As a "kabuki class" for beginners, the National Theater of Japan is presenting in its large auditorium until June 24 a performance by Ichikawa Ennosuke, the master of "super-kabuki" productions, which he started to develop in 1986.
The performance will be "Kaka Saiyuki" ("Kaka's Records of the Journey to the West") based on part of "Xiyouji," a lengthy 16th-century novel written by the Ming-dynasty writer Wu Chengen, featuring the adventures of the renowned Buddhist priest Xuanzang (known in Japan as Priest Sanzo) who went to India during the 7th century with three unique attendants: a monkey named Songoku (Sun Wukong) with supernatural powers, a pig with human qualities named Chohakkai (Zhu Bajie), and a water sprite (kappa) named Sagojo (Sha Wujing).
The book gained popularity in Japan after it was translated in the late 18th century, and was staged as a bunraku play in 1816 and as a kabuki performance in 1878. In December 2000, Ennosuke presented his kabuki version of "Saiyuki" at the Kabuki-za in Tokyo, adding "Kaka" to its title as it is his name as a haiku poet. Ennosuke, 69, has been unable to perform on stage for the past five years since suffering a stroke in November 2003, but he directs the current play.
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