The NHK Educational TV program "Kimura Tae's, It's a little late, but..." starring actress Kimura Tae will air a segment titled "The Soul of Kabuki as Depicted by Tsutaju and Sharaku" from 7:30 pm on October 27. The theme is "Sharaku and Kabuki," and the program will look at how Tsutaju produced Kabuki.
In May 1794, Tsutaju commissioned Sharaku to paint large-head portraits of kabuki actors. Furthermore, he used the luxurious technique of mica-zuri (sparkling paint) to create a glossy background, and made a sensational debut with the unprecedented simultaneous publication of 28 works.
The Kabuki performance was a huge success, and even a parade was held. However, Sharaku suddenly disappeared after only 10 months of activity... The program interviewed the 10th generation Matsumoto Koshiro about the 4th generation Matsumoto Koshiro, who was portrayed by Sharaku. We asked him how the Kabuki tradition has been passed down.
