"Comedy Osome Yotaro Chindochu," starring Eri Watanabe and Tomohito Yashima, will be performed at the Shinbashi Enbujo in Tokyo and the Minamiza in Kyoto. The performance dates are February 1 to 17, 2021 (Mon-Wed) at Shinbashi Enbujo, and February 21 to 27, 2021 (Sun-Sat) at Minamiza.

"Comedy Osome Yotaro Chindochu," featuring the first comedic collaboration between Eri Watanabe and Tomohito Yashima, will be staged in February.

This work was first performed as "Yotaro Meoto Tabi" at the Meijiza in March 1979. Writer Isamu Onoda collaborated with the legendary comedian Norihira Miki to create a slapstick road comedy, centered around rakugo stories and enhanced with kabuki episodes.

This production marks the first comedic pairing of Eri Watanabe, who has starred in productions such as the "Uchoten Series" at Shinbashi Enbujo and "Sanba," and Tomohito Yashima, who is highly active in stage, film, and television, and made his Kabuki-za debut in 2019.

In the Edo period, there was a sheltered daughter named Osome (Eri Watanabe) of Kuhei, a leading merchant and rice wholesaler known as "Edo-ya." The only child of Kuhei and his wife, she grew up spoiled into a glamorous beauty.

She became involved with Shimada Juzaburo, a handsome young samurai in the household of Lord Akai Gokamon, a daimyo who frequented their business. However, Juzaburo was transferred to the Kyoto residence. To make matters worse, the Akai family made an unreasonable demand: that Osome be offered as a concubine.

Osome decided to travel to Kyoto, partly to escape the Akai family and partly to follow Juzaburo. Her overprotective and doting parents arranged for a companion to accompany Osome on her journey to Kyoto.
The chosen companion was Yotaro (Tomohito Yashima), a clerk.

Yotaro was clumsy, foolish, and scatterbrained, often ridiculed by senior clerks, fellow clerks, and even the young errand boys. Despite his unreliability, he was exceptionally kind-hearted and fiercely loyal. The reason for his selection was that he was deemed unlikely to cause any trouble, even when traveling with a young woman of marriageable age.

The two began their journey, posing as a married couple, a naive young lady and an unreliable clerk traveling together.

In addition to the two leads, the cast portraying the characters Osome and Yotaro encounter on their "troubled journey" includes a stellar lineup: Yosuke Fukawa, Takeshi Urakaji, Kenichi Ishii, Atsushi Fukasawa, Shihou Harumi, Naoya Ishibashi, Ryo Mitsuya, Yoshiki Arisono, Saiko Isshiki, Yuriko Hirooka, Michiko Ameku, and Tokuma Nishoka. The direction is by Juro TERAJYU, marking his debut in a major theater.

It's a chaotic road comedy where anything can happen. We hope you'll come and see it.

Comedy Osome Yotaro Chindochu
Performance Schedule |
February 1 (Mon) - 17 (Wed), 2021 *Shinbashi Enbujo
February 21 (Sun) - 27 (Sat), 2021 *Minamiza
Cast |
Osome: Eri Watanabe
Yotaro / Okoshimono Kozō: Tomohito Yashima

Berabō Hanji: Yosuke Fukawa
Shimada Juzaburo: Takeshi Urakaji
Jibu Jibūemon: Kenichi Ishii
Ko-bantō Shōsuke: Atsushi Fukasawa
Ō-bantō Zenhachi: Shihou Harumi
Yamabushi Hakunbō (actually Dōshin Uemon): Naoya Ishibashi
Yamabushi Kokunbō (actually Dōshin Denroku): Ryo Mitsuya
Sazaeemon: Yoshiki Arisono
Pilgrim O-yumi: Saiko Isshiki
Nagebushi O-koma: Yuriko Hirooka
Mukade Maru / later Omuka: Michiko Ameku
Awa-te Jūrōbei: Tokuma Nishoka

Ticket Information
Prices (Shinbashi Enbujo) |
First Class Seats: ¥12,000
Second Class Seats: ¥8,500
Third Floor A Seats: ¥4,500
Third Floor B Seats: ¥3,000

Prices (Minamiza) |
First Class Seats: ¥12,500
Second Class Seats: ¥7,000
Third Floor Seats: ¥4,000
Special Seats: ¥13,500

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