Kabuki stars Nakamura Shido and Nakamura Shichinosuke will perform during Japonismes 2018, a large event to be held in Paris and surrounding areas from July to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Japan-France diplomatic relations.
The two men will appear in seven performances from Sept. 13 to 19 at the Theatre National de Chaillot in Paris, it was announced at a press conference on Thursday. Their performances will constitute one of more than 50 official programs for the event, and will feature the popular play "Narukami" and the dance drama "Iromoyo Chotto Karimame: Kasane," both from the classical repertoire.
Japonismes 2018 will be held based on a 2016 agreement between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and then French President Francois Hollande to introduce a diverse range of Japanese art and culture, from classical to contemporary, over an eight-month period.
The two actors attended the press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, along with Hiroyasu Ando, president of The Japan Foundation, which is the secretariat for Japonismes 2018, and Jay Sakomoto, president and CEO of Shochiku Co.
"Kabuki was included as one of the main highlights of this ambitious cultural project because both the Japanese and French sides strongly wished it," said Ando.
"I'm delighted and honored to have been chosen among many kabuki actors to perform in this event," Shichinosuke said. "I also feel a great responsibility. I'll do my utmost to convey the fascinating aspects of kabuki to people in Paris."
Shido said: "These days, kabuki often collaborates with new media formats such as manga and the vocaloid performer Hatsune Miku, but we'll focus on the classical repertoire this time to show kabuki has been continuing for 400 years by handing down its tradition from older actors to younger actors."
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