When I stepped into the auditorium the moment the doors opened, an empty Kabukiza spread out before me. Amazing! Not a soul in sight!!! For a few seconds, I had the whole theater — usually packed with people — all to myself, silence included. Seeing this alone made my day. (Even though the show hadn’t even started yet.)
What’s in Part 2?
The August Program at the Kabukiza Theatre runs in three parts a day. Part 2 pairs “Rakuda” (46 minutes) with “Kijin no Omatsu” (1 hour 23 minutes), with a 25-minute intermission in between. A comedy based on a rakugo story, and a tale of a legendary female bandit. A double bill with maximum emotional whiplash — you laugh, and then you cry.
Between Parts: A Slow Coffee in the Second-Floor Lobby
On days when I stay on after Part 1, I spend the break in the Kabukiza lobby. The second-floor lobby has plenty of sofas, so that’s in which I always have my coffee. Ask a staff member to check your ticket for the next part, and then all you have to do is relax with a coffee until the doors open.
And if you walk in the moment the doors open, you get to see that “empty Kabukiza” from the top of this post. From the lobby lined with red lanterns into the hushed auditorium — this little routine feels like a bonus perk, and I love it. Highly recommended!
“Rakuda”: Funny Every Single Time
This was my second “Rakuda” this month. Its humor sneaks up on you, and even the second time around, I laughed all over again.
Kankurō Nakamura’s Kyūroku was simply wonderful. And Kōshirō Matsumoto — did he drop a line? There was a moment that felt like an ad-lib, and it was oddly heartwarming. Chōzaburō Nakamura was too adorable ❤️ His exchanges with Kōshirō were great fun, and when Kankurō slipped in, “People say we look a lot alike” (about Chōzaburō), the whole audience melted. That’s the joy of watching a real father and son on stage. Kankurō keeps getting funnier and funnier — at this point I’m half convinced he secretly joined a comedy troupe.
“Kijin no Omatsu”: Shichinosuke Broke My Heart
“Kijin no Omatsu” is back in a main production for the first time in 62 years. Shichinosuke Nakamura plays Omatsu with her three faces — female bandit, wife, and mother — and it was almost too heartbreaking to bear. Watching Shichinosuke on the hanamichi runway, I felt the tears welling up 😭
And Yonekichi Nakamura, whom I had spotted arriving at the theater during the Part 1 intermission (so adorable my heart nearly stopped), appeared as Fujinami. Just as adorable on stage.
My favorite moment was when Shichinosuke and Kashō Nakamura walked through the audience, found a stone Jizō statue (an audience member, that is) and prayed to it. “Numazu” has a similar walk through the house, and I can never resist this kind of thing. When the actors wander around the audience, I’m simply done for (laughs).
My seat this time was in the sixth row right beside the hanamichi — the so-called “dobu” seats, meaning the seats directly alongside the runway. With an open view to the front, the stage was easy to see, and I got to gaze to my heart’s content at Shichinosuke on the hanamichi. A feast for the eyes 😭
In Closing
The slow-burn laughs of “Rakuda” and the heartbreak of “Kijin no Omatsu” — Part 2 offered both laughter and tears.
It began with an empty Kabukiza and ended with me heading home wrapped in the afterglow. Once again, today was the best.
