A couple of firsts for kabuki over the weekend. On Friday, UNESCO announced its decision to designate kabuki as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The traditional Japanese theater form dates back to the Edo Period, Japan’s renaissance. It joins noh,similarly designated in 2001, and bunraku puppet theater designated in 2003. Kabuki’s candidacy still needs to be ratified by a few more countries, but is expected to receive formal protection under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage sometime in 2006. Among those delighted by the news was Sakata Tojuro IV, the first kabuki actor to take that stage name in 231 years. Formally known as Nakamura Ganjiro, the “living national treasure” spoke to the press at Minamiza theater in Kyoto before the annual “kaomise” performances that begin on Wednesday. About 5,000 fans turned out to celebrate his ascension to the new name earlier this month.
• Meanwhile, the Kabukiza theater in Tokyo’s Ginza saw young ladies in swimsuits take to its hallowed catwalk for the first time. The Shochiku movie studio held the finals of its Star Gate audition for young actresses. In its 110th year, and from over 10,000 hopefuls, the studio chose 19-year-old student Ebise Hanako (photo), who was also chosen as a winner in the Kyoto Kimono Queen pageant earlier in the year.
• And finally, it was announced Saturday that popular young kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (33) recently became a dad. His wife, actress Takeuchi Yuko (25), gave birth to a baby boy at a Tokyo hospital last Tuesday. The couple married in June.