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Subtitled kabuki films aim to entertain tourists
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Shochiku, a Tokyo-based company that produces kabuki performances as well as movies, was inspired by comments from many foreign tourists that there are not a lot of nighttime entertainment spots in Kyoto. To meet this demand, the 55-minute program is being offered during after-dinner hours for ¥1,500. (Shutterstock/-)
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hochiku Co. is showing an English-subtitled version of its Cinema Kabuki movie series at a theater in Kyoto through Nov. 2, as nighttime entertainment for foreign visitors.
The film shows a performance of the popular play “Renjishi” (The Father and Son Shishi Lions), and is running from 9 p.m. on weekdays at MOVIX Kyoto theater in the ancient capital’s Shin-Kyogoku district.
Shochiku, a Tokyo-based company that produces kabuki performances as well as movies, was inspired by comments from many foreign tourists that there are not a lot of nighttime entertainment spots in Kyoto. To meet this demand, the 55-minute program is being offered during after-dinner hours for ¥1,500.
Directed by Yoji Yamada, the “Renjishi” movie presents a 2007 performance of the play at Tokyo’s Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre that was filmed with high-tech cameras.
“Renjishi” depicts a legend in which a father lion trains his sons by pushing them over a cliff. The lead character in the 2007 production was played by the late Nakamura Kanzaburo XVIII and the young lions by his sons Nakamura Kankuro and Nakamura Shichinosuke.
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The English subtitles were prepared by a translator well-versed in kabuki, who included background information for non-Japanese audiences. This resulted in such subtitles as: “The shishi of Asian tradition is not really a lion, but a mythical, sacred animal” and “They shake their manes as a sign of power.”
Since 2005, Shochiku has produced 34 works under its Cinema Kabuki series, which have been shown at theaters nationwide. The company has also made English-subtitled versions of some of the films, including “Renjishi,” but has had few opportunities to show them thus far.
If the Kyoto screenings are successful, Shochiku hopes to showcase such works in Tokyo as well.
“Foreign tourists are focusing more on paying for first-hand experiences rather than buying things, so we hope to draw in many of them by offering affordable opportunities to enjoy footage only available in Japan,” said Junichi Ogawa, a manager for Shochiku’s Kansai Business Project. “With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics coming up, we also hope this film can inspire them to go see kabuki performances.”
This article appeared on The Japan News newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
