Kabuki Zoushi

Also written as "Kabuki Zoushi." A general term for hand-painted stories consisting of colored illustrations and narration on the subject of early Okuni Kabuki and female Kabuki. All are thought to have been produced in the early Edo period, but the exact date and author are unknown. The illustrations are thought to have been done by town painters. They are valuable material for learning about the actual conditions of early Kabuki theaters and stages, as well as the customs of the audience. Two versions of the works remain.

(1) This is a kind of illustrated story based on the performing arts performed on the Okuni Kabuki stage, adding the relationship between Okuni of Izumo and Nagoya Sanza. The story goes that while Okuni is dancing the Nembutsu dance, the ghost of Nagoya Sanza visits her and they dance the Kabuki dance together, reminiscing about the past. The Kyoto University edition of "Kunijo Kabuki Ekotoba," the Shochiku Otani Library edition of "Kafuki no Saushi," and the Yamato Bunkakan edition of "Okuni Kabuki Soushi Fragments" are works of this genre.

(2) A work that does not include any literary fiction, but instead has the lyrics of a female Kabuki dance written on the stage. An example of this is the so-called "Uneme Kabuki Soushi Emaki" (Illustrated Scroll of Uneme Kabuki), housed at the Tokugawa Reimeikai.

[Yukio Hattori]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

「歌舞伎草紙」とも書かれる。初期の阿国(おくに)歌舞伎や女歌舞伎を題材として、彩色の絵と詞書(ことばがき)とで構成されている肉筆の草子類の総称。いずれも江戸初期の作と思われるが、正確な年代や筆者は不明である。絵は町絵師によって描かれたと思われる。初期歌舞伎の劇場や舞台の実態、観客の風俗などを知るために貴重な資料。2系統の作が現存する。

(1)阿国歌舞伎の舞台で演じられていた芸能を素材に、出雲(いずも)の阿国と名古屋山三(なごやさんざ)との関係を加えて一種の絵物語に仕立てたもの。阿国が念仏踊を踊っているところへ、名古屋山三の亡霊が訪ねてきて、ありし昔を懐かしんでともに歌舞伎踊を踊るという筋。京大本『国女歌舞伎絵詞』、松竹大谷図書館本『かふきのさうし』、大和(やまと)文華館本『阿国歌舞伎草紙断簡』はこの系統の作。

(2)文芸的虚構を加えず、女歌舞伎踊の舞台面に、踊りの詞章を記したもの。徳川黎明会(れいめいかい)蔵の通称『采女(うねめ)歌舞伎草紙絵巻』がこれである。

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