NATORI SHUNSEN (名取春仙) 

 1940

                   
Bandô Mitsugorô VII (坂東三津五郎) as
Sagisaka Bannai (鷺坂伴内)

Play:  Kanadehon Chûshingura
(假名手本忠臣蔵; 仮名手本忠臣蔵)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 03/01/40
Print Date: 12/1955
Medium: Hand-colored keyblock print (版画源画)
Personal Collection

Note: Mitsugorô VII also performed the role in Tokyo
at the Kabuki-za in November 1930, July 1933, April
1935, January 1938, and October 1938.  It is possible
that Shunsen based this print on one of those prior
performances.  A similar but more detailed version
of this design is shown in the 2002 and 1991
Shunsen catalogs bearing a March 1957 date (and
appears to be a painting, not hanga-genga).
 
 
 
 
 

                   
Katei Tomogaku Sugoroku (家庭共楽双六) for the year 1941 (紀元2601)
 
Title:  Kigen Nisen Roppyaku Nen Omoide no Tôhô : Katei Kyôraku Sugoroku
(紀元二千六百年思い出の東宝 : 家庭共楽双六)
Print Date: 1940
Medium: Sugoroku Lithograph
Personal Collection
 
Note:  This print depicts the popular movies and theater plays of that period in twelve segments for twelve months of and also contains
some textual information on the performances. "Kigen Nisen Roppyaku Nen" (紀元二千六百年, 2600 Years Since the Founding) is a
Japanese song commemorating 1940. It was written in 1939 by Yoshio Masuda and composed by Gihachirō Mori.
 
 
 

                   
The back of the sugoroku has the map of theaters and movie theaters in Tokyo, run by Tôkyô Takarazuka Gekijô and is titled
"Kabushiki Gaisha Tôkyo Takarazuka Gekijô chokuei gekijô (株式会社東京宝塚劇場直営劇場)."  The map contains the photographs of
those theaters and a list of related theaters in other regions.