Morita Kanya XII
Encyclopedia
was the leading Japanese theatre manager of the first half of the Meiji period
, between 1868 and 1912. He built the first modern theater, the Shintomi-za
(新富座), which incorporated Western features such as gaslights and chairs. The theater opened in June 1878, and was located at a foreign settlement in Tsukiji
, Tokyo. He was also a crucial factor in attracting the new audience, the aristocracy
, into the kabuki
theaters (Kikan).
in an attempt to leave Japan and immigrate into the Western world for the sake of fulfilling his goal: becoming a millionaire. Although the shogunal police
stopped him that time, his spirit and interest for the West remained an integral part of his personality. During the time of government takeover (1868), the 22 year old Morita Kanya XII became so obsessed with the Western world that he would eat sashimi
(a traditional Japanese dish) with salt and pepper as opposed to soy sauce and wasabi
(Yuichiro).
of the Meiji period. The main concern of the government was to transform the art of Kabuki into something similar to that of the western form. This placed theater from a common into a high social role, in which aristocrats and nobles would come and view the performances. Kabuki was to represent a civilized Japan (mostly for the sake of impressing westerners). In 1872, Kabuki leaders, including Morita Kanya XII were asked to participate in a discussion at the Tokyo city hall. There, the changes were addressed and Morita Kanya XII saw this as an opportunity to become a wealthy businessman with the hope to become the director of the future National Theatre of Japan
. When he built his Shintomi-za he implemented the desired reforms, which later were referred to as “engeki kairyo.” (Tschudin)
regime: the Morita-za. Following the government takeover in 1868, Morita Kanya built the Morita-za in 1872, which marked a transformation of the Japanese Kabuki theater structure. In 1875, he had financial difficulties and reorganized the Morita-za into a company, which changed the theater’s name to Shintomi-za. A year later in 1876, the theater burned down, but Morita Kanya immediately rebuilt after its destruction. In 1878 it was completed and named Shintomi-za. (Yuichiro) The Shintomi-za was furnished with Western chairs designed for Western visitors and gas lighting for the stage. The climax of Morita Kanya XII’s career was when foreign aristocrats such as Crown Prince Heinrich of Germany and U.S. President Ulysses Grant
came to the Shintomi-za to view his plays. (Brandon) All of these changes transformed Shintomi-za into Japan’s “national theatre”, although it was not referred to as such.
(1603–1868), the relationship between actor and audience was supposed to be strong and intimate. This meant that it was common for actors to interact with its audience. For instance, in the midst of the performance, the actors would come onto the “thrust stage
” (a stage that extends into the audience) and interact with them. Morita Kanya XII with his attempt to transform kKabuki into a more respectable art form eliminated the thrust stage, thereby adhering to a western convention. This ended the relationship between actor and audience. (Samuel L. Leiter, ed., A Kabuki Reader (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2002))
. (Brandon)
.
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, between 1868 and 1912. He built the first modern theater, the Shintomi-za
Morita-za
The Morita-za , also known later as the Shintomi-za , was one of the major Kabuki theaters in Edo during the Edo period and into the beginning of the 20th century...
(新富座), which incorporated Western features such as gaslights and chairs. The theater opened in June 1878, and was located at a foreign settlement in Tsukiji
Tsukiji
Tsukiji is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, the site of the Tsukiji fish market. Literally meaning "reclaimed land," it lies near the Sumida River on land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay in the 18th century, during the Edo period....
, Tokyo. He was also a crucial factor in attracting the new audience, the aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
, into the kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
theaters (Kikan).
Early life
It is said that Morita Kanya XII, as a young boy of 12 years, ran to the port of YokohamaYokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
in an attempt to leave Japan and immigrate into the Western world for the sake of fulfilling his goal: becoming a millionaire. Although the shogunal police
Shinsengumi
The were a special police force of the late shogunate period.-Historical background:After Japan opened up to the West following U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's visits in 1853, its political situation gradually became more and more chaotic...
stopped him that time, his spirit and interest for the West remained an integral part of his personality. During the time of government takeover (1868), the 22 year old Morita Kanya XII became so obsessed with the Western world that he would eat sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy. It consists of very fresh raw meat, most commonly fish, sliced into thin pieces.-Origin:The word sashimi means "pierced body", i.e...
(a traditional Japanese dish) with salt and pepper as opposed to soy sauce and wasabi
Wasabi
, also known as Japanese horseradish, is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. Its root is used as a condiment and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard rather than the capsaicin in a chili pepper,...
(Yuichiro).
The Kabuki reforms
The Kabuki theater was greatly affected during the reformsMeiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
of the Meiji period. The main concern of the government was to transform the art of Kabuki into something similar to that of the western form. This placed theater from a common into a high social role, in which aristocrats and nobles would come and view the performances. Kabuki was to represent a civilized Japan (mostly for the sake of impressing westerners). In 1872, Kabuki leaders, including Morita Kanya XII were asked to participate in a discussion at the Tokyo city hall. There, the changes were addressed and Morita Kanya XII saw this as an opportunity to become a wealthy businessman with the hope to become the director of the future National Theatre of Japan
National Theatre of Japan
The is a complex consisting of three halls in two buildings in Hayabusa-chō, a neighborhood in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The Japan Arts Council, an Independent Administrative Institution of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, operates the National Theatre...
. When he built his Shintomi-za he implemented the desired reforms, which later were referred to as “engeki kairyo.” (Tschudin)
Career
Morita Kanya was the owner of one of the three theatres licensed under the Tokugawa shogunTokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
regime: the Morita-za. Following the government takeover in 1868, Morita Kanya built the Morita-za in 1872, which marked a transformation of the Japanese Kabuki theater structure. In 1875, he had financial difficulties and reorganized the Morita-za into a company, which changed the theater’s name to Shintomi-za. A year later in 1876, the theater burned down, but Morita Kanya immediately rebuilt after its destruction. In 1878 it was completed and named Shintomi-za. (Yuichiro) The Shintomi-za was furnished with Western chairs designed for Western visitors and gas lighting for the stage. The climax of Morita Kanya XII’s career was when foreign aristocrats such as Crown Prince Heinrich of Germany and U.S. President Ulysses Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
came to the Shintomi-za to view his plays. (Brandon) All of these changes transformed Shintomi-za into Japan’s “national theatre”, although it was not referred to as such.
Elimination of thrust stage
During the heyday of Kabuki in the Edo periodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
(1603–1868), the relationship between actor and audience was supposed to be strong and intimate. This meant that it was common for actors to interact with its audience. For instance, in the midst of the performance, the actors would come onto the “thrust stage
Thrust stage
In theatre, a thrust stage is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its up stage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the audience than a proscenium, while retaining the utility of a backstage area...
” (a stage that extends into the audience) and interact with them. Morita Kanya XII with his attempt to transform kKabuki into a more respectable art form eliminated the thrust stage, thereby adhering to a western convention. This ended the relationship between actor and audience. (Samuel L. Leiter, ed., A Kabuki Reader (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2002))
Reform of Kabuki plays
In 1878, Morita Kanya XII, following the government’s demand for historical accuracy, produced the play “Okige no Kumo Harau Asagochi” which was based on a real recent uprising. He also integrated elements of “good” morale into the dialogues of his actors, with the goal to civilize the commoners (Yuichiro). He also westernized some plays to appeal to western visitors. For instance, he wrote two Kabuki plays set in Europe in 1879. At another instance he would hire a play writer to create a play based on the General Grant’s victories in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. (Brandon)
Changes in architecture and furniture
The use of Western chairs for the audience, now standard in all Japanese theatres, was introduced in Kanya's Shintomi-za. The size of the stage, which remained the same for over a century, was also enlarged when Morita Kanya XII built the Shintomi-za. (Yuichiro)Later life
In 1894, Morita Kanya XII was forced to give up his theater management duty . He had a major financial crisis in which he lost 20,000 yen in the production of the play Hyoryu Kidan Seiyo-geki, which turned out to be very unsuccessful due to the poor acting of Western performers (Yuichiro). In 1909, the Shintonomi-za was bought by ShochikuShochiku
is a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
.
Sources
- Kikan, Kimura, Morita Kanya (Tokyo: Shintaishū-sha, 1943).
- Brandon, James, “Kabuki and Shakespeare, Balancing Yin and Yang,”
- Tschudin, Jean-Jacques, “Danjuro's katsureki-geki (realistic theatre) and the Meiji 'theatre reform' movement',” Japan Forum 11 no. 1 (1991).
- Yuichiro, Takahashi, “Kabuki Goes Official: The 1878 Opening of the Shintomi-za,” The Drama Review 39 no. 10 (1995).