Engei shashinchō Volume 4, 1924

謹賀新年

大正十四年元旦

演藝春秋社 同人

編輯部 一同

印刷部 一同

支局 一同

New Year's Greetings

New Year's Day, Taisho 14 (1925)

From all of us at Engei Shunjūsha 

Editorial Department

Printing Department

Branch Offices

口繪 三十六家選 (その一)

尾上菊五郞の曽我五郎時致

Frontispiece (color lithograph)

Thirty-Six Selected Actors (No. 1)

Onoe Kikugorō [VI] as Soga Gorō Tokimune 

artist: Natori Shunsen 名取春仙 (1886-1960), signed 春仙 Shunsen with 名 na seal

邦樂座十二月興行

(お七吉三) 

吉祥寺本堂の塲

Hōgakuzā [Asakusa, Tokyo] December performance

(Oshichi and Kichiza)
Scene at the Main Hall of Kichijō-ji Temple

長田秀雄氏新作

A new play by Hideo Nagata [1885-1949]

 尾上榮三郎 — 八百屋娘お七

Onoe Eizaburō [VII] as Oshichi, the greengrocer’s daughter

市川男女藏  — 寺小姓吉三
Ichikawa Omezō [IV] as Kichiza, the temple page

當世人氣俳優 (そ の 八)

中村魁車丈

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 8) - 

Mr. Nakamura Kaisha [1876-1945]

The brief biography below the photo tells us that he made his stage debut at the age of six and that as he matured he performed a wide range of roles, from elderly characters to prominent female roles, demonstrating his versatility and skill.

[Kaisha was to meet a tragic death during the Osaka air raids on March 13-14, 1945, perishing in the air raid shelter at his home while holding his grandson.]

浪花座十二月狂言

December program at the Naniwa-za

(廓文章)

(Kuruwa bunshō - Love letters from the pleasure quarters)

常盤津連中

長唄連中

竹本連中

Tokiwazu Company*, Nagauta Company*, Takemoto Company*

*musical ensembles that accompany the performance

片岡我童 — 藤屋伊左衛門

Kataoka Gadō [IV] as Fujiya Izaemon

中村扇雀 — 扇屋夕霧

Nakamura Senjaku [I] as Ogiya Yūgiri

帝劇師走狂言

(賢き馬鹿 [かしこきばか])

December program at the Imperial Theater (Kashikoki baka - The wise fool)

太郎冠者氏作

A work by Tarōkaja

[Masuda Tarōkaja 益田太郎冠 1875-1953]

from left to right:

友右衛門 春野文雄

Tomoemon as Haruno Fumio?

[Ōtani Tomoemon VI 大谷友右衛門]

律子 夫人喜美代  

Ritsuko as Mrs. Kimiyo

[Mori Ritsuko 森律子 (1890-1961)]

幸四郎 實業家加藤

Kōshirō as  the industrialist Katō

[Matsumoto Kōshirō VII 松本幸四郎]

升藏 伯〓中井

Masuzō as Count ? Nakai 

[Ichikawa Masuzō IV 市川升蔵 (1897-1985)]

邦樂座十二月興行

(棒しばり) (文七元結)

 Hōgaku-za December program
([right] Bō Shibari) ([left] Bunshichi Mottoi)

岡村柿紅氏作 所作事 長唄囃子連中

Dance play (choreography) by

Mr. Okamura Shikō [1881-1925]

Accompanied by Nagauta Hayashi musicians

菊五郎 — 次郎冠者

[right] Kikugorō as Jirō Kaja

[Onoe Kikugorō VI 尾上菊五郎]

菊五郎 — 左官長五郎

[left] Kikugorō as Sakan Chōgorō

[Onoe Kikugorō VI 尾上菊五郎]

京都南座師走東西合同大一座興行

(色彩間刈豆)

Kyoto Minamiza December East-West Combined Grand Performance

(Iromoyō Chotto Karimame - Sensual colors, going to cut beans)

清元連中所作劇

[Music] performed by the Kiyomoto renjū 

與右衛門 — 市村羽左衛門

Ichimura Uzaemon [XV] as Yoemon

Commentary (right margin - edited partial translation): The raid at Kōjinyama from Shimizu Jirōchō no Uchi was presented with the usual exhilarating flair characteristic of the Shinkokugeki style. Additionally, the works Kaeriuchi by Oka Eiichirō 岡榮一郎 (1890-1966) and Ren'aibyō kanja by Kikuchi Kan 菊池寛 (1888-1948) were performed. 

常磐座師走興行同志座

(高野の義人)

Tokiwa-za December performance, Dōshi-za Theater Troupe*

(Kōya no Gijin – The Virtuous Man of Kōya) 

中里介山氏原作  清見陸郎氏脚色

Original Work by Nakazato Kaizan (1885-1944)

Adapted by Kiyomi Rokurō (1896-?)

娘雪野** [芳野] — 岡田嘉子

Okada Yoshiko [1918-1986] as Yoshino

〓良春** [良道] — 山田隆彌

Yamada Takaya [1890-1978] as Ryōshun [Ryōdō]

* Dōshi-za was a short-lived theater (and film) troupe established in September 1924 and dissolved in late 1926. Founders included Yamada Takaya 山田隆弥, Sasaki Tsumoru 佐々木積 (1885-1945), Okada Yoshiko 岡田嘉子 and Tanaka Keiji 田中介二 [1886-1962]

[source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%8C%E5%BF%97%E5%BA%A7]

** The characters being played by the actors are incorrect, likely a misprint. The character being played by Okada Yoshiko is 芳野 Yoshino, the fiancée of Shinemon’s son Shinkurō, and the character being played by Yamada Takaya is the monk in training Ryōdō as is written in the commentary in the left margin. (See Commentary following)

Synopsis of the novel

Kōya no Gijin

source: 近代日本における自己探求と国家意識 : 北村透谷・石川啄木・中里介山 by Kodera Masatoshi, Osaka University, 2013 https://hdl.handle.net/11094/24952 [accessed 11-19-24]

In The Righteous Man of Kōya, the story interweaves the actions of Totani Shin’emon, a headman of temple lands who petitions against the oppressive governance of Mount Kōya during the Kyōhō era, and the support he receives from the wandering samurai Yokokawa Sanae. Alongside this are the romantic elements involving the corrupt monk Ryōshun, the love between Shin’emon’s son Shinkurō and his betrothed Yoshino, and the eventual union of Sanae with Okane from Sakura chaya. Shin’emon petitions directly to Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune, but he is ultimately sent back to Mount Kōya, where he is executed by being crushed under stones. However, the shogunate’s secret investigation progresses quietly, and the villainous monk Gakudō, who believed he had won, eventually falls from grace. The story concludes with Shinkurō succeeding his late father as the headman, bringing about a satisfying resolution.

常盤座十二月興行同志座

(高野の義人)

Tokiwa-za December performance, Dōshi-za Theater Troupe

(Kōya no Gijin – The Virtuous Man of Kōya)

中里介山氏原作  清見陸郎氏脚色

Original Work by Nakazato Kaizan (1885-1944)

Adapted by Kiyomi Rokurō (1896-?)

Right to left:

櫻茶屋のお兼 — 六條浪子

Rokujō Namiko [1902-1982] as Okane of Sakura Chaya

鄉士戶谷新右衛門 — 金井謹之助

Kanai Kin'nosuke [?-?] as Country Samurai [the village headman] Toya Shinemon

伜新九郎 — 田中介二

Tanaka Keiji [1886-1962] as [Shinemon’s] Son Shinkurō

浪人橫川早苗 — 森英次郎 [森英治郎]

Mori Eijirō [1887-1945] as Rōnin Yokokawa Sanae

花形集 

Collection of Star Actors

Colophon and Notes to Readers

Back cover

The flower-hat dance from Musume Dojoji 

[Hanako, a shirabyōshi, wears a large circular hat and in each hand she holds a furidashigasha, a slightly smaller replica of the circular hat she wears, but each furidashigasha turns out to be three linked hats which she flings out while dancing a kasaodori (flower hat dance). 

口繪 三十六家選 (その二)

実川延若の梅の由兵衛

Frontispiece (color lithograph)

Thirty-Six Selected Actors (No. 2)

Jitsukawa Enjaku [II]  as Ume no Yoshibei

artist: Natori Shunsen 名取春仙 (1886-1960), signed 春仙画 Shunsen ga with paulownia seal

歌舞伎座一月狂言 (連獅子)

河竹默阿彌作

Kabuki-za January Performance (Renjishi)
Written by Kawatake Mokuami

親獅子 — 市村羽左衛門

Parent Lion — Ichimura Uzaemon [XV]

子獅子 —  市村家橘 [VII]

Child Lion — Ichimura Kakitsu

當世人氣俳優 (その九 )

市川壽美藏 丈

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 9) - 

Mr. Ichikawa Sumizō [VI (1886-1971]

大阪中座一月狂言

(戀飛脚大和往來 [恋飛脚大和往来]) 

Osaka Naka-za January production (Koibikyaku Yamato orai [Koi no tayori Yamato orai] - The courier of love on the Yamato highway*) 

井筒屋庭口の塲

Scene: Izutsuya Garden Entrance

遊女梅川 — 魁車

Courtesan Umegawa — Kaisha

[Nakamura Kaisha 中村魁車]

龜屋忠兵衛 — 雁治郎

Kameya Chūbei — Ganjirō

[Nakamura Ganjirô I 中村鴈治郎]

*also seen translated as The money courier from hell

新築の歌舞伎座外觀と同座一月狂言

(家康の入國)

Exterior of the newly constructed Kabuki-za and Kabuki-za January production

(Ieyasu no nyūkoku - Ieyasu's arrival) 

小田原徳川陣所の場

Scene: Odawara Tokugawa encampment

松居松翁氏舞臺監督

Stage Direction by: Matsui Shōō [1870-1933]

岡本綺堂氏作

Written by: Kido Okamoto [1872-1939]

德川家康 — 中村歌右衛門

Tokugawa Ieyasu — Nakamura Utaemon [V]

榊原小平太康政 — 市川壽美藏

Sakakibara Koheita Yasumasa — Ichikawa Sumizō  [VI]

帝國劇場一月狂言 (桂川連理柵) (奴凧廓春風)

Imperial Theatre January Performance
(Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami - The Katsura River and the Eternal Bonds of Love / Yakko dako sato no Harukaze – A kite shaped like a footman

虎石町帶屋の場 / 空中の場

Scene at the obi shop in Toraishi town / Scene in the air

帶屋長右衛門 — 幸四郎

Obiya Chōemon — Kōshirō

[Matsumoto Kōshirō VII 松本幸四郎]

信濃屋お半 — 宗十郎

Shinanoya Ohan — Sōjūrō

[Sawamura Sōjūrō VII 澤村宗十郎]

奴凧 — 勘彌

Yakko dako (footman) — Kan'ya

[Morita Kan’ya 森田勘彌 XIII]

Translation and transcription of left margin notes:

[Nakamura] Ganjirō played Matsuō, while Fukusuke portrayed Chiyō. As always, Fukusuke delivered a polished performance, embodying both grace and charm, making him an excellent Chiyō. Kaisha’s portrayal of Umekawa was also stunning, with beauty and exceptional skill in his acting, leaving nothing to be desired. Fukusuke’s performance as Oen was effortless, capturing the character’s good-natured personality with ease, leaving the audience deeply moved.

松王の鴈治郎に、福助が千代を演た。毎々手馴れ切った役とて品もあり色氣もあり上々の千代役者、魁車の梅川も奇麗て演る事も達者此上なし。福助のおえんに到つてはお茶の子さい〱の氣の良い役とて、胸のす〱観がある。

松竹座一月興行

(保名) (太功記) (鈴ヶ森)

Shōchiku-za January program
(Yasuna) (Taikōki) (Suzugamori)

久吉 — 三升

Hisayoshi — Sanshō

[Ichikawa Sanshō V 市川三升]

保名 — 莚升

Yasuna — Enshō

[Ichikawa Enshō III (1894-1947) 市川莚升]

光秀 — 中車

Mitsuhide — Chūsha

[Ichikawa Chūsha VII 市川中車]

長兵衛 — 左團次

Chōbei — Sadanji

[Ichikawa Sadanji II 市川左團次]

浪花座新聲劇一月狂言 (國定忠次)

Naniwa-za Shinsei Theater Group [Shinsei geki] January program
(Kunisada Chūji)

角座一月狂言 (小ゆき)

Kado-za January program
(Koyuki)

國定忠次 — 中田

Kunisada Chūji — Nakata

[Nakata Shōzō 中田正造 (1893-1945) - leader of the Shinsei Theater Group]

お徳 — 富士野

Otoku — Fujino

[Fujino Tsutae 富士野蔦枝 (?-?)]

日光圓蔵[藏] — 山口

Nikkō Enzō — Yamaguchi

[Yamaguchi Toshio 山口俊雄 (1897-1945)]

山田仁作 — 梅島

Yamada Jinsaku — Umejima

[Umejima Noboru (1887-1943) 梅島昇]

小ゆき — 花柳

Koyuki — Hanayagi

[Hanayagi Shōtarō 花柳章太郎 (1894-1965)]

新春各座順禮 (その 一)

New Year's Pilgrimage to Theaters (Part One)

一、熊谷 — 吉右衛門(市村)

1. Kichiemon [Nakamura Kichiemon I 中村吉右衛門]

as Kumagai at the Ichimura-za

二、風間八郎 — 羽左衛門(歌舞伎)

2. Uzaemon [Ichimura Uzaemon XV 市村羽左衛門]

as Kazama Hachirō at the Kabuki-za

三、羽柴秀吉 — 幸四郎(帝劇)

3. Kōshirō [Matsumoto Kōshirō VII 松本幸四郎]

as Hashiba Hideyoshi at the Imperial Theater (Teigeki)

四、福島正則 — 勘彌(帝劇)

4. Kan'ya  [Morita Kanya XIII 守田勘彌]

as Fukushima Masanori at the Imperial Theater (Teigeki)

五、野州の富藏 — 菊五郎(市村)

5. Kikugorō  [Onoe Kikugorō VI 尾上菊五郎]

as Yashū no Tomizō at the Ichimura-za

六、梅津長門 — 伊井(本郷)

6. Ii [Yōhō Ii 伊井蓉峰] as Umezu Nagato at the Hongō-za

七、十次郎 — 三津五郎、初菊 — 芝鶴(松竹)

7. Mitsugorō [Bando Mitsugorō VII 坂東三津五郎]

as Jūjirō and Shikaku [Nakamura Shikaku II 中村芝鶴] as Hatsukiku at the Shōchiku-za

八、紫香改め霞仙と雁治郎の口上(中座)

8. Shikō’s [Nakamura Shikō’s 中村紫香] renaming to Kasen [Nakamura Kasen II 中村霞仙] and Ganjirō’s [Nakamura Ganjirō I 中村雁治郎]  announcement at the Naka-za

九、浦里 — 我童、時次耶 — 右團次(辨天)

9. Gadō [Kataoka Gadō IV 片岡我童] as Urasato and Udanji [Ichikawa Udanji II 市川右團次]

as Tokijirō at the Benten-za

十、赤格子 — 中田、數馬 — 山口(浪花)

10. Nakata [Nakata Shōzō 中田正造 - leader of the Shinsei Theater Group] as Akagōshi and Yamaguchi [Yamaguchi Toshio 山口俊雄] as Kazuma at the Naniwa-za

邦樂座一月曾我廼家劇

(四海波 [しかいなみ]) (片破れ月[かたやれづき])

Hōgakuza January Soganoya* Production
(Shikai nami) (Katayabure tsuki)

高砂賴母 — 五郎

Takasago Raimo? — [Soganoya] Gorō

息女浪路 — 大磯

Daughter Nami-ji — [Soganoya] Ōiso

運轉手西山 — 五郎

Driver Nishiyama — [Soganoya] Gorō

助手山田 — 蝶六

Assistant Yamada — [Soganoya] Chōroku

Right margin commentary

This classic-style play, written by Gorō himself and previously performed to great acclaim, tells the story of Raimo, a man who discovers that Nami-ji, the woman he intends to marry, far surpasses him in martial arts. Determined to improve, he sets out for training, returns to challenge her, loses, and departs again. Over ten or twenty years, as the couple repeatedly competes, they grow older with each match. The play skillfully portrays their changing strength and emotions in an elegant storyline. Eventually, like the old couple in the Noh play Takasago, the husband finally wins, leading to a joyous conclusion in "Shikai nami."

"Katayabure tsuki" serves as the opening play of this program. Based on a script by Hanai Rojin of Kyoto and further adapted by Gorō, the story unfolds as a late-night incident by the seaside. It features an automobile driver, Imai (Ichirō), and his assistant, Sawa (Chōshichi), with Gorō and Chōroku excelling in these roles. The cast also includes the businessman Kojirō Andō and the geisha Shuya (Ōiso), whose sincere performances brought humor and entertainment, as is customary for the troupe.

*Go to "Soganoya Comedy Troupe" for more information on the Soganoya Troupe

Colophon and Notes to Readers

Back cover

The flower-hat dance from Musume Dojoji 

[Hanako, a shirabyōshi, wears a large circular hat and in each hand she holds a furidashigasha, a slightly smaller replica of the circular hat she wears, but each furidashigasha turns out to be three linked hats which she flings out while dancing a kasaodori (flower hat dance). 

口繪 三十六家選 (その三)

市村羽左衛門の花川戶助六

Frontispiece (color lithograph)

Thirty-Six Selected Actors (No. 3)

Ichimura Uzaemon [XV]  as Hanakawado Sukeroku

artist: Natori Shunsen 名取春仙 (1886-1960), signed 春仙画 Shunsen ga with paulownia seal

帝國劇場二月狂言

(布施太子の入山)

The Imperial Theater February performance

(Fuse Taishi no nyūzan - Prince Fuse enters the monastery)

倉田百三氏作

Written by Kurata Hyakuzō

布施太子 — 守田勘彌

Prince Fuse — Morita Kan'ya [XIII]

妃 —  河村菊江

Princess: Kawamura Kikue [1890-1972]

當世人氣俳優 (その十)

松本幸四郎丈

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 10) - 

Mr. Matsumoto Kōshirō [VII (1870-1949)]

中座二月狂言 (栗山大膳)

Naka-za February performance

(Kuriyama Daizen)

 愛妾お秀の方 — 中村魁車

Aishō Ohide no kata — Nakamura Kaisha

毛谷主水 — 中村福助

Keya Mondo — Nakamura Fukusuke [IV]

 講談種の黒田騒動、鴈次郎の大膳に福助の主水、魁車のお秀の方、立派奇麗づくめで甘いけれど肩の凝らぬ一番目もの、東京では一寸この氣分は出し難い。

A dramatization of the famous Kuroda Disturbance from storytelling tradition. With [Nakamura] Ganjirō as Daizen, Fukusuke as Mondo, and Kaisha as Aishō Ohide no kata, the production is strikingly elegant and refined. It’s a splendid and beautifully composed piece, sweet and relaxed, making it a top-notch performance that's hard to replicate in Tokyo.

歌舞伎座二月狂言

(尼將軍)尼将軍

Kabuki-za February program

(Ama shōgun - The Nun Shogun)

大森痴雪氏作

Written by Ōmori Chisetsu [1877-1936]

持蘭尼 — 秀調

Jōran-ni [The nun Jōran] — Shūchō [Bandō Shūchō III 坂東秀調 (1880-1935)]

政子 [平政子] —  歌右衛門

Masako [Taira no Masako, the Nun Shogun] — Utaemon [Nakamura Utaemon V 中村歌右衛門 (1865-1940)]

平妙子 —  福助

Myōko? — Fukusuke

[Nakamura Fukusuki V 中村福助 (1900-1933)]

泰時 — 市藏

Yasutoki [Hōjō Yasutoki] —  Ichizō

[Ichikawa Ichizō (1868-1944) 市川市蔵 IV or, possibly, Kataoka Ichizō IV 片岡市蔵 [1880-1926]

歌舞伎座二月狂言

(助六由緣江戶櫻)

Kabuki-za February performance

(Sukeroku yukari no Edo zakura - Sukeroku: The Flower of Edo)

歌舞伎十八番の内 河東節十寸見會連中

One of the Eighteen Best Kabuki Plays (Kabuki Jūhachiban), performed in collaboration with the Katōbushi* Masumikai Troupe.

 花川戸の助六實は會我五郎時致 — 市村羽左衛門

Hanakawado no Sukeroku, who is actually Soga Gorō Tokimune — Ichimura Uzaemon

[Ichimura Uzaemon XV 市村羽左衛門]

*An elegant style of narrative shamisen music, developed in the early 18th century by Masumi Katō, the son of an Edo fishmonger. In contrast to more popular styles like Tokiwazu or Shinnai, Katōbushi was appreciated largely by the intelligentsia. Today, the music survives in just one play - Sukeroku, the Flower of Edo (Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura). Whenever the play is acted by a member of the Ichikawa family, amateur Katōbushi musicians are invited to perform. Since it was the hobby of the old elite, the actor playing Sukeroku will always address the musicians respectfully.

[Source: http://www.naritaya.jp/english/compendium/dictionary_04.html#05 - accessed 12/14/2024]

本鄉座二月狂言 (鎌倉三代記)

Hongō-za February performance (Kamakura sandaiki - Three Generations of Kamakura)

三浦閑居の場

Scene: Miura's Secluded Cottage*

時姬 — 松蔦

Princess Toki — Shōchō

[Ichikawa Shōchō II 市川松蔦 (1886-1940)]

三浦之助 — 宗十郎

Miuranosuke — Sōjūrō

[Sawamura Sōjūrō VII 澤村宗十郎 (1875-1949)]

おくる — 芝鶴

Okuru — Shikaku

[Nakamura Shikaku II 中村芝鶴 (1900-1981)] 

佐々木高綱 — 延若

Sasaki Takatsuna — Enjaku

[Jitsukawa Enjaku II (1877-1951) 実川延若]

* This scene is commonly referred to as Kinugawa-mura Kankyo - Living in seclusion in Kinugawa Village, the only scene in this ten act play still performed.

中座二月興行

(乘合船惠方萬歲) (三人片輪)

Nakaza February performance
(Noriaibune ehō manzai - Manzai entertainers on a ferry boat) (Sannin katawa - The three disabled persons)

大切常盤津所作事

Grand finale performance: Tokiwazu dance drama

中幕所作狂言

Middle act performance: Comedic drama

萬歲鶴太夫 — 福助

Manzai Tsurutayū — Fukusuke

[Nakamura Fukusuke IV 中村福助]

才造龜吉 — 長三郎

Saizō Kamekichi — Chōzaburō

[Sawamura Chōzaburō 澤村長三郎]

啞女おまき ― 扇雀

Mute Girl Omaki — Senjaku

[Nakamura Senjaku I 中村扇雀]

帝國劇場二月狂言 (布施太子の入山)

Imperial Theater February performance
Fuse Taishi no nyūzan - Prince Fuse enters the monastery)

倉田百三氏作

Written by Kurata Hyakuzō [1891-1943]

婆羅門丁 — 鶴藏

Brahman Tei — Tsuruzō

[likely Nakamura Tsuruzō III 中村鶴蔵 (1884-1932)]

同乙 [婆羅門乙]— 彌五郎

Brahman Otsu  — Yagorō

[likely Bandō Yagorō 坂東彌五郎 (1909-1999)]

布施太子 — 勘彌

Prince Fuse — Kan'ya

[Morita Kan'ya XIII 守田勘彌 (1885-1932)]

妃曼坻— 菊江

Crown Princess — Kikue

[Kawamura Kikue 河村菊江 (1890-1972)]

市村座二月興行 中幕 (鏡獅子)

Ichimura-za February program
Middle act performance (Kagami jishi – The mirror lion [the lion dance])

柳營お廣敷の場

Scene: The Imperial Palace's Grand Hall

お子姓彌生 — 尾上菊五郎
Okosho Yayoi — Onoe Kikugorō [VI]

Left margin commentary (in part): From the New Kabuki Eighteen Famous Plays, this is a celebrated piece of choreography accompanied by Nagauta Hayashi music ensembles. Originally passed down by the ninth generation Danjūrō, it has been further polished by the sixth generation [Kikugorō], making it an unparalleled masterpiece of dance.

Right margin commentary Murai Chōan: The titled play, Murai Chōan: Takumi no yaregasa, is a five-act sewamono drama. The storyline progresses much like a kōdan narrative, featuring the matters of Sayogoromo and Sentarō, Hayanori Sanji (played by Kodayū [Ichikawa Kodayū II]), the astute judgment of Ōoka Echizen-no-Kami (played by Murata Masao II), and the loyalty of the head clerk Kyūhachi (a dual role by Ennosuke), who becomes a scrap peddler. It unfolds as an extended narrative with intricate developments.

花とりどり

A variety of flowers

Back cover

The flower-hat dance from Musume Dojoji 

[Hanako, a shirabyōshi, wears a large circular hat and in each hand she holds a furidashigasha, a slightly smaller replica of the circular hat she wears, but each furidashigasha turns out to be three linked hats which she flings out while dancing a kasaodori (flower hat dance). 

七月號 目次

Table of Contents and Preface*

*See above for a translation of the First section of the Preface.

Frontispiece foldout: Offset press printing of a lithographic reproduction of an Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) 1860 woodblock print depicting the scene "Hatsu yagura uwasa no takashima" in the play "Sannin Kichisa kuruwa no Hatsugai" 三人吉三廓初買   (The Three Kichisas and the New Year's First Visit to the Pleasure Quarters) with Iwai Kumesaburō III in the role of the thief Ojō Kichisa disguised as a woman.

This print is the top print of an ōban tate-e diptych, the bottom print of which was reproduced in the next month's issue Volume 4, Number 8 shown below

當世人氣俳優 (その十四)

梅島昇氏

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 14) - 

Mr. Umejima Noboru [1887-1943]

[Best known as an actor in "new theater" shingeki]

口繪 三十六家撰 (その七)

市川左團次の和尙吉三

三人吉三巴白浪

Frontispiece (color lithograph)

Thirty-Six Selected Actors (No. 7)

Ichikawa Sadanji [II] as Oshō Kichisa in the play Sannin Kichisa kuruwa no hatsugai

artist: Natori Shunsen 名取春仙 (1886-1960), signed 春仙筆 Shunsen hitsu with paulownia pattern seal

Colophon and announcements to readers

(see Colophon Details for publishing information in left margin)

top: A further explanation to "esteemed members" about how the coupon redemption works to receive the "Thirty-Six Actor Autograph Album."

bottom: Mourning the Death of Murata Masao 村田正雄 (1871-June 7, 1925) - stage and screen actor

Back cover

八月號 目次 

◇編輯餘錄◇

Table of Contents

Editor's Notes:

We received an overwhelming response to the July issue of this magazine, and within a few days of its release, the first edition was sold out. The second edition also sold out on the same day, even before it could be fully bound. Consequently, a third edition had to be issued due to its immense popularity. This success is entirely thanks to the support of our readers, for which all of us on the editorial team express our deepest gratitude.

口繪 三十六家撰 (その八) 片岡我童の福岡貢Frontispiece (color lithograph): Thirty-Six Selected Actors (No. 8) Kataoka Gadō as Fukuoka Mitsugi

名取春仙筆

Designed by Natori Shunsen 名取春仙 (1886-1960)

當世人氣俳優 (その十五)

市村家橘丈

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 15) - 

Mr. Ichimura Kakitsu [VII (1904-1952)]

"His portrait is a true representation of his refined taste and dignity." 

Frontispiece foldout: Offset press printing of a lithographic reproduction of an Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) 1860 woodblock print depicting the scene "Hatsu yagura uwasa no takashima" in the play "Sannin Kichisa kuruwa no Hatsugai" 三人吉三廓初買   (The Three Kichisas and the New Year's First Visit to the Pleasure Quarters) with Ichikawa Kodanji IV in the role of Oshō Kichisa, a priest, and Kawarazaki Gonjūrō I in the role of Obō Kichisa, a ronin.

This print is the bottom print of an oban tate-e diptych, the top print of which was reproduced in the previous month's issue Volume 4, Number 7 shown above.  

隠亡堀の場: 東海道四谷怪談

Onbōbori no ba: Tōkaidō Yotsuya kaidan (Ghost Stories at Yotsuya on the Tōkaidō, the scene at the Onbō Canal)

歌舞伎座

Playing at the Kabuki-za

鳥居清忠氏筆

by Torii Kiyotada (Torii VII) 鳥居清忠 (七代目) (1875-1941)

Colophon and advertisement

(see Colophon Details for publishing information in left margin)

right: Advertisement by the Taishō Radio  Company 大正ラヂオ社 for an SK high-frequency amplifier

Back cover

Advertisement for publications by Taishō Tsūsinsha 大正通信社發行:

寫眞通信 (Shashin tsūshin)

"The Monthly Photographic Illustration"

国粹 色紙と短冊
National Culture: "Shikishi and Tanzaku"

九月號 目次

◇會員諸君に一言◇

Table of Contents and Preface

◇A Word to Our Members◇
-Please Read Carefully-
◇Due to high demand, every issue of this magazine has been sold out, no matter how many copies we print. The August issue also sold out within the month, as is customary. All of our staff sincerely express our deep gratitude and, with renewed dedication, pledge to work even harder in the future. We humbly ask for your continued patronage.

口絵

三十六家撰 (その九)

中村福助 (成駒屋) の時姬

伊東深水氏筆

Frontispiece (color lithograph):

Thirty-Six Selected Actors (Number 9)

Nakamura Fukusuke [V] (Narikomaya*) as Tokihime drawn by Itō Shinsui 伊東深水 (1898-1972)

*actor's guild name (yagō)

口絵

似顏繪…中村福助 (高砂屋) の淺野内匠頭

名取春仙氏筆 

Frontispiece (color lithograph):

Nigao-e [bust portrait]: Nakamura Fukusuke [IV] (Takasagoya*) as Asano Naganori by Natori Shunsen 名取春仙 (1886-1960)

*actor's guild name (yagō)

市川松蔦のおまん

田中柴光氏筆

Ichikawa Matsuta as Oman, by 

Tanaka Shikō [signing as 紫光 Shikō; sealed たなか Tanaka]

當世人氣俳優 (その十六)

中村福太郎丈

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 16) - 

Mr. Nakamura Fukutarō [1898-1970]

夏祭浪花鑑

鳥居清忠氏筆

Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami 

Drawn by Torii Kiyotada (Torii VII) 鳥居清忠 (七代目) (1875-1941)

帝國劇場新國劇

(象つかひ)

Imperial Theatre performance by the Shinkoku-geki company

(The Elephant Handler)

中村吉藏氏作 濱田右二郎氏 舞台裝置

Written by Nakamura Kichizō [1877-1941]
Stage design by Hamada Ujirō

ジヤンダークの花子 ― 山路千枝子

象使ひダス ― 澤田正二郎

Dark? Hanako – played by Yamaji Chieko [1897-1942]
Das the Elephant Handler – played by Sawada Shōjirō

[Founder of Shinkoku-geki, actor and playwright (1892-1929)] 

辨天座大歌舞伎 (馬士地獄)

Benten-za [Osaka Theater] Grand Kabuki (The Horseman's Hell). 

大詰小田原淨光寺奥の院大瀑布の場

Final Act: The Scene of the Great Waterfall at the Inner Sanctuary of Jōkōji Temple in Odawara.

僧淨念前身箱根の六藏 ― 大吉

The Monk Jōnen in His Former Life as Rokuzō of Hakone ― played by the actor Daikichi. [Bandō Daikichi II 坂東大吉]

清兵衛妹おふじ ― 扇雀

Seibei's Younger Sister Ofuji ― played by Senjaku

[Nakamura Senjaku I 中村扇雀]

玉櫛笥清吉 — 右團治

Tamakushige Kiyokichi — played by Udanji

[Ichikawa Udanji II 市川右團次].

飯綱茂三郎 — 橘三郎

Iizuna Shigesaburō — played by Kitsusaburō

[Arashi Kitsusaburō V 嵐橘三郎]

歌舞伎座(夏祭浪花鑑)

Kabuki-za (Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami [A Mirror of the Osaka Summer Festival])

大詰屋上捕物の場

Final Act: Scene of the Arrest on the Rooftop

團七九郎兵衛 — 延若

Danshichi Kurobē — Enjaku

[Jitsukawa Enjaku II 実川延若]

一寸德兵衛 — 友右衛門

Issun Tokubē — Tomoemon

[Ōtani Tomoemon VI 大谷友右衛門]

帝國劇場新國劇 (坂崎出羽守)

Imperial Theatre, Shinkoku-geki (Sakazaki Dewanokami)

山本有三氏作 高田保氏舞台裝置

Written by Yamamoto Yūzō, stage design by Takada Tamotsu

坂崎出羽守 — 澤田正二郎

Sakazaki Dewanokami — played by Sawada Shōjirō

德川千姬 — 久松喜世子

Tokugawa Sen-hime — played by Hisamatsu Kiyoko

本田平八郎忠刻 — 中井哲
  Honda Heihachirō Tadatoki — played by Nakai Tetsu

邦樂座五九郎劇 (火あぶり)

Hōgaku-za, [Soganoya*] Gokurō play

(The Burning at the Stake)

鈴木泉三郎氏作

Written by Suzuki Senzaburō

畵家津村有年 —  高橋義信

Artist Tsumura Arutoshi — played by Takahashi Yoshinobu

麦おくに ― 五月信子

Mugi Okuni — played by Satsuki Nobuko

*See "Soganoya Comedy Troupe"

Colophon and advertisement

(see Colophon Details for publishing information in left margin)

right: Advertisement by the Taishō Radio  Company 大正ラヂオ社 for an SK high-frequency amplifier

Back cover

Advertisement for publications by Taishō Tsūsinsha 大正通信社發行:

寫眞通信 (Shashin tsūshin)

"The Monthly Photographic Illustration"

国粹 色紙と短冊
National Culture: "Shikishi and Tanzaku"

十月號 目次

Table of Contents and Preface with an announcement of a new prize contest for members.

雁次郎の内蔵之助

小早川清画

[Nakamura] Ganjirō [I] as [Ōishi] Kuranosuke

by Kiyoshi Kobayakawa*

*The Preface notes: "[I]n response to the enthusiastic requests of many members, we have included a color print by the renowned up-and-coming artist Kiyoshi Kobayakawa who has made a name for himself at the Imperial Art Exhibition (Teiten)." 

當世人氣俳優 (その十七)

尾上菊五郎丈

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 17) - 

Onoe Kikugorō [VI (1885-1949)]

口繪

三十六家選 (その十) 中村芝鶴の初菊

伊東深水氏筆

Frontispiece (color lithograph):

 Thirty-Six Selected Actors (No. 10), Nakamura Shichikaku [II] as Hatsukiku

Drawn by Itō Shinsui 伊東深水 (1898-1972)

歌舞伎座九月狂言一番目(オセロウ)

Kabuki-za September Performance, First Play (Othello)

小山内薰氏 譯並に演出

Translated and directed by Kaoru Osanai [1881-1928]

オセロウ ― 幸四郎

Othello — Kōshirō [Matsumoto Kōshirō VII 松本 幸四郎]

キャシャス ― 壽美藏

Cassio — Sumizō

[Ichikawa Sumizō VI 市川壽美藏]

イャゴウ ― 左團次

Iago — Sadanji

[Ichikawa Sadanji II 市川左團次]

デスデモオナ ― 松蔦

Desdemona — Shōchō

[Ichikawa Shōchō II]

淺草松竹座(戀妻) 恋妻

Asakusa Shōchiku-za "Koitsuma" (Loving Wife)

都新聞連載 吉井勇氏原作

Serialized in Tokyo Shinbun. Original story by Isamu Yoshii [1886–1960]

女優浪路真砂子 — 河合

Actress Namimichi Masako — Kawai

[Kawai Takeo 河合武雄 (1877-1942)]

ロイドの龍吉 — 梅島

Ryojaku of Lloyd — Umejima

[Umejima Noboru 梅島昇 (1887-1943)]

帝國劇場九月狂言一番目(吉田御殿)

Imperial Theatre September Performance, First Play (Yoshida goten - Yoshida Palace)

弘津千代子女史作 鳥居清忠氏舞臺裝證

Written by Miss Hirotsu Chiyo [1901-1983], stage design by Torii Kiyotada (Torii VII) 鳥居清忠 (七代目) (1875-1941)

天樹院 — 律子

Tenjuin — Ritsuko

[Mori Ritsuko 森律子]

花井繁之丞 — 勘彌

Hanai Shigenojō — Kanya

[Morita Kan’ya 森田勘彌 XIII]

侍女竹尾 — 菊江

Lady’s maid Takeo — Kikue

[Kawamura Kikue 河村菊江 (1890-1972)]

歌舞伎座九月狂言(かごや)

Kabuki-za September Performance (Kagoya [The Palanquin Bearer])

常盤津松尾太夫社中

Tokiwazu Matsuo Tayū Troupe

猿之助の駕屋三太

Sanosuke the Palanquin Bearer — Played by Ennosuke

[Ichikawa Ennosuke II 市川猿之助]

 浪花座九月狂言 (來山)

Naniwa-za September performance (Raizan)

榎本虎彥氏原作

Original story by Enomoto Torahiko [1866-1916]

小西來山 — 卯三郎

Konishi Raizan — Usaburō [Onoe Usaburō II 尾上卯三郎 (1860-1928)]

藝子小ふじ ― 扇雀
Geisha Kofuji — Senjaku

[Nakamura Senjaku I 中村扇雀]

Colophon and announcement of new prize for readers

(see Colophon Details for publishing information in left margin)

right and center: Announcement of the new prize being offered of two tanzaku strips by the famous actor Matsumoto Kōshirō, printed by high-quality offset and the prize rules.

left side of actor image: "(Question) Who is this actor?" 

Back cover

Advertisement for new publications by Taishō Tsūsinsha 大正通信社發行:

Motion Picture 映画

"The first-ever high-end magazine in Japan dedicated to motion pictures."

Scout Graph スカウトグラフ

"Filled with warmth and affection."

十一月號 目次

Table of Contents for the November issue

口繪

三十六家選 (その十一) 中村歌右衛門の尾上 

伊東深水氏筆

Frontispiece (color lithograph)

Thirty-Six Selected Actors (No. 11)

Nakamura Utaemon [V] as Onoe [in Kagamiyama Kokyō no Nishikie 鏡山旧錦絵]

Drawn by Itō Shinsui 伊東深水 (1898-1972)

 當世人氣俳優 (その十八)

守田勘彌

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 18) 

Morita Kan'ya [XIII]

『龍之口法難之圖』

鳥居清忠氏筆

Depiction of the Persecution of Nichiren at Tatsunokuchi, by Torii Kiyotada (Torii VII) 鳥居清忠 (七代目) (1875-1941)

歌舞伎座十月狂言 (辨天娘女男白浪)

Kabuki-za October Performance

(Benten Musume Meo no Shiranami)

濱松屋の場

Scene at the Hamamatsuya

辨天小僧菊之助 — 羽左衛門

Benten Kozō Kikunosuke —  Uzaemon

[Ichimura Uzaemon XV 市村羽左衛門]

南鄉力丸 — 左團次

 Nangō Rikimaru — Sadanji

[Ichikawa Sadanji II 市川左團次]

帝國劇場十月狂言 (日蓮上人)

Imperial Theater October Performance (Nichiren Shōnin)

龍の口刑場の場

Scene at Tatsunokuchi Execution Grounds

日蓮上人 — 幸四郎

Nichiren Shōnin — Kōshirō

[Matsumoto Kōshirō VII 松本幸四郎]

四條金吾賴基 — 宗十郎

Shijō Kingo Yorimoto — Sōjūrō

[Sawamura Sōjūrō VII 澤村宗十郎]

神戸松竹劇場十月狂言 

(栗山大膳)

Kobe Shōchiku Theater October performance (Kuriyama daizen)

愛妾お秀の方 — 魁車

Concubine Ohide-no-kata — Kaisha

[Nakamura Kaisha 中村魁車]

毛谷主水 — 福助

Ketani Mondo — Fukusuke

[中村福助 Nakamura Fukusuke IV]

栗山大膳 — 鴈治郎

Kuriyama Daizen — Ganjirō

[Nakamura Ganjirō I 中村鴈治郎]

善之助 — 扇寿
Yoshinosuke? (or Zennosuke?) — Senju

[possibly Nakamura Senju 中村扇寿 active in this period]

神戸松竹劇場十月狂言 (乘合船惠方萬歲)

Kobe Shōchiku Theater October performance (Noriaibune Ehō Manzai [Manzai Entertainers on a Ferry Boat])

萬歲鶴太夫 — 福助

Manzai Tsurutayū — Fukusuke

[Nakamura Fukusuke IV 中村福助]

才造龜吉 — 長三郎
Saizō Kamekichi — Chōzaburō

[Sawamura Chōzaburō 澤村長三郎]

淺草松竹座十月狂言 (十二時會稽曾我)

Asakusa Shōchiku Theater October performance (Jūni toki kaikei Soga) 

五郎丸—小太夫

Kodayū as Gorōmaru

[Ichikawa Kodayū II 市川小太夫]

五郎時致—猿之助

Ennosuke as Gorō Tokimune

[Ichikawa Ennosuke II 市川猿之助]

帝國劇場十月舞踊劇 (おなつ狂亂)

Imperial Theater October Dance Drama (Onatsu Kyōran - Onatsu’s Madness)

 坪內逍遙博士作

Written by Dr. Tsubouchi Shōyō [1859-1935]

八木淳一郎氏舞臺裝置

Stage Design by Yagi Junichirō

梅幸のお夏

Baikō as Onatsu [Onoe Baikō VI 尾上梅幸]

中座文樂人形淨瑠璃 (本朝廿四孝)

Naka-za Bunraku Puppet Jōruri (Honchō Nijūshikō - Twenty-Four Paragons of Filial Piety)

山本勘助物語の段

Tale of Yamamoto Kansuke scene

横藏: 吉田玉藏

慈悲藏 吉田玉松

Yokozō — [puppeteer] Yoshida Tamazō [III]
Jihizō — [puppeteer] Yoshida Tamamatsu [III]

Colophon and manga

(see Colophon Details for publishing information in left margin)

狂言 小梅と由兵衛

漫画筋書

横山啓画

Play: Koume and Yoshibei

manga plot outline

by Yokoyama Kei

Back cover

Advertisement for new publications by Taishō Tsūsinsha 大正通信社發行:

Motion Picture 映画

"The first-ever high-end magazine in Japan dedicated to motion pictures."

Scout Graph スカウトグラフ

"Filled with warmth and affection."

十二月號 目次

Table of Contents for the December issue

口絵

三十六家撰 (その十二) 尾上梅幸の十六夜

伊東深水氏筆

Frontispiece (color lithograph):

Thirty-Six Selected Actors (No. 12), Onoe Baikō [VI] as Izayoi [in Izayoi Seishin (The Love of Izayoi and Seishin)]

Drawn by Itō Shinsui 伊東深水 (1898-1972)

當世人氣俳優 (その十九)

片岡我童

Contemporary Popular Actors (No. 19) 

Kataoka Gadō [IV]

中座十一月狂言 (壺屋久兵衛)

Naka-za November Performance

(Tsuboya Kyūbei)

三年坂清兵衛宅の場

Scene at Seibei’s House on Sannen-zaka

陶器師清兵衛— 卯三郎

Pottery Master Seibei — Usaburō

[Onoe Usaburō II 尾上卯三郎]

壺屋久兵衛—雁治郎

Tsuboya Kyūbē — Ganjirō

[Nakamura Ganjirō I 中村雁治郎]

歌舞伎座十一月狂言 (乃木將軍)

Kabuki-za November Performance

(General Nogi)

松居松翁氏作並舞臺監督

Written and Directed by Mr. Matsui Shōō

乃木希典一左團次

General Maresuke Nogi — Sadanji

[Ichikawa Sadanji II 市川左團次]

静子夫人 — 歌右衛門

Lady Shizuko (his wife) — Utaemon

[Nakamura Utaemon V 中村歌右衛門]

神戶松竹劇場十一月狂言(深川染)

Kobe Shochiku Theater November Performance (Fukagawa Dyeing)

永代橋下の場

Scene: Under the Eitai Bridge

瀧の家お瀧 — 花柳

Otaki of Taki's House — Hanayagi

[Hanayagi Shōtarō 花柳章太郎]

七之助 — 壽三郎

Shichinosuke — Jusaburō

[Bondō Jusaburō III 坂東壽三郎]

中座十一月狂言 (明鳥夢泡雪)

Naka-za November Play

(Akegarasu Yume no Awayuki)

山名屋庭先雪の場

Scene: Yamanaya Garden in the Snow

浦里 一 雀右衛門

Urazato – Jakuemon

[Nakamura Jakuemon III 中村雀右衛門]

遣り手おかや 一 卯三郎

Yarite Okaya – Usaburō

[Onoe Osaburō II 尾上卯三郎]

禿みどり ー 小鷹

Kamuro Midori – Kotaka

[unknown child actor]

帝國劇場十一月狂言 (其小唄夢廓)

Imperial Theater November Play

(Sono kouta yume mo Yoshiwara)

鳥居清忠氏 舞臺裝置

Stage design by Torii Kiyotada

六鄉川船中立腹の場

Scene: Harakiri on the Rokugō Riverboat

平井權八 — 市村羽左衛門

Hirai Gonpachi – Ichimura Uzaemon

淺草松竹座十一月狂言 (當利鬮千十一番)

Asakusa Shōchiku-za November Play

(Atari Kuji sen jūichi ban)

紙屑屋幸次郎 — 延若

Kamikuzuya Kōjirō – Enjaku

[Jisukawa Enjaku 実川延若]

妹おきぬ ― 芝鶴
His younger sister Okinu – Shikaku

[Nakamura Shikaku II 中村芝鶴]

神戶松竹劇場十一月狂言(谷底)

Kobe Shochiku Theater November Performance [Tanizoko (The Valley Deep)]

故鈴木泉三郎氏作

Written by the late Suzuki Senzaburō [1893-1924]

婁年代 — 花柳

Kojima Toshiyo [Kisaburō’s wife] — Hanayagi

[Hanayagi Shōtarō 花柳章太郎 [1894-1965]

小島紀三郎 — 藤村

Kojima Kisaburō — Fujimura

[Fujimura Hideo (藤村秀夫) 1889-1968]

弟英四郎 — ?山
Younger Brother Kojima Eishirō [Kisaburō’s younger brother] — unread

文樂座十一月興行 繪本太功記

Bunraku-za November Performance: Ehon Taikōki

尼ケ崎の段

Scene: Amagasaki no dan (The Amagasaki Scene)

Colophon and manga

(see Colophon Details for publishing information in left margin)

演藝川標漫画

横山啓画

Kawashirube? Entertainment Manga 

by Yokoyama Kei

Back cover

Advertisement for new publications by Taishō Tsūsinsha 大正通信社發行

Motion Picture 映画

"The first-ever high-end magazine in Japan dedicated to motion pictures."

Scout Graph スカウトグラフ

"Filled with warmth and affection."