The Most Curiosity Kabuki World

"Rakuyo Takara Genji"
Oban, Ink print
Performance: July 7, 1740(Genbun 5) Kawarazaki-za theatre,Edo
Ritsumeikan Art research Center(arcSP03-0573)

Tsuji banzuke was one of the advertisement tools that plays the same role as poster, and it was made long time after other Banzuke. This is Tsuji Banzuke produced in still its early stage, and our introduction is the first report of its existence. Seeing its size, it looks rather a flier than a poster, but in later the standard size gradually became bigger.
Among Edo sanza (three authorized theatre in Edo), Morita-za theatre fell into financial crisis and forced to close after the performance tour on January, 1734. Therefore, instead of Morita-za, Kawarazaki-za took over the performance rights and ran the theaters. These substitute Zamoto, which combined three chief position as proprietor of the theatre, performance right holder, and manager of the teatre) were called Kari yagura or Hikae yagura, and also when other theatres, such as Ichimura-za and Nakamura-za, had difficulty in their management, Kiri-za, Miyako-za, and Tamagawa-za substituted for them. Especially, Kawarazaki-za frequently ran a play at Morita-za as Kari yagura because of its weak management.
However, as this coarse Bauzuke shows, Kawarazaki-za just started their business as Kari yagura and did not attain matured management staffs and network between them yet at that time. Today, only one Tsuji banzuke published before 1739 was reported, which was distributed by Kawarazaki-za, so it can be assumed that Tsuji banzuke started from Kawarazaki-za, and other theatres followed after.(,)

[Glossary]
　　Banzuke, Edosanza, Zamoto, Hikaeyagura