The Japanese traditional theater art of Kabuki continues to operate on a system of inherited stage names, ensuring that cultural capital and professional opportunities remain concentrated within a few established families. This generational transfer, exemplified by the eighth Kikugoro receiving his name from his 83-year-old father, the seventh Kikugoro, formalizes a lineage-based monopoly over the art form's most prestigious roles. The ritual, known as “shumei,” began for the father and son last year and continues through this year, publicly cementing the dynastic control over this cultural industry.
Inherited Labor and Privilege
Kazuyasu Terajima, the 48-year-old who now carries the name of the eighth Kikugoro, acknowledged his birthright, stating, “Taking on the name is about taking on the spirit and responsibility that’s created and getting passed down over generations by those who came before us.” He further articulated the role of the Kabuki actor as one of preserving and developing inherited traditions for future generations. Terajima, who has trained from childhood, expressed no “qualms or hesitation about having been destined from birth to be Kikugoro,” stating, “I am filled with gratitude to our predecessors who created great works that continue to be loved by generations that came after. So I am grateful to be born into the family of such ancestors.” This framing reinforces the naturalization of inherited privilege, presenting it as a matter of gratitude and destiny rather than a structural limitation on access.
The labor required to maintain this inherited position begins early. Terajima’s 12-year-old son, Kazufumi, is set to take on the name Kikunosuke, a name for the younger actor in that family, also handed down over generations. The young Kazufumi described the work as “hard,” involving daily physical training and strict dietary and sleep regimens. He noted, “It’s not only hard physically. It’s also pretty hard mentally, and I sometime took it out on my parents.” This early and intensive training represents the significant labor investment required from those born into these families to uphold the system that grants them their inherited status and future economic prospects within the cultural sphere. Another famous family name, Danjuro, saw its 13th succession in 2022, further illustrating the pervasive nature of this dynastic control.
Commercial Success and Systemic Preservation
Kabuki, which dates to the 1600s, remains a commercially viable cultural institution in modern-day Japan. The film “Kokuho,” centered on Kabuki, was nominated for this year’s Oscars in makeup and hairstyling and became the biggest grossing live-action movie for the home market in Japanese filmmaking history. This commercial success, driven by public celebration and media attention surrounding events like name transitions, directly benefits the established families and institutions that control Kabuki production. The art form, characterized by stylized acting, live music, dance, and song, with all roles played by men, including specialized “onnagata” for women’s roles, continues to generate significant revenue, much of which flows back into the system that perpetuates its dynastic structure.
James R. Brandon, a scholar of Kabuki, describes the art as centered on a “code” and “kata,” or the “right way to do something,” which becomes a model for future generations. Despite “some worry about the survival of Kabuki,” the new Kikugoro stated his belief in Kabuki’s “kata” and that “nothing needed to change,” asserting that “the core spirit of the art form remains as relevant as ever.” He concluded, “By using kata, what we want to truly communicate the most in the tradition of Kabuki is human compassion, that spirit of caring for others.” This statement, while invoking “human compassion,” serves to defend the existing, inherited system against any calls for structural change or broader access, ensuring the continued concentration of cultural and economic power within the established Kabuki dynasties.