OPPEKEPÊ (Song)
(おっぺけぺー; オッペケペー; ヲッペケペー)

 
 
Song: Oppekepe (おっぺけぺー)
Performance Place: Nakamura-za,
Tokyo
Performance Date: 06/20/91
Print Date: 07/1891
Artist: Nagashima Shungyo (永島春暁)
Personal Collection
 
 
 

Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)

Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)
 
Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)           
Performance Place: Nakamura-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 06/20/91
Print Date: 07/1891
Artist: Shunsai Toshimasa (春斎年昌)
 
Note: A woodblock printed version of this
design has not been located.  A later
lithographic reprint exists.

 
 
 

               
                Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)
 
                Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)
                Performance Place: Nakamura-za, Tokyo
                Performance Date: 06/20/91
                Print Date: 1891?
                Artist: Shunsai Toshimasa (春斎年昌)
                Medium: Lithograph
                Personal Collection

 
 
 

 
 
Song: Oppekepe (おっぺけぺー)
Performance Place: Nakamura-za,
Tokyo
Performance Date: 06/20/91
Print Date: 06/20/1891
Artist: Utagawa Kokunimasa
(歌川小国政)
Personal Collection
 
Note: This copy is trimmed, lacking
the cartouche in the bottom right of
the right panel.
 
 
 

Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)

       
        Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)
 
        Song: Oppekepe (おっぺけぺー)
        Performance Place: Nakamura-za, Tokyo
        Performance Date: 06/20/91
        Print Date: 07/1891
        Artist: Utagawa Kokunimasa
        (歌川小国政)
        Image courtesy of the National Theater of Japan
 
        Note: Untrimmed cop where the red carpet has oxidized.
 
 
 
 
 

           
            Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)
 
            Song: Oppekepe (おっぺけぺー)
            Performance Place: Nakamura-za, Tokyo
            Performance Date: 06/20/91
            Print Date: 08/01/26
            Artist: Utagawa Kokunimasa
            (歌川小国政)
            Medium: Woodblock printed magazine cover
            Published in Bangasa (番傘), Vol. 15, No. 8

            Personal Collection
 
            Note: Kokunimasa's design was reused in a reduced size as
            the cover for Bangasa magazine om 1926.

Shōhin an'nai???
 
Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 08/1891
Artist: ?
Medium: Woodblock printed omacha-e
Personal Collection
 
Note: Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎) is shown in the upper right panel.
 
 
 
 

Kimura Takenosuke (木村武之輔)
[A Comical Performance of Strength and Patience]
Kokkei Wanryoku Kan'nin-bushi (滑稽腕力堪忍節)
 
Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 09/07/1891
Artist Kobayashi Ikuei (小林幾英)
Personal Collection
 
 
 
 

            
            [New Version of Woppekepê Song]
            Shinpan Woppekepê Uta (新版ヲッペケペー歌)
 
            Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)
            Performance Place: ?
            Performance Date: ?
            Print Date: 09/1891
            Artist: ?
            Medium: Woodblock printed omacha-e
            Image courtesy of the National Theater of Japan
               
            Note:  Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎) is shown in the upper right panel. 
            A 1956 offset printed postcard of this print in the webmaster's collection
            provided the date for this print.
 
 
 
 

[Trendy Oppekepe Song]  Ryûkô Woppekepê Bushi (流行ヲッペケペーぶし)
 
Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 10/1891
Artist: ?
Medium: Woodblock printed omacha-e
Image courtesy of the National Theater of Japan
 
Note: A Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)-like figure is shown in the
upper right panel.
 
 
 

 
Song: Oppekepe (おっぺけぺー)
Print Date: 12/1891
Artist: Utagawa Kokunimasa
Medium Woodblock prints omacha-e
Personal Collection
 
Note: The top right panel is a parody of Kanjinchô (勧進帳) with monkeys.
 
 
 

               
                Close-up of the top left panel

Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)
 
Song: Oppekepe (おっぺけぺー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 1891
Artist: Yôsai Nobukazu (楊斎延一)
Medium: Woodblock printed omocha-e
Personal Collection
 
Note: Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎) is the figure in the top left panel.   He also appears in the
bottom right panel giving a speech.  The second panel from the left in the third role depicts the
Yukashita scene in Meiboku Sendai Hagi (伽羅先代萩).
 

               
                Close-up of the top left panel

Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)
 
Song: Oppekepe (おっぺけぺー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 1891
Artist: Yôsai Nobukazu (楊斎延一)
Medium: Woodblock printed sugoroku
Personal Collection
 
Note: Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎) is the figure in the center panel.

               
                Close-up of the center panel

[New Edition Oppekepê Sugoroku]
Shinpan Oppekepē Sugoroku (新版オツペケペー双六)
 
Song: Oppekepê (オツペケペー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date:
Print Date: 1891
Artist: Utagawa Kunitoshi (歌川国利)
Medium: Woodblock printed sugoroku
Personal Collection
 
Note: Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎), the figure in the center panel,
frequently performed this number between plays circa 1888-1894.  The
Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum's copy has a December 14, 1888 date
stamped in the margin.  Is this a reissue of a 1888 published version?
 
 
 

Close-up of the center panel
  
Note: Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎), the figure in the center panel,
frequently performed this number between plays circa 1888-1894.  The
Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum's copy has a December 14,
1888 date stamped in the margin.  Is this a reissue of a 1888
published version?
 
 
 

               
                  Original envelope for the sugoroku.

               
                 Reverse of the original envelope for the
                sugoroku..

Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)
 
Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 1891
Artist: ?
Image courtesy of the National Library of Australia
 
 
 

               
                [New Version Oppekepei Song]
                Shinpan Oppekepei Uta (新版オッペケペイ歌)
 
                Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)
                Performance Place: ?
                Performance Date: ?
                Print Date: 1891?
                Artist: ?
                Medium: Woodblock printed omacha-e
                Medium: Lithograph (check)
               
 
                Note: While the date is unknown, 1891 was the year of the Oppekepe
                craze.  A Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎)-like figure is shown in the
                upper right panel.
 
 
 
 

[New Edition Oppekepê Song]
Shinpan Oppekepê Bushi (新版 オッペケペーぶし)
 
Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 02/1892
Artist: ?
Medium: Woodblock printed booklet
Personal Collection
 
Note: A Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎) -like figure appears on
the cover and on the first page inside the booklet..
 
 
 
 

           
             First page inside the New Edition Oppekepê Song booklet
               
 
 
 
 

JULY 1894

Kawakami Shibai Oppekepê (川上芝居オッペケペー)
 
Song: Oppekepe (オッペケペー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: 07/1894?
Print Date: 07/1894
Artist: Adachi Ginkô (安達吟光)
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theater Museum
 
Note: Kawakami Otojirô (川上音二郎) is shown i the upper right corner panel.

 
 
 

[New Composition Oppekepê Song]
Shinsaku Oppekepê Bushi
(新作オッペケペーぶし)
 
Song: Oppekepê (オッペケペー)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 1978
Artist: ?
Medium: Lithographic cover of a miniature book
Personal Collection
 
Note: The cover appears to be a reprint of a
vintage kawaraban shinbun (.かわら版),  It
and several of the illustrations inside the
booklet are reminiscent of a panels of an 1891
omocha-e by an as yet unidentified artist found
elsewhere on this site. The figure is Kawakami
Otojirô  (川上音二 郎; 川上音次郎).