Tokyo Kabukiza Monthly Kabuki Review No.

64 5 4 15 - 5 5 1 (Shwa 5 nen, 15th

April 1st May 1930)
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Concluding piece A Boat with Seven Merry Gods one act Kisanta (18)

Japanese transcription is followed by the English translation

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Nakamura Kotar III as the baby sitter Ume


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Sawamura Sjr VII as Saiz Kamesuke

Matsumoto Kshir VII as Manzai Tsuruday

Concluding piece A Boat with Seven Merry Gods.. one act . Kisanta (18)
Playas it happens
Kabuki dance

Noriaibune Eh mansai

On stage the Nagauta (long song) Orchestra Company

Assignment of roles
Manzai Tsurudaiy
Saiz Kamematsu
Carpenter (Daiku) Chkichi
Teacher (Ssh)
Country Samurai (Inakazamurai)
Babysitter (Komori) Ume
Monkey Showman (Sarumawashi)
Small child or moppet (Koyakko)
Crow scarer (Karasu oi)
Geisha
Boatwoman (Send) Ohana
Geisha
White sake dealer (Shirozakeuri)

Kshir
Sjr
Kamez
Gonjr
Ksuke
Kotar
Jz
Tar
Chiyomaro
Komajaku (Matsumoto aka Ichikawa Masujaku)
Taganoj
Naritar
Gat

 - [3 ] - 4(1929) 1
January 1929 at the Meijiza - Onoe Taganoj III as the boatwoman Ohana
http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/dglib/

Straightaway the curtains open and immediately afterwards the Tokiwazu jruri narrative begins
Note: - ioriten ) is a symbol which indicates the start of a passage of lyrics

The Sumida River is the prosperous flower of Edo, overcome by longing for the Moon of the
Capital, Miyakodori(1) dwell upon the landscape, alongside the carefree fellow passengers, the
ferryman is a frivolous kindred spirit
With a face that looks more like the Tsukubane(2), he spontaneously talks of Iosaki(3), as flat
and bare as a widow's peak, though frivolous and lewd floating like a lotus leaf, he prays to saintly
Kwannon(4)
Its likely he would enjoy being accompanied by such gentlemen as are like this, happy in view
of the sak both clear and white, that is consumed like a mountain stream
--That being said, his fellow passengers are all here, one by one, they greet each other as they
meet, starting with, the White sake dealer (Gat) who begins
If I were to indeed make a wish that I could rely on, it would be firstly to start with white sak
--The white snow on Mount Fuji was melting in the morning sun
Changing as it melts
Melting in the middle of which and just like that there is a quarrelsome girl with a Shimada
hairstyle(5)
Getting tongue tied she has difficulty in speaking pleasantly her careless gossiping ignored
--Next up, its the turn of Carpenter (Kamez) and the Geisha (Naritar).
I cant help myself can I, eh, making such things as carpenter tools, and speaking fondly of them I
make small talk about such insubstantial things dont I?

-- First, its the carpenters turn, we are journeyman carpenters, has anyone heard if there is any
more work to be had, exaggeratedly and particularly holding up a carpenters square, that tool of
which he has spoken of and become accustomed to using is a companion, and straight away to
the rear afterwards nails are being replaced, he is soon hard at it with a grooving plane
Both the past and future slipping in his hands his carpenters inking string, held to a contract
squeezing a wooden wedge
Nowadays hed like a new adze, and in a new store he spotted a bracket saw, for cutting up
stubborn knotty wood with
--Next up, its the turn of the teacher (Gonjr).
Well then, eh, a Spring breeze
-- ..a Spring breeze, he wears a black haori with his hands thrust up under the armpits, the wharf
moves continuously and repeatedly swaying, swaying, slowly, slowly
heaving a lot and though its early dawn depending on self-control will get frivolously drunk at
a suitable time, white paper(6) is laden with things that are dusted unrefined tsubu(7), this is
tremendous isnt it
--Finally its the turn of Manzai (Kshir) and Saiz (Sjr).
-- The Tsudumi hand drum beats with a gentle and quietly calming sound
--All Its auspicious that we are friends isnt it, a Crane of a thousand years is a distinguished bird
(8)

Manzai and Saiz A Tortoise of ten thousand years is good for preserving ones valued life
span(8)
The Crane surpasses the Tortoise increases(8), in believing this here today all of you are all the
richer
It would seem that its true is that congratulations are deserved for prosperity is drawing near,
then they both appear to raise the pillars of a house, doing it properly
Eh, congratulations!
And now it is nearing the end
Let us look and see, afterwards they were all dancing, dancing

 The first beautiful sky at the peak of Spring is decorated with mist, Cardinal Finchs and
Japanese Robins, the birds of poetry are twittering and chirping, under the treetop branches of the
plum trees clear spring water trickles, focusing on ones reflection and seeing a silhouette dancing
madly, the sound is loud but it must be all the different sorts of birds
Together with the happy spirited fellow passengers, the sound of gentle Spring rain echoing,
with the first clap of thunder everyone points and depart quickly for their houses.
Curtain
(1) Capital birds aka plovers or black-headed seagulls. This may be a reflection on Ariwara no Narihiras poem which reflects on the
feelings of a young man crossing the Sumida River on his way back home who spots some plovers and asks the ferryman what sort of
bird they are. Miyakodori he replies which prompts the young man to long for news about the Capital (Miyako) Kyto. This would
contrast with and accentuate the next uplifting phrase about being carefree. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meisho
(2) Tsukubane this could be a reference to Buckleya lanceolata which were used as shuttlecocks for battledore or to Tsukuba root
which is a reference to daikon, a large white radish)
(3) Iosaki was a farming area on the outskirts of Edo near the Sumida River. There are many references in haiku to the Iosaki plover
which could also be an allusion to the Miyakodori which in some instances is portrayed as a plover
(4) Buddhist Bodhisattva of Mercy
(5) Shimada hairstyle was popular with unmarried women in Edo
(6) White paper is traditionally used at New Year for people to write their New Years resolutions
(7) Quite possibly a shar or pun on tsubu-an (chunky sweet adzuki bean paste) and skilful writing tsubun (see 6). Tsubu-an is
sometimes wrapped around a rice ball and dusted with kinakob (soy bean flour). The Tsubu-an is not passed through a sieve or
pureed and has a chunky texture hence the use of the word unrefined yabo
(8) Tsuru sennen, Kame mennen as the Crane 1,000 years the Tortoise is 10,000 years. The Crane is a symbol of peace, long life
and fidelity, and the Tortoise a symbol of long life, strength and endurance. From a Japanese proverb The crane a thousand years, the
tortoise ten thousand

Photographic images published before December 31st 1956, or photographed before 1946 and
not published for 10 years thereafter, under jurisdiction of the Government of Japan, are
considered to be public domain according to article 23 of old copyright law of Japan and article 2
of supplemental provision of copyright law of Japan