It's a traditional performing art with a rich history.

It draws a million theater-goers per year...

It's "kabuki!"

"Kabuki" actor Kataoka Ainosuke explores it with us on "KABUKI KOOL."

This time, "onnagata" actor Nakamura Kazutaro tells us about "Osome's Seven Roles."

This is a play where he takes seven different roles,

changing from one role to another with lightning speed!

Let's open the curtain to find out more.

Hi, I'm Sarah Àlainn.

Today we have the second of two programs exploring the fascinating art of the "onnagata" female role specialist.

Hello.

Hello!

So today we're looking at a play called "The Seven Roles of the Love Story of Osome and Hisamatsu."

That's right.

We actors often call it "Osome's Seven Roles."

An "onnagata," or female role specialist, plays all seven roles

so I'd like to welcome back our guest from the previous episode, Nakamura Kazutarō-san.

Hello again!

Welcome back.

I'm "kabuki" actor Nakamura Kazutarō.

Thank you for having me back!

Today, I'm going to talk about "Osome's Seven Roles."

Oh!

Oh wow.

Look at all these photos.

Yes.

These are all me in the seven roles from a production we did about a year ago.

Starting with the far left...

Osome, the daughter of a wealthy pawnbroker.

Next, Hisamatsu, an apprentice in the pawnshop.

Then, Hisamatsu's older sister, Takekawa.

She works for a "samurai" clan as a lady-in-waiting.

Then, this is Omitsu.

She's Hisamatsu's fiancee.

Beside her is an older lady, Teishō, who is Osome's mother.

Beside her, wearing black, is Koito.

She's a "geisha" who's in love with Osome's brother.

Finally we have Dote no Oroku, who's a strong woman with a sassy tongue.

I see.

So, you play all these roles and have to make them seem like different people?

That's right.

Wow.

The father of Hisamatsu and Takekawa was a "samurai"

and committed ritual suicide after he lost a famous sword called Go-ō Yoshimitsu.

The brother and sister are now searching for the lost sword so that they can restore their family.

I see.

The story is set in a commoner neighborhood of Edo, the name of Tokyo in the Tokugawa period.

Osome, the daughter of the Aburaya pawnshop becomes the lover of Hisamatsu,

an apprentice in the store and people start gossiping about it.

Settle down Osome! What's wrong?

But Hisamatsu has gotten separated from us!

Hisamatsu has gone to a nearby "geisha" restaurant.

He's been called there by his older sister Takekawa,

a lady-in-waiting in a "samurai" mansion.

You're playing Hisamatsu too!

That's right.

Sister, I'm here.

Ah, hah! That boy must be having
a secret date!

Osome! Why are you running away from me?

What?

You're Osome again in a flash!

Yes, this is a "kabuki" fast change.

But you have to change your entire costume and wig in such a short time!

Yes.

I think there were about 20 seconds for the one just now.

20 seconds??!!

That's insane!

You're the head clerk! Behave yourself!

Ouch!

Where are you going?
Oh, my eyes hurt!

Osome! Osome!

Sarah-san!

Yes?

There, look at that!

What?

He's changed again!

Now, I'm the "geisha" Koito.

Koito! I'd do anything for you!

So, in this restaurant, not only Osome and Hisamatsu, but characters like a "samurai"

and the head clerk of the Aburaya are there and all encounter each other.

I have to interact with them, changing rapidly from one role to another.

I saw that handsome boy
go into that room!

Osome and Hisamatsu! Come out of there!

Commoner! How dare you
break into a private room?

Who is she?

That's Hisamatsu's older sister Takekawa.

From an apprentice to a young woman, to a "geisha" and "samurai" lady-in-waiting:

each role is totally different.

Those fast changes were a real surprise!

Weren't they?

Thank you.

It's so fun for us watching you change from role to role,

but it must be a tough job for the actor.

There's a team who help me take off one costume and put on the new one.

There are my apprentices, the costume team, and the wig dresser.

They are the ones that really have to work hard.

Now let's look at this.

This shows a backstage discussion about this play between the playwright

Tsuruya Nanboku and the "onnagata" actor Iwai Hanshiro.

Nanboku was a famous 19th-century playwright and Hanshiro was the big "onnagata" star.

Hanshiro became a sensation with these seven roles with fast changes.

The characters of Osome and Hisamatsu are based on a real love suicide in Osaka during the 18th century.

Their story was turned into plays for "kabuki" and the puppet theater.

So, until recently, everyone in Japan would have recognized them.

Yes, they would.

An actual couple who committed suicide.

Yes.

Tsuruya Nanboku's plays always contain entertaining spectacle,

but combine it with realistic depictions of the texture of real life at the time.

That makes him distinctive.

I see.

This is the pawnshop part of the Aburaya.

A woman comes to the shop.

Her name is "Dote no Oroku."

Is this the business of Aburaya Tarobei?

Yes, this is the Aburaya.

Is this from your shop?

Oroku hands them a "kimono" with a tag from the pawnshop.

Look, this is the kimono we gave
to that guy from the country yesterday.

Indeed, we gave this
to the peddler of greens.

My only brother came and told me about it.

He said that there was an argument
and he got a little cut on his face.

Then, probably out of pity, you gave
him 100 coppers and this kimono.

Since he was injured slightly, we gave
him some money and this kimono.

So, you did beat my little brother!
It's true isn't it?

It wasn't really a beating...

You beat him, didn't you!

I brought him here to say thank you.
Please meet with him.

Hey! It's the house over here.

Things are starting to get a bit strange.

Yes, they are!

There's a palanquin... and it's heading right inside the store!

Yes... it is!

It's OK, just dump him here!

Who did they bring in the palanquin?

Oroku claims that it is the corpse of her little brother.

What??!!

This is terrible!

It appears that he is dead.

Yes, he's dead! You killed him!

So, Oroku claims that the people of the Aburaya killed him and demands money, right?

That's right.

But that's blackmail!

It sure is!

Who thinks that you can kill a person and make it
good with an old kimono and some cash?

Is there any person that thinks a human
life is so cheap?

If there is, bring him here!
I'd like to meet him!

Oroku is a very tough woman!

Oroku's nickname is "Oroku of the riverbank" and she is as strong as any man.

Wow.

How could you kill my
precious little brother?

I came to thank you
for all you did for me yesterday.

Someone else has come to visit the store.

Yes.

This is Oroku's younger brother, the man that she said was dead.

What?

I am Kyusaku.

What? This is the kimono
I received yesterday.

And my torn coat is on that person
sleeping over there!

Maybe I'm actually dead!

Hey, this is our apprentice Kyuta!

Kyuta?

Take this dead body away!

The corpse moaned!!

The "corpse" was not really dead.

It revives and all of Oroku's plots unravel.

In the end, they get caught, but I find Oroku to be quite charming.

Thank you.

Oroku is a role type called an "akuba."

This is a special role type for "onnagata."

An "akuba" is a woman who does bad things, but isn't necessarily a villain.

These roles have a unique charm, and you have to be able to create that.

"Akuba" roles are difficult.

And I was really surprised by the dead body in the a palanquin.

Ah yes, yes.

That's very typical for a Nanboku play.

There's often a murder, or a body, or a coffin.

There's a lot of black humor in his style of entertainment.

But he also portrays very real characters from the bottom of society in this period.

Oroku and Kihei are great examples.

I see.

Can you tell us how you portray Oroku and Osome differently?

Well, why don't you join him in a demonstration?

Really?

Please do!

Here.

Okay, well, Osome first.

Tuck your elbows in, and place one hand on your chest, and the other out, like this.

Her biggest gesture is probably tilting her head.

Look ahead, then slooowly tilt and turn to Ainosuke-san.

Okay?

Nice feminine gesture.

Very good.

Now Oroku.

Back straight, legs a little apart.

Stand at a slight angle for a cleaner silhouette.

Then turn to Ainosuke-san as if to say, "What the hell do you want?"

What the hell do you want?

Don't actually say that.

Oops!

Let's try that again.

Straight ahead, then a quick turn.

That's it!

Just a simple change in stance can create a completely different personality.

Very true.

The gestures are key.

I see.

Meanwhile, Osome and Hisamatsu's relationship has been discovered by her mother, Teishō.

And Hisamatsu has been locked up in the storehouse.

That's right.

So Osome is upset and stays in her bedroom.

This is Osome's room on the second floor of the Aburaya pawnshop.

Osome, if you worry like that,
you'll get sick!

But Hisamatsu is locked up
in the storehouse, all because of me!

Now, there is nothing to worry about.

It sounds like your mother's coming.
You'd better get in bed.

Osome's mother, Teishō, comes to talk to her daughter.

Another fast change!

Yes, now I'm Osome's mother.

How is my daughter?

She was so worried, she started
feeling sick, so, I had her lie down.

I would like to talk to Osome
alone, please give us privacy.

Osome, do you feel any better?
No, don't get up.

If I could, I would let you
be with the man you love.

But the responsibilities of the
floating world prevent me.

Her mother can't let Osome be with someone she likes because of the tight finances of the store.

She must marry the wealthy man selected by her mother.

It's tough on Osome's mother as well.

Oh.

Truly, pain and suffering never ends!

You've changed again!

Yes.

The impact on Osome of knowing that she can't be with Hisamatsu is great

and she decides that she must die.

She calls to Hisamatsu, who is locked up in the storehouse.

Hisamatsu, can you hear me?

We can never be together in this world.

Let us die together as we promised.
We will meet at the Sumida river.

Now you're Hisamatsu.

Since Hisamatsu is locked up, there's nothing he can do.

I promise to follow you there.

Wait for me at the Sumida river!

I can't believe how quickly you change!

How on earth do you do it?

When I'm the mother, you can see Osome's back.

That's actually a different person.

This is called a "fuki-kae," where a stand-in plays Osome.

This whole scene is really all about teamwork.

Amazing.

It really is!

But I have to say Osome and Hisamatsu look really distressed.

Yes.

Anyone from the time of this play would know the story of Osome and Hisamatsu's love suicide.

From here, the plot complications come thick and fast.

Before the couple can meet, the head clerk lies and says that he will unite Osome and Hisamatsu.

He then tricks the maid into getting Osome into a palanquin

so that he can use her for his own villainous purposes.

In the middle of the night...

Someone just broke out of the storehouse!

This is the man that we saw with Oroku

when they tried to extort money out of the store: Kimon no Kihei.

Kihei has stolen the Go-ō Yoshimitsu sword that was in the storehouse.

Hisamatsu follows Kihei out through the hole that he made.

This is the sword that Hisamatsu and his older sister are searching for, isn't it?

Yes, so in this way, he can finally take back the sword he's been searching for.

Kihei, you villain! Give me the
Go-o Yoshimitsu sword that you stole!

Finally, I have this sword.
I won't let anyone else have it!

We'll see!

Finally, Hisamatsu has managed to recover the precious sword.

Now he has to worry about Osome.

I must find Osome!

Please take me to Hisamatsu.

Now there's the palanquin carrying Osome.

Another fast change!

Please take me to Hisamatsu.

We'll bring you together.

Now, he's Hisamatsu.

Let me have Osome!

No way!

Hisamatsu fights with the palanquin bearers.

He's determined to do anything for Osome's sake.

What a weakling!

But the palanquin bearers soon knock out Hisamatsu.

Yes, and they take Osome away.

Now, it's morning by the Sumida river.

Hisamatsu's fiancee Omitsu has come from his home village

and wanders lost looking for him.

Omitsu is the seventh role!

That's right.

Omitsu heard the rumors about Osome and Hisamatsu and has come to Edo,

but eventually the emotional strain drives her mad.

Osome!

Hisamatsu!

Finally, Osome gets together with Hisamatsu.

Now, watch closely.

You changed again!

Yes.

This change takes place in an instant.

And you changed yet again.

These fast changes are so well done!

But the two are attacked again.

Now what happens?

Dote no Oroku comes to save them.

All along she was actually trying to help Hisamatsu's sister.

She fights off the pursuers.

Then, I get to make the closing stage announcement as Oroku.

Hear ye!

That's all for the matinee program.

Oh wow, you change between roles so quickly, it's amazing!

It's like magic!

Really well done!

Are you sure you're not twins?

It's just me - I promise!

I was so surprised that it ended with our usual closing as well.

Well, during the Edo period "kabuki" plays had to finish when the sun went down.

So, when sunset came, the play stopped.

The actors thanked the audience.

That was where the play was cut with a "kiri kōjō" or closing stage announcement.

"KABUKI KOOL" always finishes with "Hear ye!"

That's all for today.

That comes from these closing stage announcements.

What's the hardest part of acting seven different roles like this?

What stands out to you?

Well, to be honest, I kept noticing things I could do better as I watched the videos today!

The whole play is about three hours, including intermissions,

which is a long time to keep an audience hooked and entertained.

I've still got a long way to go!

Now we have a letter from a viewer.

This is from Randi Brecke from Norway.

Dear "KABUKI KOOL" people, and especially Kataoka Ainosuke!

I saw a "kabuki" play on my first trip to Japan 1.5 years ago,

and even though I didn't understand much, I was very impressed by the sights and sensations.

Here's a picture of me and the fridge magnet I found on my last trip to Japan,

isn't it just the right one?

- Oh!
- Wow!

How cute!

That's a fantastic "shishi" lion - and the long white hair is especially impressive!

I'm so pleased you enjoyed the play.

Perhaps you could come again with your magnet when Kazutaro and I perform a lion play!

Don't forget to visit our website.

You can find lots of information on "kabuki" and now you can also view video digests of our show.

Don't forget to send us your questions and comments.

Now it's time for our usual ending.

It is, and since there are three of us, why don't we all close the show together?

Yes.

Hear ye!

That's all for today!