Changes

[[Image:Sukeroku.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Mannequin of Ichikawa Danjûrô XII as Sukeroku, at the Edo-Tokyo Museum.]]

[[Image:Sukeroku.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Mannequin of Ichikawa Danjûrô XII as Sukeroku, at the Edo-Tokyo Museum.]]

*''Premiere: [[1713]], [[Yamamura-za]]''

*''Premiere: [[1713]], [[Yamamura-za]]''

*''Playwrights: [[Tsuuchi Jihei]] and [[Tsuuchi Han'emon]]''

*''Playwrights: [[Tsuuchi Jihei II]] and [[Tsuuchi Han'emon]]''

*''Japanese'': 助六由縁江戸桜 ''(Sukeroku Yukari no Edo-zakura)''

*''Japanese'': 助六由縁江戸桜 ''(Sukeroku Yukari no Edo-zakura)''

==Characters==

==Characters==

[[Image:Agemaki.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Mannequin as Agemaki in display of the play's costumes, set, and props at the Edo-Tokyo Museum.]]

[[Image:Agemaki.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Mannequin as Agemaki in display of the play's costumes, set, and props at the Edo-Tokyo Museum.]]The cast of the play typically includes over eighty actors,<ref name=vaporis195>Constantine Vaporis, "A Hero for the Masses: The Kabuki Play Sukeroku: Flower of Edo (1713)," in Vaporis (ed.), ''Voices of Early Modern Japan'', Westview Press (2012), 195.</ref> with the most prominent roles being:

*'''Sukeroku''' - a samurai, frequent patron of the Yoshiwara, especially of Agemaki of the Miura-ya, and a street tough, who often starts fights on the streets of the pleasure quarters. Secretly Soga Gorô

*'''Sukeroku''' - a samurai, frequent patron of the Yoshiwara, especially of Agemaki of the Miura-ya, and a street tough, who often starts fights on the streets of the pleasure quarters. Secretly Soga Gorô

*'''Agemaki''' - the top courtesan of the Miura-ya, famous and popular throughout the district; she is known to be especially close to Sukeroku, but Ikyû has his eyes on her as well

*'''Agemaki''' - the top courtesan of the Miura-ya, famous and popular throughout the district; she is known to be especially close to Sukeroku, but Ikyû has his eyes on her as well

==Plot Summary==

==Plot Summary==

The play opens with a drunken Agemaki being escorted in by a small entourage. They sit her down on a bench and give her some medicine to help sober her up, along with a letter that has just arrived from Sukeroku's mother, Manko. Manko writes that Sukeroku is supposed to be busy working on avenging his father's murder, and should not be dallying in the Yoshiwara, seeing courtesans and engaging in street brawls; she asks Agemaki to break things off with Sukeroku and to encourage him to get back to his task. But Agemaki says she cannot do this, as she loves Sukeroku too dearly.<ref name=kabuki21>"[http://www.kabuki21.com/sukeroku.php Sukeroku]." ''Kabuki21.com''. Accessed 4 June 2011.</ref>

The play typically lasts two to three hours, depending on the version being performed.<ref name=vaporis195/> It opens with a drunken Agemaki being escorted in by a small entourage. They sit her down on a bench and give her some medicine to help sober her up, along with a letter that has just arrived from Sukeroku's mother, Manko. Manko writes that Sukeroku is supposed to be busy working on avenging his father's murder, and should not be dallying in the Yoshiwara, seeing courtesans and engaging in street brawls; she asks Agemaki to break things off with Sukeroku and to encourage him to get back to his task. But Agemaki says she cannot do this, as she loves Sukeroku too dearly.<ref name=kabuki21>"[http://www.kabuki21.com/sukeroku.php Sukeroku]." ''Kabuki21.com''. Accessed 4 June 2011.</ref>

An attendant appears and tells Agemaki that the samurai Ikyû is on his way to see her. He enters with a small entourage, as does the courtesan Shiratama. It becomes clear that Ikyû has already seen Agemaki a number of times in the past, and that he is a high-paying and well-known Yoshiwara patron. However, Agemaki dislikes him, and when he begins saying nasty things about Sukeroku, she berates him and exits, despite Shiratama's efforts to calm her down.<ref name=kabuki21/><ref name=guide>Cavaye, Ronald, Paul Griffith, and Akihiko Senda. ''A Guide to the Japanese Stage: From Traditional to Cutting Edge''. New York: Kodansha International, 2004. pp135-136.</ref>

An attendant appears and tells Agemaki that the samurai Ikyû is on his way to see her. He enters with a small entourage, as does the courtesan Shiratama. It becomes clear that Ikyû has already seen Agemaki a number of times in the past, and that he is a high-paying and well-known Yoshiwara patron. However, Agemaki dislikes him, and when he begins saying nasty things about Sukeroku, she berates him and exits, despite Shiratama's efforts to calm her down.<ref name=kabuki21/><ref name=guide>Cavaye, Ronald, Paul Griffith, and Akihiko Senda. ''A Guide to the Japanese Stage: From Traditional to Cutting Edge''. New York: Kodansha International, 2004. pp135-136.</ref>

In any case, though the kabuki play as it is known today did not debut until 1713, the characters of Sukeroku and Agemaki appeared on the [[ningyo joruri|bunraku]] stage as early as [[1678]]. [[Kamigata]] (Kansai) kabuki theatres soon afterward began to stage productions featuring the couple in love suicide stories, including ''Sennichi-dera Shinjû'' ("Love Suicide at Sennichi Temple") and ''Kyô Sukeroku Shinjû'' ("Kyoto Sukeroku Love Suicide").<ref name=blumner/>

In any case, though the kabuki play as it is known today did not debut until 1713, the characters of Sukeroku and Agemaki appeared on the [[ningyo joruri|bunraku]] stage as early as [[1678]]. [[Kamigata]] (Kansai) kabuki theatres soon afterward began to stage productions featuring the couple in love suicide stories, including ''Sennichi-dera Shinjû'' ("Love Suicide at Sennichi Temple") and ''Kyô Sukeroku Shinjû'' ("Kyoto Sukeroku Love Suicide").<ref name=blumner/>

The play as it is known today - the [[Edo]] Kabuki version associated with the Ichikawa family - was first developed by [[Ichikawa Danjuro II|Ichikawa Danjûrô II]], who witnessed performances of these Kamigata plays while touring in that part of the country, and who then brought it back to Edo, debuting his version in 1713<ref name=blumner/>, at the Yamamura-za, with Danjûrô, [[Tamazawa Rin'ya]], [[Ikushima Shingoro|Ikushima Shingorô]] and [[Yamanaka Heikuro I|Yamanaka Heikurô I]] as Sukeroku, Agemaki, Shimbei the saké merchant, and Ikyû respectively.<ref name=kabuki21/>

The play as it is known today - the [[Edo]] Kabuki version associated with the Ichikawa family - was first developed by [[Ichikawa Danjuro II|Ichikawa Danjûrô II]], who witnessed performances of these Kamigata plays while touring in that part of the country, and who then brought it back to Edo, where he worked with popular writer [[Tsuuchi Jihei II]], and Yamamura-za head playwright [[Tsuuchi Han'emon]], to develop an Edo version.<ref name=vaporis195> This then debuted in 1713<ref name=blumner/>, at the Yamamura-za, with Danjûrô, [[Tamazawa Rin'ya]], [[Ikushima Shingoro|Ikushima Shingorô]] and [[Yamanaka Heikuro I|Yamanaka Heikurô I]] as Sukeroku, Agemaki, Shimbei the saké merchant, and Ikyû respectively.<ref name=kabuki21/>

Whereas in the Kamigata plays Sukeroku was often a merchant, Danjûrô made him a samurai, giving him a black kimono, red-yellow headband, and a pattern of black [[kumadori|face makeup]] (today, chiefly red on a white foundation). Danjûrô, 26 years old at the time, performed the role in the distinctive ''[[aragoto]]'' fashion pioneered by [[Ichikawa Danjuro I|his father]]. Danjûrô also added a number of characters who are now standard elements of the plot, including the fool Monbei, Sukeroku's brother Shinbei (secretly Soga Jûrô), their mother Manko, and the villain Ikyû, many of whom were based on real figures. Shinbei and the Noodle Vendor served initially as onstage advertisements for specific neighborhood merchants, as was a common practice in kabuki at the time, Shinbei being a reference to the ''asagao [[senbei]]'' ("Morning Glory Rice Crackers") sold by [[Fujiya Seizaemon]]. The noodle vendor, similarly, was introduced by [[Ichikawa Danjuro III|Danjûrô III]] and named Ichikawa-ya, after an actual local noodle vendor; when the real-life noodle shop changed its name to Fukuyama, [[Ichikawa Danjuro VII|Danjûrô VII]] changed the character's name to Fukuyama as well. Ikyû, meanwhile, was based on the gangster [[Fukami Juzaemon|Fukami Jûzaemon]], also known as "Bearded Jikyû," who had in 1713 or so, at the time Danjûrô II was first adapting the story, recently returned from exile and who was thus a topic of conversation.<ref name=blumner/>

Whereas in the Kamigata plays Sukeroku was often a merchant, Danjûrô made him a samurai, giving him a black kimono, red-yellow headband, and a pattern of black [[kumadori|face makeup]] (today, chiefly red on a white foundation). Danjûrô, 26 years old at the time, performed the role in the distinctive ''[[aragoto]]'' fashion pioneered by [[Ichikawa Danjuro I|his father]]. Danjûrô also added a number of characters who are now standard elements of the plot, including the fool Monbei, Sukeroku's brother Shinbei (secretly Soga Jûrô), their mother Manko, and the villain Ikyû, many of whom were based on real figures. Shinbei and the Noodle Vendor served initially as onstage advertisements for specific neighborhood merchants, as was a common practice in kabuki at the time, Shinbei being a reference to the ''asagao [[senbei]]'' ("Morning Glory Rice Crackers") sold by [[Fujiya Seizaemon]]. The noodle vendor, similarly, was introduced by [[Ichikawa Danjuro III|Danjûrô III]] and named Ichikawa-ya, after an actual local noodle vendor; when the real-life noodle shop changed its name to Fukuyama, [[Ichikawa Danjuro VII|Danjûrô VII]] changed the character's name to Fukuyama as well. Ikyû, meanwhile, was based on the gangster [[Fukami Juzaemon|Fukami Jûzaemon]], also known as "Bearded Jikyû," who had in 1713 or so, at the time Danjûrô II was first adapting the story, recently returned from exile and who was thus a topic of conversation.<ref name=blumner/>

''Sukeroku'' is quite unique, as well, in its use of the ''[[katobushi|katôbushi]]''<!--河東節--> style of musical accompaniment. This style has been used for ''Sukeroku'' since [[1749]], when it replaced the ''[[itchu bushi|itchû bushi]]'' style originally used for the play; other versions of the play, employing ''[[tokiwazu]]'' or ''[[kiyomoto]]'' musical styles, are still sometimes performed today, having been composed, respectively, in [[1870]] for [[Onoe Kikugoro V|Onoe Kikugorô V]] and in 1915 for [[Onoe Kikugoro VI|Kikugorô VI]].<ref name=kabuki21/>

''Sukeroku'' is quite unique, as well, in its use of the ''[[katobushi|katôbushi]]''<!--河東節--> style of musical accompaniment. This style has been used for ''Sukeroku'' since [[1749]], when it replaced the ''[[itchu bushi|itchû bushi]]'' style originally used for the play; other versions of the play, employing ''[[tokiwazu]]'' or ''[[kiyomoto]]'' musical styles, are still sometimes performed today, having been composed, respectively, in [[1870]] for [[Onoe Kikugoro V|Onoe Kikugorô V]] and in 1915 for [[Onoe Kikugoro VI|Kikugorô VI]].<ref name=kabuki21/>

While it is quite typical in kabuki for a combination of different styles of [[shamisen]] and chanting, such as ''kiyomoto'' and ''[[nagauta]]'', to be used within a single play (often switching between styles numerous times within a single scene), ''Sukeroku'' is the only play in the current repertoire to make use of ''katôbushi'' music (which it employs alongside ''kiyomoto'' and ''nagauta''). Due in large part to the unique traditions of the ''katôbushi'' style, which employs amateur performers alongside professionals, ''Sukeroku'' is the only play in which amateur performers appear on stage having been granted professional status just for the duration of the performance; it is also one of the only plays in which female musicians perform onstage, and the only play in which an actor onstage formally requests the musicians to play. During the Edo period, ''katôbushi'' was especially popular in the Yoshiwara, even after its popularity in the theatre world waned. As part of the close ties between the theatres and the pleasure districts, ''katôbushi'' musicians from the Yoshiwara (i.e. not performers professionally associated with the kabuki theatres) were often invited to perform onstage in productions of ''Sukeroku''. This was a great honor, and source of pleasure for the musicians offered this rare opportunity. Unlike in most plays, where the musicians perform behind a ''[[kuromisu]]'' screen in one corner or end of the stage, in ''Sukeroku'', they are more fully and more centrally onstage, albeit still hidden behind a screen. This helps simulate, or recall, the idea of courtesans on display in the front windows of teahouses, allows these amateur musicians to more easily see Sukeroku's grand ''[[hanamichi]]'' entrance that is a highlight of the play, and grants them more fully the honor and pleasure of being "on stage" for the performance.<ref name=iezzi/>

While it is quite typical in kabuki for a combination of different styles of [[shamisen]] and chanting, such as ''kiyomoto'' and ''[[nagauta]]'', to be used within a single play (often switching between styles numerous times within a single scene), ''Sukeroku'' is the only play in the current repertoire to make use of ''katôbushi'' music (which it employs alongside ''kiyomoto'' and ''nagauta''). Due in large part to the unique traditions of the ''katôbushi'' style, which employs amateur performers alongside professionals, ''Sukeroku'' is the only play in which amateur performers appear on stage having been granted professional status just for the duration of the performance; it is also one of the only plays in which female musicians perform onstage, and the only play in which an actor onstage formally requests the musicians to play. During the Edo period, ''katôbushi'' was especially popular in the Yoshiwara, even after its popularity in the theatre world waned. As part of the close ties between the theatres and the pleasure districts, ''katôbushi'' musicians from the Yoshiwara (i.e. not performers professionally associated with the kabuki theatres) competed for the honor of being invited to perform onstage in productions of ''Sukeroku''.<ref name=vaporis195/> This was a great honor, and source of pleasure for the musicians offered this rare opportunity. Unlike in most plays, where the musicians perform behind a ''[[kuromisu]]'' screen in one corner or end of the stage, in ''Sukeroku'', they are more fully and more centrally onstage, albeit still hidden behind a screen. This helps simulate, or recall, the idea of courtesans on display in the front windows of teahouses, allows these amateur musicians to more easily see Sukeroku's grand ''[[hanamichi]]'' entrance that is a highlight of the play, and grants them more fully the honor and pleasure of being "on stage" for the performance.<ref name=iezzi/>

The Ichikawa family secured its control over the play in [[1832]], and some histories trace the current version of the play back to this year, rather than to any earlier date.<ref>"''Kaisetsu to midokoro''" (解説と見どころ, "Highlights and Commentary"). ''Rokugatsu Ôkabuki'' (六月大歌舞伎, "The June Grand Kabuki"). Theatre Program. Tokyo: Kabuki-za, June 2004. p63.</ref> As the play is extremely popular, other families have developed their own versions, such as ''Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momoyogusa'' performed by the [[Onoe Kikugoro|Onoe Kikugorô]] line of actors. However, only the Ichikawa family uses the title ''Sukeroku Yukari Edo Zakura'', and various stylistic elements only appear in this version of the play.<ref name=blumner/>

The Ichikawa family secured its control over the play in [[1832]], and some histories trace the current version of the play back to this year, rather than to any earlier date.<ref>"''Kaisetsu to midokoro''" (解説と見どころ, "Highlights and Commentary"). ''Rokugatsu Ôkabuki'' (六月大歌舞伎, "The June Grand Kabuki"). Theatre Program. Tokyo: Kabuki-za, June 2004. p63.</ref> As the play is extremely popular, other families have developed their own versions, such as ''Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momoyogusa'' performed by the [[Onoe Kikugoro|Onoe Kikugorô]] line of actors. However, only the Ichikawa family uses the title ''Sukeroku Yukari Edo Zakura'', and various stylistic elements only appear in this version of the play.<ref name=blumner/>

==See also==

==See also==

*A full translation of a typical version of the play can be found in: Brandon, James. ''Kabuki: Five Classic Plays''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1992. pp49-92.

*A full translation of a typical version of the play can be found in: James Brandon, ''Kabuki: Five Classic Plays''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1992. pp49-92.

[[Category:Edo Period]]

[[Category:Edo Period]]

[[Category:Poetry and Theater]]

[[Category:Poetry and Theater]]