Japan Arts Council

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National Theatre Farewell Performances upon the Reconstruction Project – Towards a New Adventure –
October 2022 Traditional Japanese Music
Bunraku Sujōruri no Kai

Performance Date
Oct. 22(Sat.), 2022

Performance Time
1:00 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.
*End time is an estimate and could vary.

Venue
National Theatre (Small Theatre)



Futatsuchōchō Kuruwa Nikki -Yawata no Sato Hikimado no Dan-
 Takemoto Chitosedayū
 Toyozawa Tomisuke

Meido no Hikyaku
-Fūinkiri no Dan-
 Toyotake Rodayū
 Tsuruzawa Seisuke

Chikagoro Kawara no Tatehiki -Horikawa Sarumawashi no Dan-
 Takemoto Shikorodayu
 Tsuruzawa Tōzō
 Tsuruzawa Seiki


*Subtitles: Available only in Japanese. Displayed on screen beside the stage.
*English synopsis is available. Please ask at the reception desk.

Tickets (Tax included)
Adults = 5,600 yen
Students = 3,900 yen
Seating plan

Booking Opens
Sep. 18(Sun), 2022

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Box Office
0570-07-9900 (From overseas: +81-3-3230-3000) in Japanese and English
(10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.)

Online Booking : https://ticket.ntj.jac.go.jp/top_e.htm
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Counter Sales at the Theatre 
available from September 19, 2022


in Japanese

Bunraku Sujōruri no Kai presents Gidayū-bushi masterpieces performed only by tayū and shamisen. This annual program, which started in 1990 at the National Engei Hall, will mark the last performance here at the original National Theatre as part of “National Theatre Farewell Performances Upon the Reconstruction Project.” Three tayū who were promoted this year to kirigatari (the highest-ranking tayū) will appear on the stage for this milestone performance along with the finest shamisen players. Please enjoy to the fullest the world of Jōruri as created by the leading performers of Bunraku.

Futatsu Chōchō Kuruwa Nikki – Yawata no Sato Hikimado no Dan –
Chōgorō, a murderer on the run; Yohē, a local magistrate tasked with searching for the murderer; and a mother caught in a dilemma between the two men (one her biological son Chōgorō and the other her stepson Yohē) with competing interests…various emotions such as love for one’s blood relations and moral obligation as a human being intertwine in Yawata no Sato (the village of Yawata) as people prepare for the celebration of the harvest moon. The story develops with the opening and closing of the hikimado, a window to let the moonlight in, revealing a subtle change in the situation of Yohē as a local magistrate and conflicts between the characters. Takemoto Chitosedayū and Toyozawa Tomisuke perform this piece that is very suitable for autumn, as it is the season when the foliage is as beautiful as brocade.

Meido no Hikyaku – Fūinkiri no Dan –
This piece describes the process in which a courier service man Kameya Chūbē misappropriates public money and convicted of a capital crime, and thus forced to embark on an escape journey along with his favorite courtesan Umegawa. Centering on the mental anguish of Chūbē, who commits a felony at Echigoya, an ageya (a house of assignation) in Shinmachi, driven by the mixed feelings – a desire to live with his beloved woman until he dies, and the will to save his honor as a man – and the womanly compassion of Umegawa, who wants to serve the man who showed her such loving affection for his life – the variety of emotions of the characters entwine with one another, leading to the tragic ending of the drama. We invited you to appreciate this masterpiece of Chikamatsu Monzaemon performed by Toyotake Rodayū and Tsuruzawa Seisuke.

Chikagoro Kawara no Tatehiki – Horikawa Sarumawashi no Dan –
In this tale, Denbē kills a warrior who attempted to trap him. His lover Oshun worries about him, and Oshun’s mother and brother Yojirō fear that the couple might commit a double suicide. Heartwarming familial love and tender emotions encompass this poor family in Horikawa, Kyoto. Oshun’s emotional kudoki (oral recitation passage) and a sarumawashi (street performance with a monkey) accompanied by music celebrating the couple’s new chapter in life highlight the pain of separation from the beloved ones even more. This affectionate piece is presented by Takemoto Shikorodayū’s recitation and Tsuruzawa Tōzō’s and Tsuruzawa Seiki’s tsurebiki (accompaniment on the shamisen) performance.