left me quietly full. If there’s ever another Q&A, next time I really will raise my hand. (…Yeah. No way. lol)
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