Japanese Traditional Culture

Nurturing the next generation of traditional culture = Shochiku's "Kabuki Terakoya"

Children practicing hard for the performance (pictured above)
Shochiku's Children's Kabuki "Fake Momotaro: The Story of One Hundred Momochi" (Photo below: All photos provided by Shochiku)

If we do not nurture the people who will carry on traditional culture, the culture itself will disappear before it is even known. Shochiku, which produces and performs kabuki, has opened the "Kids' Kabuki School Terakoya" inside the Kabukiza Theater in Higashi Ginza, Tokyo, where it teaches kabuki acting and Japanese etiquette. Fujima Kanjuro, the head instructor of the Japanese dance department, is concerned about the future, but he smiles and looks forward, saying, "I want to make kabuki something that three generations of parents and children can enjoy. I would be happy if many children who study at Terakoya become kabuki actors or Japanese dancers."

◇ Expanding the fan base

According to the PIA Research Institute's "White Paper on Live Entertainment," the size of the kabuki market has been around 20 billion ~ 25 billion yen since 2000, except for a few years such as 2020, when it fell due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there is strong concern about the future in the kabuki world. Shochiku believes that "it is important for audiences to continue to change generations in traditional Entertainment such as kabuki, and we must get young people interested in it and broaden its base." Kanjuro's face clouds as he says, "Currently, only a few hundred people are involved in the entertainment of kabuki, and if this continues, kabuki culture may not be able to survive."

In 2014, Shochiku opened the Terakoya with the aim of allowing people to experience traditional Japanese culture through Kabuki, as well as educating and training young people. The school is aimed at students from ages four to junior high school, and currently has about 120 students.

Classes are divided into one-year "Basic" and one-year "Advanced" courses, with students moving on to the "Advanced" course from the third year onwards. Furthermore, for those interested in a career related to Kabuki, there are "Kabuki" and "Women's Dance" courses for junior high school students. In the Basic Course, students learn traditional Japanese etiquette, such as how to put on a yukata, how to stand and behave in Japanese clothing, and how to start and end with a bow, as well as the basics of Kabuki and Japanese dance performance. In the Advanced and Advanced Courses, students undergo more practical training, which Shochiku says "is also connected to training child Kabuki actors."

◇Learn about harmony and hone your sensibilities

This month, children from the temple school will perform an original dance drama, "Fake Momotaro: The Story of a Hundred Peaches," at the Kabukiza Tower Hall. Based on the folk tale "Momotaro," the play was written by Shochiku's Kabuki scriptwriter Kazuhisa Tobe, and directed and choreographed by Kanjuro.

Eighteen people from the advancement course participated, and over the two days they demonstrated the results of a year's training in front of an audience of about 230 people. Tobe pointed out, "(To convey tradition) it is important to have the best equipment and costumes, as well as the best staff, and let children experience the real thing." The lines and choreography were not aimed at children, but were the same as for adults. The aim was to "let them take on traditional culture" (Kanjuro).

After the performance, Sota Iwase (6th grade elementary school student), who played the role of Momotaro, said, "I want to continue to convey Japanese traditional culture to many people and spread it overseas." As globalization progresses, opportunities to experience traditional culture are decreasing, especially among the younger generation, and Tobe emphasized the significance of this, saying, "Knowing the spirit of harmony leads to understanding the cultures of other countries and sharpens children's rich sensibilities."