Editor-in-Chief Ishii's ``A Splendid Life of Extraneous Thoughts''

I want to do that, I want to do this. I want to enjoy life even more! Based on such greedy thoughts, we will deliver the daily life of editor-in-chief Ishii, who enjoys life full of distractions. This time, I'm talking about Kyoto for the umpteenth time this year. I have infiltrated Minamiza for the first time! Well, I think I'll fall in love with the world of Kabuki!

I went to Kyoto again to interview LEON.JP's popular series "Popular Husband Training Course." We interviewed him about how he enjoys Kabuki from his perspective as a husband. At the Minami-za Theater, I watched ``Sushiya'' in ``Yoshitsune Senbonzakura,'' one of the three major Kabuki plays, and had lunch and talked with Ichitaro Nakamura (who is worth watching!), who played an important role in the play. I asked about it. The day before was a match against Croatia, so I almost didn't sleep (lol), but I thoroughly enjoyed the fun and depth of Kabuki! I have had a very rich time.

Even though I know very little about Kabuki, I knew the name of the founder of Kabuki, ``Izumo no Okuni.'' However, I had no idea that Okuni was performing Kabuki odori, the roots of Kabuki, right here near Kamogawara, where Minamiza is located... This event took place in the early Edo period, more than 400 years ago. When I stand in front of the Monument to the Birthplace of Okuni Kabuki, which is located near the dressing room entrance of Minamiza, the oldest Kabuki theater, I can vividly imagine the common people being enthusiastic about the ``cutting-edge entertainment'' of the time. It was because it was coming.

This is the interior of Minamiza. A coffered ceiling is one made of thick wood arranged in crossbeams and covered with boards, but Minami-za has a much more prestigious two-piece folded coffered ceiling, a style used in shoin-zukuri rooms and Buddhist altar rooms. That's it. This is one of the reasons why it has such a beautiful and majestic atmosphere.

This is the so-called “hanamichi”. When I told the PR person, ``I'd like to hold a fashion show here!'', it didn't seem like a big deal (lol). By the way, all of the first floor seats in the Minamiza are removable, so it can be used like a dance hall. How do you all feel about the Disco LEON & fashion show being held at Minamiza? I really want to make this happen!

On this day, there was a Kaomise performance, and the geisha and maiko of Gion Higashi also went to see the Kabuki performance. This atmosphere is, after all, unique to Minamiza. For more information on how to enjoy Kabuki, check out LEON.JP's "Popular Husband Training Course"! Please check it out!