Kabuki is going digital! Shochiku Co., a company that puts on kabuki performances, aims to gain more fans through the launch of a smartphone app that utilizes augmented reality (AR) technology.
The company also plans to focus more on distributing recordings of kabuki performances to boost the art form's profile and attract new fans amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The free app "INTO by Shochiku" is scheduled to launch Friday. A lion spirit, portrayed by kabuki actor Kataoka Ainosuke, is seen on smartphone screens through AR, making it seem as though he has appeared before the user.
The app offers such performances as keburi, or shaking of the mane, to entertain its users. By moving their smartphones around, users can enjoy a 360-degree view of Ainosuke's performance. The company plans to add to and improve the app's functions in the future.
"We'd like people to try the app, especially the younger generation," Ainosuke said.
In 2020, Shochiku launched "Kabuki on Demand," a service created to share recordings of past kabuki performances. A livestreamed stage performance of "Ebizo Kabuki" is scheduled for Jan. 17, the first performance of the year at Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre in Chuo Ward, Tokyo.
The company considers enjoying performances live to be vital to experiencing the traditional art form. As a result, making the performances viewable online wasn't top priority. However, as the pandemic continues, the company has halved the seating capacity of its theaters, including at the Kabukiza Theatre in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, while also suspending group ticket sales.
By putting its efforts into a smartphone app, the company hopes to appeal to those unable to visit a kabuki theater in person.
"The goal is to make people want to see a live kabuki performance once the coronavirus is brought under control," Takahiro Inoue, a director at Shochiku, said. "We would like to do what we can to make that happen."
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