Shinpa — Kawakami Otojiro and the Beginnings of New School Theater

Popular modern dramas emerging in mid-Meiji Period in opposition to old-school kabuki

Shinpa refers to theater that began as political propaganda dramas dubbed soshi-shibai (plays performed by activists) and shosei-shibai (romantic, bohemian-style student theater) that emerged in the mid-Meiji Period and later developed into popular modern dramas. With acting and direction influenced by kabuki and the use of onnagata (male actors playing female roles) and the iconic kabuki joshiki-maku curtain, shinpa fell between kabuki and shingeki, a subsequent form of Japanese theater based on modern realism. The term shinpa (new school) positions kabuki as old theater. First coming into use in the late 1890s, it came to be used as the generic term for a new group of plays in the vein of soshi-shibai and shosei-shibai.

Sudo Sadanori, a leading figure of the Liberal Party, formed the Dai Nihon Soshi Kaizen Drama Association in December 1888. The association staged two plays at the Shinmachi-za theater in Osaka: Korae no Shosei Teiso no Kajin (“Brave Student”) adapted from his novel and Kinno Bidan Ueno no Akebono “(The King’s Tale of Beauty, Akebono of Ueno”), which was based on a political incident. The shinpa school of theater is considered to have begun with these two plays. In February 1891, Kawakami Otojiro, who was known for his oppekepe, mid-Meiji Period rap-like enka, performed the songs “Itagaki-kun Sonan Jiki” (“Itagaki-kun’s Actual Record of Disaster”) and “Keikoku Bidan” (“Inspiring Tale of Statesmanship”) at the Unohiza theater in Sakai. In June of the same year, the Kawakami troupe moved to the Nakamura-za theater in Tokyo, where it enjoyed great success.

As the political color of the original shinpa plays gradually faded, this new school of drama grew into a theatrical movement. Though the shinpa tradition was formed by performing plays based primarily on social themes, the school presented a succession of dramatizations of novels from the end of the Meiji Period to the Taisho Period, including Konjiki Yasha (“The Golden Demon”), Onna Keizu (“A Woman’s Pedigree”), and Onoga Tsumi (“My Own Sin”). Shinpa theater came into its heyday with the passing of three famous kabuki actors, Ichikawa Danjuro IX, Kiku to Onoe Kikugoro V, and Za to Ichikawa Sadanji I.

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Early Days of Shinpa School of Drama

Although the Sudo Sadanori and Kawakami Otojiro troupes, having yet to perfect their craft, imitated kabuki in many ways, their performances impressed audiences with the novelty of youthful enthusiasm and stark realism. These popular dramatic styles came to be known as soshi-shibai and shosei-shibai. Most of the actors dressed in simple, plain costumes of everyday dark blue kimono with white splash patterns, a heko-obi sash, and a tsutsu-sode haori coat, which audiences appreciated as apropos of student theater.

（1867－1907）岡山出身。はじめ新聞記者となり、自由党壮士として活動していたが、中江兆民のすすめによって演劇を通じて大衆を啓蒙することを決意。「大日本壮士改良演劇会」の一座を作り、自作の小説『剛胆之書生』を脚色した『耐忍之書生貞操佳人（こらえのしょせいていそうのかじん）』他を上演して、新派劇の嚆矢をなした。のち地方巡業をもっぱらとしたが、明治40年（1907）、神戸の楽屋で死去。

（1864－1911）博多の生まれ。上京して給仕、巡査などの職を転々としたのち、自由民権運動に参加。政談講釈や落語に転じ、オッペケペー節で人気を得た。角藤定憲の書生芝居に刺激されて、みずからも一座を組んで『板垣君遭難実記』などで評判を取った。妻の貞奴とともに欧米巡業も積極的に行ない、帰国後は『オセロ』などの西洋劇を紹介。晩年は俳優を引退して演劇興行や劇場の建設、女優の養成などにつとめた。草創期の新派劇の先覚者として評価されている。

川上音二郎の生涯を描いた伝記小説。村松梢風著。昭和27年刊。上下2冊。川上の波乱万丈な人生と演劇界への貢献を詳細に描いている。「オッペケペー節」で一世を風靡し、壮士芝居の創始して新しい演劇に挑み、欧米で興行を行って日本文化を広めた川上の演劇活動とその影響も記している。

明治21年（1888）12月大坂新町座の役割番付。「日本改良演劇」と銘打った角田定憲による壮士芝居の旗揚げ公演の役割番付（役者の配役を記した番付）。前狂言『耐忍之書生貞操佳人（こらえのしょせいていそうのかじん）』、切狂言が『勤王美談上野の曙』。「改良顧問」として中江篤助（兆民）の名が見える。

明治26年（1893）6月、「大日本帝国元祖壮士演劇」と銘打った角藤定憲一座による大阪浪花座の役割番付。『残憾写真俤(のこるなみだしゃしんのおもかげ) 』と『河内十人斬』。

明治24年6月浅草鳥越の中村座の辻番付。二番目は『勧善美談児手柏（かんぜんびだんこのてかしわ）』。同年2月に堺の卯の日座で、藤沢浅二郎らと試験的に初演した狂言を東京の本格的芝居小屋であった中村座に持ち込んだもので、この興行に成功した川上は演劇改良会の依田学海の認めるところとなり、新聞広告によつて伊井蓉峰、水野好美等を座員に加えた。

明治24年（1891）年8月刊。3代目歌川国貞画。同年7月に浅草鳥越の中村座で上演された川上一座の『希臘歴史経国美談』の主従邂逅の場を描いた錦絵。ペロピダス役を勤める川上音二郎。6月の『板垣君遭難実記』『勧善美談児手柏』に続いての中村座2か月目の興行を描く。

川上音二郎は大阪で落語家桂文之助の弟子となり、浮世亭〇〇（まるまる）と名乗って寄席の高座で、政治や風俗の欠点（ぺけ）を歌って評判を取った。歌詞は、「権利幸福きらひな人に　自由湯をば飲ましたい　オッペケペ　オッペケペッポー　ペッポーポー　かたい上下（かみしも）かどとれて、マンテルズボンに人力車　いきな束髪ボンネット　貴女に紳士のいでたちで　うはべの飾りはよけれども」と続く。

『中江兆民奇行談』に見える、角藤定憲の旗揚げ興行の際のエピソード。角藤は中江兆民が主筆をつとめていた大阪の東雲新聞の記者だったが、書生芝居の旗揚げにあたって大阪府の許可が得られず苦慮していた。そこで兆民が府知事にかけあって興行を認めさせ、大成功に終わったという。『中江兆民奇行談』はジャーナリスト岩崎徂堂による、兆民の破天荒な行動を記した書。

Kamakami Otojiro and Kamakami Sadayakko

After moving to Tokyo, Kawakami staged Igai (“Surprised”) in January 1894. The play was based on the recently reported Soma Jiken incident, which had outraged the Japanese public. He demonstrated astute production skills, with the ability to seize opportunities such as this and the timely staging of his play Nisshin Senso (“Sino-Japanese War”) in October 1894 immediately after the outbreak of the war. In May 1895, Kawakami finally made it to the Kabukiza Theater stage with Ikaiei Kanraku (“The Fall of Weihai”). Setting out on a tour of the U.S. and Europe in April 1899, his troupe performed in July 1900 at the Expo Universelle held in Paris, France, with Geisha to Bushi (“The Geisha and the Samurai”) and other performances highly praised. His wife, Kawakami Sadayakko, performing for the first time on this tour, became renowned as Madame Sadayakko.

On his return from this overseas tour, he called his new theater Seigeki, in reference to the new type of dialogue-based theater, which required neither dance nor musical instrument accompaniment, that he had learned in the West. At the Seigeki Theater, Kawakami staged Othello, Hamlet, and The Merchant of Venice. He experimented with new production techniques, using Western-style backdrops, costumes, and spotlights and eschewing the hanamachi raised walkway that runs through the audience in kabuki theater.