The curtain went up at 11 in the morning, and by the time everything ended it was past 8 at night. I made it through Kanadehon Chushingura from the opening act to Act Seven, with a pack of Jagariko in hand. It was long. But yes, today was wonderful again.
What Is Kanadehon Chushingura?
This is the story known simply as “Chushingura” — based on the revenge of the forty-seven ronin of Ako, and counted among the three great masterpieces of the puppet theatre. At eleven acts, it is such an epic that usually only a portion is staged at a time. This time, though, to mark the 40th anniversary of the National Bunraku Theatre, Acts One through Seven were performed as a full run, split into Part 1 and Part 2. It felt like a rare chance, so I went all in and watched both in a single day.
Part 1 began at 11:00 with the opening act through Act Four. Part 2 began at 16:00 with Utsubozaru, followed by Acts Five through Seven. The final curtain came down past 8 p.m. Looking back, I am rather impressed with myself.
The Reality of a Full-Day Run
To be honest, it is physically quite demanding (laughs).
Unlike the Kabukiza, in which the intervals feel like one big bento feast, the lobby here has more of a light, sandwich-style atmosphere. During the interval I escaped to a nearby convenience store and treated myself to Jagariko, crunchy potato snack sticks. A grown-up refuelling on snacks. Having a convenience store right by the theatre is a real blessing on a full-day run.
The Seppuku Scene That Made Me Forget to Breathe
What left the deepest impression was Act Four, the seppuku of Enya Hangan.
The whole theatre fell absolutely silent, and I was so tense I forgot to breathe. They are puppets — or rather, precisely because they are puppets — the air felt that charged. The sense of the entire audience holding its breath as one carried an extra weight, I think, because we had followed the story all the way from the beginning.
The Stage Curtains Are a Treat, Too
At the National Bunraku Theatre, the doncho stage curtains are one of the highlights. That day I got to see several different ones, and gazing at them before curtain-up or during the intervals, wondering which would come next, was a pleasure in itself. My favourite is the pine curtain. Bold yet elegant — I could look at it forever.
Floating on Air in the Lobby
On the first floor stood a 40th-anniversary face-in-the-hole photo panel, showing the Ninin Sanbaso dancers. I so wanted to put my face in it… the one thing you simply cannot enjoy on your own! And just inside the entrance, there was an illustrated signboard with the whole cast of Chushingura characters lined up.
Whenever I go to the theatre I get so giddy that I float through the whole visit, and only afterwards do I regret not having a proper look around. All the more so at a theatre I cannot visit as often as the Kabukiza or the Minamiza. Next time I will take it slow and explore the lobby too. I probably will not manage it next time either.
Final Thoughts
About nine hours, racing from the opening act to Act Seven. I was so exhausted that after the show, I left my phone in the restroom.
I realised straight away and dashed back, stopping an elegant madame who was just about to walk in: “Excuse me! I left my phone in there!” “Oh my, my, how dreadful,” she replied, completely unruffled. Nine hours of Chushingura had clearly exceeded my brain’s capacity.
Even so, watching Chushingura as a full run was something special. The next time a full-length staging comes around, I will happily go the distance again. I cannot wait.
