Bettyoko’s Kimono Diary
Go to the Theatre in Kimonos Vol.28
May Young Stars’ Kabuki at Osaka Shochiku-za Theatre Three top Kabuki stars, Ichikawa Ennnosuke, Nakamura Kankuro and Nakamura Shichinosuke are fascinating the viewers in every play of May Kabuki Program at Osaka Shochiku-za Theatre. The first play in the evening show is “SHIMPAN UTAZAIMON-NOZAKIMURA” (Nozaki Village). This work portrays a life of ordinary people in the Edo era (17th~19thc.,). A country girl Omitsu (played by Nakamura Shichinosuke) engaged with Hisamatsu, and she dreamily waited the marriage with him. But on their wedding day the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Osome came to see Hisamatsu. Omitsu found Hisamatsu deeply loved Osome instead of her. Omitsu decided to sacrifice herself with becoming a nun to unite them. In the scene Omitsu said “I had been happy for only one hour until the awaited marriage” and cried, and she made the audiences wipe their tears with a handkerchief. This renown story was performed constantly for long time and Shichinosuke’s grandfather and uncle played the role of Omitsu. The family’s special acting techniques surely passed on to the next generation. It is followed by “KAIDAN CHIBUSA NO ENOKI” (The Ghost and the Milk-Giving Tree), a horror story. Nakamura Kankuro dazzled the audience with the series of moves that saw him nimbly flip between three characters, the painter Shigenobu, his servant Shosuke and the villain Uwabami no Sanji. The illusion was created by impeccable teamwork of Kankuro and the stage crews. The highlight is the scene of the sword fight beneath a waterfall using real water for the stage effects. If your seat is in the front, the water will splash on you from the stage. But you will be provided with the plastic sheet before the performance, so you don’t have to worry about that even when you are in kimono. And then there is another must-see event in the Kansai district. “Mastery of an Art: Van Cleef & Arpels-High Jewelry and Japanese Craft” is held at The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. This exhibition shows highly accomplished craftsmanship which both Van Cleef & Arpel high jewelry and Japanese craft works have from the Meiji era until today. Here I introduce some beautiful pictures which are allowed to photograph in a preview of the exhibition. It is the sympathizing beauty of blue. Tsumugi silk kimono “Lake of Light” by Shimura Fukumi and the turquoise and lapis lazuli necklace of Van Cleef & Arpel. It is the admiration for the flying dragonfly. Libellules clips of Van Cleef & Arpel and Box with dragon flies by Hattori Shunsho. Yuzen dyeing kimono “Snow Dance” and Yuzen dyeing obi (belt of kimono) sash with diagonal pattern by Moriguchi Kunihiko are also on show. This exhibition runs through August 6. Please don’t miss to see it. Kabuki, Jewelry and craft art. whatever it is, it is wonderful that we can enjoy and love the beauty of highly accomplished techniques which were passed on to the generation to the generation around the world, as a witness of the times.
The unit of Betty and YokoBetty; jewelry journalist, enjoys watching stages of Kabuki, Bunraku, Balllet, and so on. Yoko; lived in the U.S.A for 10 years. Loves to introduce Japanese culture to abroad.
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