Oka Kitaro - Okaonitarou

Theater critic, playwright, novelist. Born on August 1, 1872 in Shiba, Tokyo. After graduating from Keio University, he wrote theater reviews as an entertainment journalist for the Jiji Shimpo, Hochi Shimbun, and Niroku Shimpo. He founded the Writers' Theatre Wakaba Association and performed on stage himself, but after Ichikawa Sadanji II returned to Japan, he assisted him and became the head of the Meijiza Theatre in 1907 (Meiji 40). He devoted himself to innovative performances and the direction of traditional plays, and later became a literary advisor to Shochiku. He wrote works for the Sadanji troupe, including "Kozaru Shichinosuke," "Azuma Otoko," and "Imayo Satsuma Uta" (all first performed in 1920), as well as "Fukeru Yosatsuki no Yokogushi" (1922) and "Nemurugarakuda Monogatari" (1928), which are known as masterpieces of the new kabuki style. His fair and anti-conventional theater critiques were highly praised as guidelines for the theater world. In addition to the geisha novels "Chuya Obi" and "Gosamisen," he also wrote "Gidayu Hiketsu," "Kigen Jogo," and "Kabuki Megane." He passed away on October 29, 1943. His eldest son is the Western-style painter Oka Shikanosuke.

[Hiroyuki Fujiki]

"The Legend of Oka Kitaro" by Eiichi Takeshita (1969, Seigabo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

劇評家、劇作家、小説家。明治5年8月1日東京・芝に生まれる。慶応義塾を卒業後、『時事新報』『報知新聞』『二六新報』の演芸記者として劇評に筆を振るった。文士劇若葉会をおこして自ら舞台にも立ったが、帰朝した2世市川左団次を助けて、1907年（明治40）明治座主事となり、革新興行と古劇の演出に尽力し、のち松竹の文芸顧問となる。左団次一座のために書いた『小猿七之助』『御存知東男(あずまおとこ)』『今様薩摩歌(いまようさつまうた)』（いずれも1920・初演）をはじめ、『深与三玉兎横櫛(ふけるよさつきのよこぐし)』（1922）、『眠駱駝(ねむるがらくだ)物語』（1928）などは新歌舞伎(かぶき)の名作として知られる。また、公正で反俗的態度を貫いた鋭利辛辣(しんらつ)な劇評は、劇界の指針として高く評価された。花柳小説『昼夜帯』『合三味線』のほか、『義太夫秘訣(ぎだゆうひけつ)』『鬼言冗語(きげんじょうご)』『歌舞伎眼鏡』などの著書がある。昭和18年10月29日没。長男は洋画家岡鹿之助(しかのすけ)。

［藤木宏幸］

『竹下英一著『岡鬼太郎伝』（1969・青蛙房）』

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