20th Anniversary Shikoku Konpira Kabuki Live

By MORITO MITSUYA

　 From April 3rd (Sat) to the 18th (Sun), the ''20th Anniversary Shikoku Konpira Kabuki Live'' will be showing at the ''Kanamaruza'' theater in Kotohiracho, Kagawa Prefecture.

The Shikoku Konpira Kabuki will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary as a part of a locally promoted event that Kotohiracho has been working on since its start in June of 1985. There will be two shows each day. With many Kabuki fans from all over the country, it has become an annual spring attraction of the Shikoku area.

The ''20th Anniversary Shikoku Konpira Kabuki Live'' will star 130 kabuki actors from the Shochiku Kabuki, featuring Kichiemon Nakamura as their head actor and Baigyoku

Konpira Kabuki

Japan's Oldest Kabuki Theater

Nakamura, as well as Kaishu Nakamura.

Kotohiracho's old Kumpira authorized theater (common name: Kanamaruza) is the oldest standing show theater in Japan, which was built in 1835, is a designated cultural asset of the country. It was moved and rebuilt in 1976 to its current location. The theater features its original state with its wooden entrance, zashiki style seats and the hanamichi actor's entrance. The actors can only be heard from their original voices and natural lighting is the only lighting that is available. The turning stage is operated by stagehands. This all allows for the audience to enjoy kabuki in its original Edo Period fashion.

Last year, traces of a kakesuji, which supports actors to hang in midair, and the budo dana, which is used to create snow and flower pedals to fall into the audience, were found in the old Kumpira authorized theater. Approximately a year was used to recreate and restructure these mechanisms so that they can be used again. In the end of March, the theater will reopen to its exact original state, when it first opened in the Edo Period. The entire structure has been reinforced with approximately 12 tons of steel framing behind its kirizuma roofing. It was also reinforced with quake-proof structuring and its four steel pillars were removed to provide a better view for the audience.

Eager to recreate the festive look of an Edo Period town that will be welcoming a kabuki show, Kotohiracho is planning to put up ''kabuki nobori'' for its 20th Anniversary Shikoku Konpira Kabuki Live.