{"id":482,"date":"2026-07-20T00:48:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T15:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/?p=482"},"modified":"2026-07-23T19:34:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T10:34:19","slug":"what-is-kabuki-juhachiban-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/what-is-kabuki-juhachiban-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Kabuki J\u016bhachiban? The Ichikawa Family&#8217;s 18 Signature Plays Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Kabuki J\u016bhachiban<\/em> (\u6b4c\u821e\u4f0e\u5341\u516b\u756a, &#8220;The Eighteen Kabuki Plays&#8221;) is a collection of eighteen plays selected in the Edo period as the signature repertoire of the Ichikawa family, kabuki&#8217;s Naritaya lineage. Each play carries the family&#8217;s distinctive aragoto and wagoto performance traditions \u2014 genuinely rewarding for longtime fans and first-time viewers alike.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Selected the Kabuki J\u016bhachiban?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The eighteen plays were selected by the seventh Ichikawa Danj\u016br\u014d during the Tenp\u014d era (1830\u20131844), formally establishing them as the Ichikawa family&#8217;s signature artistic repertoire.<\/p>\n<div class=\"p-adBox -normal -border-off\" data-id=\"175\" data-ad=\"normal\">\n<div class=\"p-adBox__body\">\n<div class=\"p-adBox__img\"><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which Plays Are Actually Performed Today?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not all eighteen plays survive in active performance. By far the most frequently staged are <em>Sukeroku<\/em>, followed by <em>Kanjinch\u014d<\/em>, and then <em>Shibaraku<\/em> \u2014 all three refined into their present form during the era of the seventh and ninth Ichikawa Danj\u016br\u014d, essentially functioning as &#8220;new works&#8221; for their time. Their sheer theatrical polish is exactly why they remain in constant rotation today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond those three, a handful of other plays see relatively regular performance: <em>Yanone<\/em>, <em>Uir\u014d-uri<\/em>, <em>Kenuki<\/em>, <em>Narukami<\/em>, and <em>Kagekiyo<\/em>. <em>Yanone<\/em> and <em>Uir\u014d-uri<\/em>, like <em>Sukeroku<\/em>, belong to the beloved &#8220;Soga-mono&#8221; tradition, whose familiar story and characters help keep them in circulation. <em>Kenuki<\/em> and <em>Narukami<\/em> were originally part of the longer play <em>Raijin Fud\u014d Kitayama Zakura<\/em> before becoming independent pieces, each carrying a distinctly memorable character.<\/p>\n<div class=\"p-adBox -normal -border-off\" data-id=\"175\" data-ad=\"normal\">\n<div class=\"p-adBox__body\">\n<div class=\"p-adBox__img\"><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Plays Rarely Performed Today<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ten of the eighteen plays are almost never staged today: <em>Fud\u014d<\/em>, <em>Kan&#8217;u<\/em>, <em>Z\u014dhiki<\/em>, <em>Nanatsumen<\/em>, <em>Gedatsu<\/em>, <em>Uwanari<\/em>, <em>Jayanagi<\/em>, <em>Kamahige<\/em>, <em>Fuwa<\/em>, and <em>Oshimodoshi<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the time the seventh Danj\u016br\u014d formally selected the J\u016bhachiban in the Tenp\u014d era, the details of several of these plays had already been lost to history \u2014 for some, all that remained was a single woodblock actor print. Attempts to revive them during the Meiji and Sh\u014dwa eras generated real excitement at the time, but with so little original material to work from, playwrights often had to reconstruct them as essentially new creative works. These revivals rarely led to lasting, repeated performance, and most remain one-off curiosities.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Special Case: Oshimodoshi<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Oshimodoshi<\/em> is rarely staged as a standalone play today \u2014 but the role and staging technique itself hasn&#8217;t disappeared. In the celebrated dance piece <em>Musume D\u014dj\u014dji<\/em>, for example, an <em>oshimodoshi<\/em> figure appears near the end to subdue the vengeful spirit of the dancer Hanako. In other words, <em>Oshimodoshi<\/em> rarely exists as its own performance, but survives as a symbolic aragoto figure woven into other plays&#8217; staging.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Complete List of the Eighteen Plays<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table class=\"has-fixed-layout\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Play<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Status Today<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/shibaraku%ef%bc%88%e6%9a%ab%ef%bc%89-the-origin-of-japans-kabuki-hero\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"67\">Shibaraku<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Frequently performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/what-is-kanjincho%e5%8b%a7%e9%80%b2%e5%b8%b3-from-the-kabuki-juhachiban\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"110\">Kanjinch\u014d<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Frequently performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/sukeroku%ef%bc%88%e5%8a%a9%e5%85%ad%e7%94%b1%e7%b8%81%e6%b1%9f%e6%88%b8%e6%a1%9c%ef%bc%89-a-stylish-kabuki-hero-of-edo-japan\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"65\">Sukeroku<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Frequently performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Yanone<\/td>\n<td>Regularly performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Uir\u014d-uri<\/td>\n<td>Regularly performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kenuki<\/td>\n<td>Regularly performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Narukami<\/td>\n<td>Regularly performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kagekiyo<\/td>\n<td>Occasionally performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fud\u014d<\/td>\n<td>Rarely performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kan&#8217;u<\/td>\n<td>Rarely performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Z\u014dhiki<\/td>\n<td>Rarely performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nanatsumen<\/td>\n<td>Rarely performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gedatsu<\/td>\n<td>Rarely performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Uwanari<\/td>\n<td>Rarely performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jayanagi<\/td>\n<td>Rarely performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kamahige<\/td>\n<td>Rarely performed (occasional revivals)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fuwa<\/td>\n<td>Rarely performed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Oshimodoshi<\/td>\n<td>Survives within other plays&#8217; staging (e.g., Musume D\u014dj\u014dji)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard -internal\" data-type=\"type1\" data-onclick=\"clickLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__inner\"><span class=\"p-blogCard__caption\">\u3042\u308f\u305b\u3066\u8aad\u307f\u305f\u3044<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__body\"><a class=\"p-blogCard__title\" href=\"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/sukeroku%EF%BC%88%E5%8A%A9%E5%85%AD%E7%94%B1%E7%B8%81%E6%B1%9F%E6%88%B8%E6%A1%9C%EF%BC%89-a-stylish-kabuki-hero-of-edo-japan\/\">Sukeroku\uff08\u52a9\u516d\u7531\u7e01\u6c5f\u6238\u685c\uff09: A Stylish Kabuki Hero of Edo Japan<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard -internal\" data-type=\"type1\" data-onclick=\"clickLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__inner\"><span class=\"p-blogCard__caption\">\u3042\u308f\u305b\u3066\u8aad\u307f\u305f\u3044<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__body\"><a class=\"p-blogCard__title\" href=\"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/shibaraku%EF%BC%88%E6%9A%AB%EF%BC%89-the-origin-of-japans-kabuki-hero\/\">Shibaraku Explained: The Legendary &#8220;Wait!&#8221; Scene Every Kabuki Beginner Should See<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard -internal\" data-type=\"type1\" data-onclick=\"clickLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__inner\"><span class=\"p-blogCard__caption\">\u3042\u308f\u305b\u3066\u8aad\u307f\u305f\u3044<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__body\"><a class=\"p-blogCard__title\" href=\"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/what-is-kanjincho%e5%8b%a7%e9%80%b2%e5%b8%b3-from-the-kabuki-juhachiban\/\">What is Kanjinch\u014d(\u52e7\u9032\u5e33) from the &#8220;Kabuki J\u016bhachiban&#8221;?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard -internal\" data-type=\"type1\" data-onclick=\"clickLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__inner\"><span class=\"p-blogCard__caption\">\u3042\u308f\u305b\u3066\u8aad\u307f\u305f\u3044<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__body\"><a class=\"p-blogCard__title\" href=\"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/kamahige-kagekiyo-explained\/\">Kamahige Explained: The Indestructible Kagekiyo and Kabuki&#8217;s Strangest Shave<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<div class=\"p-adBox -normal -border-off\" data-id=\"175\" data-ad=\"normal\">\n<div class=\"p-adBox__body\">\n<div class=\"p-adBox__img\"><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<dl class=\"swell-block-faq\" data-q=\"col-text\" data-a=\"col-text\">\n<div class=\"swell-block-faq__item\">\n<dt class=\"faq_q\">Which Kabuki J\u016bhachiban play is the most popular?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq_a\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sukeroku is performed most often, followed by Kanjinch\u014d and Shibaraku \u2014 all three refined into their current form during the era of the seventh and ninth Ichikawa Danj\u016br\u014d.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swell-block-faq__item\">\n<dt class=\"faq_q\">Who selected the Kabuki J\u016bhachiban?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq_a\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The seventh Ichikawa Danj\u016br\u014d selected the eighteen plays during the Tenp\u014d era (1830\u20131844) as the Ichikawa family&#8217;s official signature repertoire.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swell-block-faq__item\">\n<dt class=\"faq_q\">Can I still see all eighteen plays performed?<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"faq_a\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No \u2014 roughly half of the plays had already lost most of their original content by the time they were selected, and are rarely staged today. Only about eight are performed with any regularity.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n<\/dl>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@id\":\"#FAQContents\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which Kabuki J\u016bhachiban play is the most popular?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<\/p>\n<p>Sukeroku is performed most often, followed by Kanjinch\u014d and Shibaraku \u2014 all three refined into their current form during the era of the seventh and ninth Ichikawa Danj\u016br\u014d.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who selected the Kabuki J\u016bhachiban?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<\/p>\n<p>The seventh Ichikawa Danj\u016br\u014d selected the eighteen plays during the Tenp\u014d era (1830\u20131844) as the Ichikawa family's official signature repertoire.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can I still see all eighteen plays performed?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<\/p>\n<p>No \u2014 roughly half of the plays had already lost most of their original content by the time they were selected, and are rarely staged today. Only about eight are performed with any regularity.<\\\/p>\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<div class=\"p-adBox -normal -border-off\" data-id=\"175\" data-ad=\"normal\">\n<div class=\"p-adBox__body\">\n<div class=\"p-adBox__img\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9605472874778813\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9605472874778813\" data-ad-slot=\"9431907817\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Kabuki J\u016bhachiban represents the Ichikawa family&#8217;s signature artistic legacy, spanning both bold aragoto and refined wagoto styles. While only about half the collection survives in regular performance, each surviving play offers its own distinct window into what makes kabuki&#8217;s most celebrated acting lineage so enduring.<\/p>\n<div class=\"p-blogParts post_content\" data-partsID=\"597\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udfad Want to See Kabuki Live?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re planning a trip to Tokyo, Kabuki-za is one of the most memorable ways to experience Japanese culture firsthand. GetYourGuide offers English-friendly Kabuki-za tickets and guided experiences, including options with headset translation and pre-show introductions for first-time viewers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/gyg.me\/NBu7mZJy\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Check Kabuki-za Tickets on GetYourGuide<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"swell-block-postLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard -external\" data-type=\"type3\" data-onclick=\"clickLink\">\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"p-blogCard__caption\">GetYourGuide<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__thumb c-postThumb\">\n<figure class=\"c-postThumb__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.getyourguide.com\/img\/tour\/61166ad0c66a062bf083f89402f12428b4d4d985c79241e9cb46288e05863c81.jpg\/53.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"c-postThumb__img u-obf-cover\" width=\"320\" height=\"180\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"p-blogCard__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"p-blogCard__title\" href=\"https:\/\/gyg.me\/NBu7mZJy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tokyo: KABUKI Show at Kabukiza Theatre Admission Ticket | GetYourGuide<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"p-blogCard__excerpt\">Discover the enchanting world of Kabuki in central Tokyo. Enjoy a performance of this traditional and dynamic Japanese art form, complete with English or simpli&#8230;<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This section may contain affiliate links. Booking through them costs you nothing extra and helps support this site.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Kabuki Juhachiban is the Ichikawa family&#8217;s signature repertoire of 18 plays. Here&#8217;s which ones are still performed today, and which have been lost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"swell_btn_cv_data":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kabuki-basics-faq"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=482"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":860,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482\/revisions\/860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabukiguide.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}