Kabuki trainees at the National Theatre Institute receive hands-on guidance from actor Nakamura Manju (left). (Courtesy of the National Theatre)
The box-office hit Kokuho ("National Treasure"), directed by Lee Sang-il and based on Shuichi Yoshida's novel, explores the kabuki world's enduring tension between raw talent and inherited bloodlines.
The film follows Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa), born into a yakuza family but taken in by a prestigious kabuki household, where he grows alongside Shunsuke (Ryusei Yokohama), the family heir, as both hone their talents.
Since its release on June 6, it has grossed more than ¥11 billion JPY ($73 million USD), making it the second-highest earning live-action Japanese film of all time as of August 21.
Its success has cast a spotlight on actors from outside the hereditary guild (monbatsugai, 門閥外), embodied by Kikuo's story. Earlier in August, graduates of the National Theatre training institute took the stage at Tokyo's Asakusa Public Hall, where their four-day run played to near-capacity crowds. The question now is: where will the next Kikuo emerge?
Packed with Fans
The annual Chigyo no Kai / Kabuki-kai Joint Performance, which wrapped up on August 17 at Asakusa Public Hall, showcases only actors without kabuki lineage.
This year's program featured a gidayu play, a kabuki drama accompanied by narrative chanting with shamisen, Futatsu Chocho Kuruwa Nikki: Hikimado. It also featured the dances Bo Shibari and Seishishi. Twenty young performers from ordinary families, averaging just 28.7 years old, took to the stage.
Among them, 22-year-old Choya Nakamura shone in the role of Minami Yohei. Fair-skinned and striking, he is a graduate of the National Theatre training institute and now trains under Living National Treasure Nakamura Karoku.
After his major stage appearance, he composed himself and remarked, "Thanks to my master and everyone's support, I was able to perform the role. I'll work hard so this won't be my last chance."
Fans and Box Office Surge
When the curtain fell, the lobby filled with fans eager to meet the cast. One office worker in her 40s remarked:
"Usually, these actors only appear in small supporting roles, so you rarely hear their voices. Today I realized how talented they really are."
The film's success has also boosted ticket sales at Tokyo's Kabukiza Theatre, the sacred hall of kabuki. Shochiku, which operates the theatre, reported:
"Since the film's June release, ticket sales have climbed steadily. We've also seen many posts from people saying they now want to experience real kabuki, which shows just how strong the response has been."
Two Paths Into Kabuki
For aspiring kabuki actors from ordinary families, there are two main paths. One is to begin as a child actor and apprentice directly under a senior star. The other is to train at the National Theatre training institute before seeking apprenticeship.
Living National Treasure Bando Tamasaburo took the first path, becoming a disciple of the 14th Morita Kanya at just six years old before being adopted into the family. The film's protagonist, Kikuo, follows the same route.
By contrast, graduates of the training institute include Ichikawa Emiya. Ichikawa went on to star in numerous productions alongside his master, the second-generation Ichikawa En'ō, including Super Kabuki: Yamato Takeru.
Developing New Talent
The National Theatre has been training kabuki actors since 1970. As of April 2024, institute graduates accounted for 99 of Japan's 293 active kabuki actors, making them an essential presence on stage.
Currently, four trainees, two each from the 29th and 30th classes, are enrolled. They study daily from 10 AM to 6 PM under leading instructors such as Nakamura Manju. Over two years, they learn performance, chanting, and gidayu, preparing for their debuts as professional kabuki actors.
Applicants must generally be under 23, and tuition is free. Recruitment for the next class begins in October, and among the new students may be the next Kikuo.
Letting the Role Stand on Its Own
Beginning September 2 at Kyoto's Minami-za Theatre, Ichikawa Emiya (66) will take on the role of Fujiko Mine in Lupin the Third. Born into an ordinary family, Emiya entered the National Theatre Institute as part of its fifth class and later apprenticed under Ichikawa En'ō.
"For actors from kabuki families, audiences see both the role and the actor himself," Emiya explained.
Without that background, he said, "I have to let the role stand on its own." Performing nearly 40 times a month in Super Kabuki, he added, the lines eventually come so naturally "that you can truly become the role."
A Demanding But Stimulating World
Emiya, who hails from Aomori, entered the institute right after high school. Day after day was filled with first-time experiences — "sword fights and stage combat learned through constant repetition from morning until night," he recalled. With no time to think of anything else, and guided by first-class teachers, the training soon became fascinating.
After graduation, he began with minor parts, "even playing the leg of a horse," before gradually earning promotion. He admitted that he thought of quitting three times, but once he discovered "the joy of truly becoming the role," he knew he could never walk away.
To those from ordinary families hoping to enter kabuki, Emiya offered some advice: "It's a demanding world, but full of stimulation and never boring." Reflecting on his own journey, he added, "I am here today thanks to many great teachers."
400 Years of History
Kabuki, a distinctly Japanese theatrical art with more than 400 years of history, is sustained today by Shochiku and the National Theatre. Unusually for a national cultural treasure, much of its survival depends on a private company. This arrangement gives kabuki its dual identity: preserving centuries-old traditions while also thriving as commercial entertainment, producing new works and modern-day stars.
The stage is still dominated by heirs and adoptees of storied lineages such as Ichikawa Danjuro and Onoe Kikugoro. Yet institute graduates now make up about 30% of actors, and in kabuki music (takemoto), they account for as much as 90%, underpinning countless productions nationwide. Their presence ensures that "outsider" talent continues to breathe fresh life into a hereditary world.
Rebounding With New Forms
Like many performing arts, kabuki was forced into a temporary halt during the pandemic. But this year, as Shochiku marks its 130th anniversary, the company has staged a string of hit productions across Japan.
Highlights include the succession naming ceremony for Kikugoro and Kikunosuke at Kabukiza in May, full-length stagings of three great classics, and the premiere of the new kabuki Phoenix. Shochiku has also mounted a bold adaptation of Lupin the Third and even collaborated with the popular video game Touken Ranbu.
Together, these works are drawing fresh audiences — foreign visitors, young people, and newcomers eager to experience kabuki in new forms.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: Tomoko Iizuka, The Sankei Shimbun
