What's Kabuki?

History

Interview

Famous Program

日本語 - Japanese English - 英語

Interview

Interview with Mr.Matsue Nakamura and Mr. Tamataro Nakamura!

Kamomen

It’s pleasure to meet you. Let’s move on to the questions now. How long does it take to complete a program, and what kind of practice do you usually do?

Matsue Nakamaura

We do formal practice at least 3 days, “Su” practice (play all of the program wearing practice wear) almost 2 or 3 times and dress rehearsal for few times as the performance (it changes by schedules). Each of us remember our serifs and do simulation to prepare for practicing. There’s no complete.

Kamomen

Please tell me the point to remember your serif. And how long does it take you?

Matsue Nakamaura

I read aloud it many times. I don’t want feel ashamed and I want audiences look me cool, so I practice hard.

Kamomen

Are costumes heavy?

Matsue Nakamaura

It’s different as roles. The most lite costume is as same as naked, and the most heavy costume is over 15kg.

Kamomen

Are wigs made-to-order?

Matsue Nakamaura

Katsuraya make base made of steal adjust as actors head at Atama Awase, and Tokoyama put on hair on the base.

Kamomen

How many people are working as a member of the stage crew and what kind of roles are there?

Matsue Nakamaura

It’s different as programs. Many kinds of works there, for example, stage set, lights, hand props, control board, kurogo who is a guardian, tsukibito who is an assistant of actor, kurogo who is an assistant performer, and writer.

Kamomen

How long does it take to be able to makeup by your self?

Matsue Nakamaura

I was did makeup by other people when I was a child, the first time that I did it by myself was when I was a junior high school.

Kamomen

Please tell me how to express animals that appear in the programs.

Matsue Nakamaura

It need to move like as the real one , but the person who moves it never stands out. Many poeple do their own ingenuity for example doing with low position.

Kamomen

Is the music which sounds before the stage starts live?

Matsue Nakamaura

Narimono (who is the musical instrument player) plays chakuto (which is an alarm) before the stage starts 30 minutes.

Kamomen

How to decide Onagata (role of woman) and Tachiyaku (role of man)?

Matsue Nakamaura

The actor who looks like woman will be an Onagata, but the actor who really wants to be an onagata, sometimes act it.

Kamomen

How many performance do you do average in a year? And please tell me the schedule of the year.

Matsue Nakamaura

Kabuki performs somewhere at the theater in all of the year, but in the most busy year, I act 11 months. The first day of the performance is 1st ~ 3rd , the term is 25 days, and the final day is 25th ~ 28th, so we can practice for next program only for 1 week. I start to remember my serifs while I am still doing other program. Shochiku (which is the company of kabuki) manage our schedules and they instruct us the program which I will appear.

Kamomen

Please tell me something different that people say between the real thing.

Matsue Nakamaura

For example, pronunciation of 黒子 is not 黒子, it’s kurogo. And kabuki is not only “Ottotto”, and not only the character who are makeup lavishly (in kabuki, makeup called kumadori.). There’re programs that we wear clothes. There’re many women in the stage crews. And sometimes intonation of the name of the actor who appear on the TV is wrong.

Ex) Matsuya Onoe

Kamomen

If you have a favorite programs, please tell me.

Matsue Nakamaura

There’re many favorite programs, but I like Kagamijishi the best.

Kamomen

Please tell me a good thing that you have ever performed kabuki.

Matsue Nakamaura

I knew it later, I think it is a fortune that I co-stared with one’s seniors who were died.

Tamataro

It’s co-stared with Kanzaburou Nakamura and Danjiro Nakamura who is the star actor.

Kamomen

When is your stage debut?

Matsue Nakamaura

It’s when I was fifth grader. Entertainment career is 40 years.

Tamataro

It’s when I was 5 years old. Entertainment career is 10 years.

*There’re roles only adults and kids, so actors prepare to be an adult by taking an off while they are junior high and high school.

Kamomen

Please tell me the message for young people.

Matsue Nakamaura

Please watch many programs of kabuki, without like or dislike. Don’t watch on TV, please watch at the theater and refer to them.

Tamataro

I want you to have vision widely and know more about kabuki. And I want you to be able to explain kabuki to foreigners in 2020, Olympic games.

Kamomen

At last, please tell me your goal.

Matsue Nakamaura

I’m desperate at doing my best about the role that in front of the eyes. I want to go forward with the role that I got cherish.

Tamataro

Since I am still child and there’re many things that I don’t know, I want to acquire some knowledges at practices, and make good use of it for when I become adult.

Kamomen

Thank you for your time. We hope your success.

After the interview

They accept our impossible desire warmly, and cooperate in busy time when was right before actual. At the interview, we heard the story that we can't know without hearing from the people who are engage in that way, and we were able to know the informations that we can’t get from the internet and books. And we experienced many things that we can feel “field”by our skin like visit of stage and backstage which were right before the actual, and many movement of the people at the interview. From these things, we learned the importance of moving by our selves and touch to many things. Mr. Matsue, Mr. Tamataro and people of Nakamuraya, thank you very much for your cooperation.

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Matsue Nakamura

Birthday is 3/8/1966, he is eldest of Touzou Nakamura. He appeared to his first stage when he was 10years old on Showa 51. The role was Tsuruchiyo who is a character of Karasendaihagi, and his name was Tamataro Nakamura 4th at that time. On Heisei 18, April, he got the name Matsue Nakamura 6th, the role was Yorihira Minamoto who is a character of Kanhashutsunagiuma and Manjirou Imada who is a character of Iseondokoinonetaba. He is doing well at Tachiyaku.

Tamataro Nakamura

Birthday is 10/22/2000, he is eldest of Matsue Nakamura 6th. He appeared to his first stage when he was 5 years old, and the role was Satonokoumematsu who is a character of Kanhashutsunagiuma. He is preparing for Tachiyaku now.