NHK General TV's "Century of Visuals: The Butterfly Effect" (Mondays at 10 PM) will broadcast "Living National Treasures: Men Who Lived as Female Impersonators" on February 2nd. In Kabuki, onnagata (female impersonators), men play female roles. In order to inhabit a man's body with the suppleness of a woman, they have sometimes risked their lives. This is a record of the tenacity of these Living National Treasures who suppressed their own sexuality and lived in a fictionalized sexuality.
During the Edo period, Kabuki was controlled by the shogunate, and men were required to play female roles, giving birth to onnagata (female impersonators). Nakamura Utaemon V, who appeared in the Meiji period, continued to perform on stage despite suffering from lead poisoning from the powder. His son, Nakamura Utaemon VI, lived his daily life as a woman, and with his bewitching sex appeal, he rose to the pinnacle of onnagata (female impersonators) in the postwar period, earning the title of Living National Treasure.
Tamasaburo Bando, who came from an ordinary family to the world of Kabuki, captivated audiences with his ethereal presence. This program introduces the world of beauty and tenacity of men who strived to master the role of female actors. Narrated by announcer Itoi Yoji.
