Kabuki Review by Sekidobashi Sakura

Nezumi Kozo, Noda version

Essay

August 2003 in Kabukiza Theater

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In Japanese history, historians say that there was no thief like Robin Hood. 'Nezumi Kozo' who lived in the 17th century was a famous thief in Japan. His real name is Jorokichi, and Nezumi means a rat, and Kozo means a kid. Jirokichi was a short guy. He was arrested and executed in 1832, but people applauded him at that time, because he stole money from daimyo's resident only. He was 37 years old then.

People felt that the bushi/samurai class was selfish, violent, and arrogant then, so that Nezumi Kozo did their revenge instead of them. But Nezumi Kozo never gave money to people in charity. A playwright Kawatake Mokuami wrote about him into a Kabuki play as a Robin Hood figure in 1857, and it made a big hit. After that, people accepted Nezumi Kozo as a typical Robin Hood in Japan.

However, this time is different from its original, because Noda Hideki wrote and directed as a new stage play. It isn't wrong to say that it is one of the variations of 'Nezumi Kozo'. The year before last, Noda Hideki directed 'Togitatsu no Utare', and it was the first time for Noda to direct Kabuki. It made a big hit. Also all of the tickets of 'Nezumi Kozo' were sold out at the first day. I'm sure that it is the most interesting stage play this year.

Each character has a paradoxical personality. Nezumi Kozo Santa is stingy, and Yokichi who is well known as a good person is a very bad guy, and Otaka who is well known as a virtuous woman has a patron and even another lover. A cute girl, Oshina is also stingy. Oshina's stingy attitude was very lovely, though. And Ooka Tadasuke is well known as a very able town magistrate still now. In fact, Tadasuke operated a trial by himself only once, but he has done it many times on TV-drama for 20years. In this play, Tadasuke has a mistress Otaka, and ordered to kill an innocent person. It is unbelievable for Japanese. Noda's historical view is very strange, but interesting.

However, this play's ending is very sad. Sometimes I felt the same sadness, after I watched the Hollywood movies. Charlie Sheen killed Tom Berenger in 'PLATOON' finally, and murderers became not guilty in 'SLEEPERS' at the result. And Nezumi Kozo Santa was killed at the ending of this play. A trial court should be right. Santa is a thief, so that he is guilty of course. But he was killed regardless of the judgement. This play was a comedy, so that its ending made me sad. It was very sorry because it was a summer night, and I would have liked to come home in a good mood.

Kabuki doesn't have curtain call usually, but actors appeared on the stage again this time. Although it was a good idea, I think that it could have made this play special as kabuki. 'Nezumi Kozo' is the second kabuki that was directed by Noda Hideki. I want Noda-kabuki to become one of the kabuki styles, and I would like to watch his third kabuki as soon as possible. However, everything that I wrote here might have been small things. It is the most important that Kankuro and the other actors enjoy on the stage.

As I mentioned, there was no Robin Hood in Japanese history. If people were happy and society was in peace, people wouldn't need hero like Robin Hood. But people accepted Nezumi Kozo as a Robin Hood figure at that time. The Tokugawa shogunate government was rushing to the ruin after that. Nezumi Kozo could have been a symbol of the blockade feeling at that time. (2003,8,14)

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