City of Kabuki Gallery

Welcome to “The Naritaya & Komatsu Bond” Exhibition

Komatsu City extends our warmest gratitude to Naritaya and Komatsu supporters of the Narimatsukai, for their generous contributions of exhibits and photos to the “History of the City of Kabuki” and “The Naritaya & Komatsu Bond” exhibitions here at the DANJURO URARA Theater Komatsu.

Our relationship with Naritaya began in 1987, when we invited Ichikawa Danjuro XII to our “Kanjincho Komatsu 800 Years Festival”, commemorating the legend of Kanjincho that took place in 1187 when Yoshitsune and Benkei passed through the Ataka-no-seki Barrier. Since then, Sir Danjuro has graced Komatsu with his presence time and again, providing guidance to our children’s kabuki troupes, interacting with Komatsu citizens and overseeing the design of URARA Theater. His devotion has been inherited by both Ichikawa Danjuro XIII and Ichikawa Suisen IV, and we have great hopes for the continued succession of the UNESCO world heritage that is kabuki culture.

It is our sincere hope that you will be able to feel the spirits Komatsu’s citizens have poured into building a society of the future, based on the romantic history of Kanjincho (one of Japan’s 18 Best Kabuki Plays) that took place at Ataka-no-seki Barrier, and on our centuries-old traditional culture of hikiyama children’s kabuki, sustained by our communities from the ground up.

Thank you so much for visiting today. Do take your time to enjoy the exhibition.

October 2023　　 Komatsu City