New Kabuki - Shinkabuki

Japanese: 新歌舞伎 - しんかぶき

A genre within the classification of Kabuki Kyogen. Since the Meiji period, as Japan has been modernizing, there has been a demand for Kabuki plays that do not follow traditional methods, and plays by outside authors, not traditional Kyogen writers, have begun to be performed.

[Hiroshi Fujita]

Early Meiji Period

The precursors to this were (1) Zangirimono, which incorporated the new customs of the early Meiji period, and (2) the theatrical reform movement that began in the 1870s. Zangirimono were plays on modern customs at the time written by Kyogen writers such as Kawatake Mokuami, but in terms of technique they merely followed the traditional Kabuki patterns. On the other hand, the lively plays put into practice by Ichikawa Danjūrō IX as part of the theatrical reform movement were unpopular for their strict respect for historical facts and their rigidity in educating the public, and they declined in the 1880s. In addition, when Mokuami, who wrote both of these plays, passed away in 1893 (Meiji 26), Kyogen writers had no one to take over, and this also marked a major turning point.

[Hiroshi Fujita]

Late Meiji Period

Meanwhile, Tsubouchi Shoyo advocated historical dramas that made use of the techniques of old Kabuki, and published "Kirihitoha" between 1894 (Meiji 27) and the following year as a concrete example of this idea, but this work was not performed until 1904, ten years later. The first outsider's work to be performed on stage was "Akugenta" by Matsui Matsuo, which premiered in 1899 by Ichikawa Sadanji I. Thus, from the late Meiji period, works by playwrights began to appear, and the common feature of these works was that they attempted to express modern ideas or human images by making use of traditional Kabuki techniques. Particularly noteworthy in this respect is Ichikawa Sadanji II, who established the status of new performances with the success of "Shuzenji Monogatari" (1911) in collaboration with Okamoto Kidō.

[Hiroshi Fujita]

After the Taisho Period

From the Taisho to the early Showa era, Onoe Kikugoro VI, Morita Kanya 13, Ichikawa Ennosuke II and others actively performed new works, and in addition to Kido, Enomoto Torahiko, Ikeda Daigo, Oka Kitaro, Mayama Seika, Kikuchi Kan, Yamamoto Yuzo, Tanizaki Junichiro and others produced excellent works, and in the Showa era, Hasegawa Shin, Uno Nobuo and others were presented, and after World War II, Funahashi Seiichi, Osaragi Jiro, Hojo Hideji and others were presented. Note that the postwar works are sometimes distinguished as new kabuki in terms of style and direction.

On the other hand, Ennosuke Ichikawa maintained that previous new works were too focused on dialogue and lacked the essential elements of song and dance, and in February 1986 (Showa 61) he staged philosopher Takeshi Umehara's new work "Yamato Takeru," which became a hit, and since then he has alternated between staging works by Kensuke Yokouchi and Ennosuke Ichikawa.

[Hiroshi Fujita]

"Hosei University Research Group, ed., History of Japanese Performing Arts, Vol. 7 (1990, Hosei University Press)" ▽ "Complete Collection of Masterpiece Kabuki 20, New Kabuki Collection 1," edited by Tonokura Koichi (1991, Tokyo Sogensha)" ▽ "Complete Collection of Masterpiece Kabuki 25, New Kabuki Collection 2," edited by Tonokura Koichi (1992, Tokyo Sogensha)" ▽ "Kabuki Handbook," edited by Fujita Hiroshi (2000, Sanseido)" ▽ "The History of Kabuki, by Imao Tetsuya (Iwanami Shinsho)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

歌舞伎狂言の分類上の一ジャンル。明治以降、日本が近代化していく過程において、歌舞伎劇も旧来の手法をとらない合理的な作品が求められ、従来の狂言作者ではない、局外作家の戯曲が上演されるようになった。

［藤田　洋］

明治前期

この前駆として、(1)明治初期の新風俗を取り込んだ散切物(ざんぎりもの)、(2)明治10年代に始まる演劇改良運動がある。散切物は河竹黙阿弥(もくあみ)その他の狂言作者の手になる当時の現代風俗劇だが、手法的には従来の歌舞伎のパターンを踏襲したにとどまった。一方、演劇改良運動の一つとして9世市川団十郎の実践した活歴は、史実尊重・民衆教化の堅苦しさで不評を買い、明治20年代に衰退した。加えて、この両者に筆をとった黙阿弥が1893年（明治26）に世を去ると、狂言作者には後を継ぐべき人もなく、この面でも大きな転換期を迎えた。

［藤田　洋］

明治後期

一方、坪内逍遙(しょうよう)は旧歌舞伎の手法を生かした史劇を提唱、その具体化として1894年（明治27）から翌年にかけて『桐一葉(きりひとは)』を発表したが、この作の上演は10年後の1904年であり、舞台に上演された局外者の作品は、1899年の初世市川左団次初演、松居松翁作『悪源太』をもって嚆矢(こうし)とする。こうして明治後期から劇作家による作品が登場するが、それらに共通する特徴は、歌舞伎の伝統的技術を生かして、近代的思想もしくは人間像を表現しようとしたところにあった。この面でとくに注目されるのは2世市川左団次で、岡本綺堂(きどう)との提携による『修禅寺物語』（1911）の成功で新作上演の地位を決定づけた。

［藤田　洋］

大正以後

以後、大正から昭和初期にかけて6世尾上菊五郎(おのえきくごろう)、13世守田勘弥(かんや)、2世市川猿之助（猿翁）らが積極的に新作を上演、綺堂のほか榎本虎彦(えのもととらひこ)、池田大伍(だいご)、岡鬼太郎、真山青果(まやませいか)、菊池寛、山本有三、谷崎潤一郎らの優れた作が生まれ、昭和に入っては長谷川伸(はせがわしん)、宇野信夫(のぶお)ら、第二次世界大戦後は舟橋聖一、大仏次郎(おさらぎじろう)、北条秀司(ひでじ)らによる作品が提供された。なお戦後のものは、様式・演出の面から新作歌舞伎として区別することもある。

　一方、市川猿之助は、従来の新作はセリフ劇に偏っていて本来の「歌」「舞」に欠けていると主張して、1986年（昭和61）2月、哲学者梅原猛の新作「ヤマトタケル」を上演してヒットさせ、以後、横内謙介作品とほぼ交互に上演している。

［藤田　洋］

『法政大学研究会編『日本芸能史　第7巻』（1990・法政大学出版局）』▽『利倉幸一監修『名作歌舞伎全集20　新歌舞伎集1』（1991・東京創元社）』▽『利倉幸一監修『名作歌舞伎全集25　新歌舞伎集2』（1992・東京創元社）』▽『藤田洋編『歌舞伎ハンドブック』（2000・三省堂）』▽『今尾哲也著『歌舞伎の歴史』（岩波新書）』