Enjoy local amateur Kabuki Performance

Unfortunately I have never seen Traditional Professional Kabuki performance in east Ginza, Tokyo, however, every spring on April 29th, at Nezu town, east Tohmi City, next to Komoro city, Nagano prefecture, there held Local old-fashioned amateur Kabuki performance played by native kids and adults at old-fashioned Outdoor Kabuki stage in old Shrine located in top of steep hill. You have to climb up on the very steep stone stairs of a couple of hundreds to reach there. In old days during Edo era, when Daimyo went to Edo to pay courtesy visit to Shougun once a year, many native merchants or senior farmers were accompanied by them and enjoy Kabuki entertainment in Nihonbashi, Edo (Tokyo) during their stay there, and they tried to bring back such modern entertainment back to their own local city (about 200 Km away from Tokyo on foot) to be copied by amateur kabuki actors. They tried to make ,by their own hands, its uniforms or stage ornamentations, etc, everything to be copied by themselves by hands. And during the off-season before being busy in planting rice, or after rice-cropping, two times per year, in spring and in fall, they hold Kabuki Performance at this old Shrine. People wud bring the Onigiri (Rice Ball) with Sake and foods to enjoy the amateur Kabuki performance. Needless to say, there was neither Movie nor TV available , at that time, and every year, New performance, very popular performance in Edo was newly introduced and updated. When you watch this amateur Kabuki Festival, you can really time-slip to the old days of more than 300 years ago and feel the same atmosphere as people of old days really felt. They also threw the Ohineri, small Tip or coins wrapped with paper, to the amateur Kabuki actors, (No actress is allowed, only male can perform the play of even actress) to express praise of their performance on the stage.In the morning, you can see the performance by young Kids only and in the afternoon, by male Adults, and you can enjoy all day long with chatting or eating or drinking sake under the Sun outdoors. As a matter of fact, this is really nothing but Great Fun, thinking over the Old days of more than 300 years ago.

#Kabuki #Shogun #KomoroNagano