Somegoro Ichikawa

July Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Single Act Tickets, Suehirogari (July 2026, Second Visit)

With a few hours to spare, I dashed to the Kabukiza and caught Suehirogari from the Single Act seats, bought online that morning for 1,110 yen. A second Single Act visit, from the entrance to the 4th-floor view and one very confusing pair of opera glasses.

2026.07.16

Kabuki

July Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Suehirogari, Single Act Tickets (July 2026)

A last-minute change of plans led me to the Single Act seats at the Kabukiza. A quick viewing of Suehirogari with Somegoro and Hayato: high, a little scary, and very satisfying.

2026.07.06

Kabuki

March Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Evening Show (March 2026)

A solo theatergoer's account of the March Grand Kabuki evening program (B-cast) at Kabukiza. The revolving stage scene where Somegoro and Sakon slowly disappear into darkness completely stole the show.

2026.03.13

Kabuki

New Year Asakusa Kabuki: Part 1 (January 2026)

Part 1 of the New Year kabuki at Asakusa Public Hall. Hunting down actor handprints and tapestries, hearing the stage cues in Aioi-jishi from a front seat, a Maisen pocket sandwich, and a hotel three minutes away—a solo day out, traveling light.

2026.01.06

Kabuki

Somegoro Ichikawa Kabuki Dance Performance: Kiwami (October 2025)

A performance by Somegoro I had long wanted to see. A kabuki dance program, Kiwami, at the Cerulean Tower Noh Theatre, with full focus on the movement of suodori.

2025.10.05

Kabuki

July Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Evening Show (July 2025)

I came for 'Chō no Michiyuki', danced by Somegoro Ichikawa and Danko Ichikawa — delicate and lovely at first, then swept into the torments of hell. With 'Onihei Hankachō: Kettō' starring Koshiro Matsumoto, and a long-awaited medetai-yaki.

2025.07.14

Kabuki

Kabuki NEXT Lord of the Lies (December 2024)

Kabuki NEXT Lord of the Lies, seen from the front row of the second balcony. Somegoro's Shuten was perfection itself, Tokizo's Tsuna simply had it all, and the Shinkansen-style music won me over completely.

2024.12.05

Kabuki

September Program at the Kabukiza Theatre: Evening Show (September 2024)

Watching the Shuzan-sai Evening Show from a seat right beside the temporary hanamichi. The which-bank-to-sit-on dilemma of Yoshinogawa, a luxurious cast for Kanjincho, a bromide photographed against the real stage, and a medetai-yaki dash.

2024.09.23

Kabuki

Shikoku Konpira Grand Kabuki: Part 1 & Part 2 (April 2024)

My first time at the Kanamaru-za, Japan's oldest playhouse, for the 37th Shikoku Konpira Grand Kabuki. Laughs from Somegoro and Koshiro, Jakuemon's hand-powered flying scene right beside the hanamichi — and somehow I didn't eat a thing all day. A back-to-back solo day out.

2024.04.15

Kabuki