A print depicting the opening ceremony at the Hisamatsuza theater — one of the theatrical institutions of Meiji Tokyo where kabuki and other performance traditions were being adapted to new urban audiences and venues. Theater opening ceremonies (kaijoki) were important social events that combined entertainment with civic significance, and prints documenting them preserved records of specific venues, productions, and the fashionable audiences who attended them. Chikanobu's theatrical imagery reflects his extensive engagement with the performing arts as a print subject.
Meiji period, dated October 10, 1896
Woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper
Woodblock print
Woodblock print
Woodblock print
歌舞伎
Woodblock print
1955
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
Opening Ceremony at the Hisamatsuza Theater was created by Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延).
Opening Ceremony at the Hisamatsuza Theater depicts kabuki.