In the middle of Kabukichō, a cat-monster in twelve-layered robes takes flight. Chūsha’s bakeneko was somehow a little adorable, and Danko’s thirteen-role quick-change left no room to breathe. As always, today was the best.
What is Hitori Tabi Gojūsantsugi?
*Hitori Tabi Gojūsantsugi* (literally “A Solo Journey Through the Fifty-Three Stations”) is a play written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV — the same playwright behind *Tōkaidō Yotsuya Kaidan* (the famous ghost story) — and first staged in 1827. After long years off the stage, the third Ichikawa Ennosuke (later En’ō II) revived it in 1981, and it’s been a signature piece of the Omodakaya line of actors ever since 😺
True to the title, the story follows a journey from Sanjō Bridge in Kyoto toward Edo (Tokyo), passing through the fifty-three stations of the old Tōkaidō road. Travellers appear one after another through rapid-fire costume changes — pure entertainment from start to finish.
This run pairs the Omodakaya troupe with “Koekabu” (literally “voice kabuki”), a series in which popular voice actors take turns reading classical kabuki aloud. A bit of a bold experiment — fusing traditional kabuki with the art of voice performance.
A Gamble on the Ticket
Here’s the thing about booking. When I made my reservation, the Koekabu voice actor for May 5th hadn’t been announced yet — that slot was still listed as “TBA.” But it was Golden Week, so I figured maybe they’d assign someone big-name. With that little hope in my heart, I booked the day.
And the bet paid off — it turned out to be Hosoya Yoshimasa! 😭 Anime fans might know him as Reiner Braun from *Attack on Titan*. As an *AoT* fan, this was a thrill 🥹 As an *Osomatsu-san* fan, I would have loved Sakurai Takahiro’s or Fukuyama Jun’s slot too, but the dates didn’t work out. It was also my first time at a voice actor’s reading-style performance, so I was a little nervous.
As for my impression of his Koekabu… honestly, he didn’t feel that “Reiner” to me. If anything, it reminded me more of Kuboyasu Aren from *The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.* 🤣 Either way, wonderful.
My First Time at THEATER MILANO-Za
THEATER MILANO-Za sits on the 6th floor of the Tōkyū Kabukichō Tower, and this was my first visit. Shinjuku in general was a rare outing for me — and as usual, I got lost.
It’s a compact venue with about 900 seats, and the closeness to the stage felt really good.
(The concession queue, though — enormous! The system could use some work, I was thinking quietly while inching forward in line. Everyone must have been thinking that, right? …Right?)
Row Five: Close Enough to See the Sweat
My seat was Row E, Seat 20 on the first floor — five rows back from the stage. A pretty wonderful distance. (Photos inside the hall weren’t allowed, so I can’t show you, sadly!)
In the second act, “Okazaki Muryōji,” Chūsha plays a cat-monster who takes flight wearing the *jūnihitoe* — the formal twelve-layered Heian robe. This was his first time in the role, and apparently THEATER MILANO-Za’s first-ever flying-stage scene (*chūnori*). And somehow… Chūsha’s cat-monster had this slightly endearing quality? That’s something you only catch in person, I think. I keep wondering — is flying scary? Fun? Steady? What does the view look like from up there?
Then comes the finale, *Utsushigaki Azuma no Ekiro*, in which Danko performs a thirteen-role quick-change. Ohan, Chōkichi, young and old, men and women — even a thunder god. The pace was dizzying in the best way.
From row five, you can see the sweat running down. As they mentioned in the *kōjō* (the formal stage greeting), you can tell when someone’s running backstage by the way the curtain stirs — I loved noticing that. And once or twice, the angle of my seat let me catch a peek behind the scenes, and I had a one-person celebration inside my head (laugh).
Wrap-up
I picked up the programme booklet, an acrylic coaster, and an A4 clear file. Souvenirs collected!
The kabuki-meets-voice-actor collaboration — at first I wasn’t sure what to expect, but watching it, I found it surprisingly welcoming for kabuki beginners. The voice actor’s narration eases you into the story, so by the time the Omodakaya troupe takes over for the kabuki sections, you’re already on board. A bold concept that, I think, really worked ⭐️
Next year, I’d love to hear other voice actors in Koekabu too ☺️ (Wait, not the kabuki itself? lol) If one of my favourite voice actors gets cast, kabuki might not even be the main draw anymore… Hoping they bring this back next year.
Latest ticket release schedule → https://happy-go-solo.com/ticket-release-schedule/
Related Links
コメント