Kabuki Plus
Wagoto
The “wa” implies a gentle, softer acting style. Began in Osaka during the late 17th century, these roles often feature a high-ranking man who has lost his status because of a dissolute life in the pleasure quarters. The actor’s own personality is an important element, and the mood and attractions can change significantly depending on the performer.
Yatsushi
Son of a high-ranking nobleman or rich merchant who falls into trouble by taking up with courtesans. His untidy hair and weak appearance provoke pity from women.
Tsukkorobashi (a pushover)
notable!A man so weak that a single shove would look to topple him. Handsome and kind but does not understand the world. He falls in love whole-heartedly. Examples include Izaemon in this show and Yogoro in Hikimado (The Skylight). There is another type of gentleman’s role known as pintokona, a tougher and more straightforward character.
Keisei-kai (Courtesan buying)
A genre featuring a beautiful couple in the pleasure quarters. Keisei literally means a beauty who destroys a kingdom and a castle, referring to a high-ranking prostitute. Sakata Tojuro I played the wagoto role in this genre to great acclaim in numerous plays, establishing an entire field of acting.
Tayu
The highest rank of courtesan. They are trained from a young age and, with their beauty and intelligence, were allowed to meet noblemen and lords on even terms. Some famous courtesans like Yoshino Tayu and Takao Tayu became legendary and served as models for Kabuki dramas. Yugiri Tayu, a real-life courtesan in the Osaka pleasure quarters during the late 17th century, was a model for many plays after her young death. She was a major star among the commoners.
Paper kimono
notable!Kimono made of recycled paper. It is a symbol indicating that the character is so poor that he cannot afford proper cloth. Looking closely at Izaemon’s paper kimono, we see that there are letters – in fact, the kimono is made of love letters from Yugiri. Courtesans are said to never fall in love, so getting heartfelt letters from Tayu, the highest courtesan of all, and making a kimono from them is greater than gold. It is the ultimate luxury kimono.
Thousand-mat room
Stage set giving impression of layer upon layer of rooms extending into the palace using paper screens. It can be a painted backdrop using perspective or layers of screens indicating depth.
Hair band signifying sickness
notable!A hair band using wrinkled cloth dyed with the root of a purple plant. In Kabuki, this signifies a sick person if the knot is placed on the left forehead. It is also used by love-struck characters such as Yugiri. A long strand hangs from the band, making the character look weak and erotic.
700 kanme
There were three types of money in circulation in the Edo Period: gold, silver and copper. Edo mainly used gold, while Osaka and Kyoto used silver. Copper was for everyday use. The 700 kanme quoted in the play, referring to silver, is equivalent in today’s terms, by conservative estimate, to around ¥800 million. Izaemon boasts that a debt of 700 kanme would not bother him, suggesting just how rich his family must be.
Awa no Daijin
Awa no Daijin (wealthy man from Awa) burns with jealousy at Yugiri’s love for Izaemon. In the drama Yugiri Awa Naruto (Yugiri and the Naruto Straits of Awa), the basis for this play, the character is the samurai Hiraoka Sakon. Izaemon and Yugiri have a baby that is taken by Hiraoka, who then attempts to lure Yugiri as a wet nurse. Hiraoka’s wife, wanting to check out this Yugiri, disguises herself as a samurai, goes to the brothel and requests Yugiri’s service. Izaemon spots the “couple” and becomes jealous. This incident is not featured in Love Letters, but the play still carries a sense that Awa no Daijin has an ulterior motive.
Kamigata Kabuki and various Izaemons
notable!Acting families considered particularly representative of Kamigata (Osaka) Kabuki include the Narikoma/Yamashiro families (Nakamura Ganjiro, Sakata Tojuro) and Matsushima family (Kataoka Nizaemon).
From the Meiji to early Showa Periods (late 19th to early 20th centuries), Ganjiro I (Narikoma), praised as the “face of Osaka”, made Love Letters one of his Twelve Select Plays. In his version, only one young actor shows up at the Yoshidaya brothel and another couple make an early exit, leaving the rest of the play to a sweet, intimate rendezvous between Izaemon (Ganjiro) and Yugiri. The script hints at a child between them, making for a rather mature atmosphere.
In contrast, the Kataoka version (Matsushima) does not mention a child, and the pair perform in the style of young lovers. The dialogue in the reception room is light-hearted, and a character appears in some productions during the couple’s argument to calm Yugiri down. When the treasure chest is delivered, everyone joyously gathers in the reception room as if a celebratory banquet is about to begin. For a more classic feel, some directors use a candle on a long pole (see below) to cast a light on Izaemon as he appears on the hanamichi, an innovation introduced by Nizaemon XI (1857-1934).
Kamigata Kabuki is known for letting the actors make use of their own personalities rather than relying on fixed acting styles. The families pay heed to traditions of prior generations but incorporate the idiosyncrasies of individual actors, making each production unique.
Sashidashi (candle lighting)
This is also known as “face lighting”. A candle is placed at the end of a long pole and held close to the lead character’s face. Theaters in the old days had dim lighting, so the poles were used by assistants to highlight the actor, much like spotlights today. They are still used occasionally in plays to give scenes an old-fashioned feeling.
