1. The Road to the Stage’s Revival– A Traditional Culture Revived After Half a Century –

The Nishishiogo Revolving Stage , which had been passed down and cherished by local and nearby residents since the late Edo period, ceased to be assembled after 1945 (Showa 20). Since then, the custom was interrupted, and its many valuable props were stored away in storehouses, on the verge of being forgotten.

  However, the generation of people who used to perform the assembly had already passed away, and the procedures and methods were completely unknown (a state of fumbling in the dark). On top of that, meetings always fell into disarray regarding how to handle the burden of expenses and labor. The realization of the stage assembly hit a deadlock many times, with sentiments like, “Why do we have to revive a Kabuki stage now, of all times?”

In October 1997 (Heisei 9), five years after the initial survey began, “The Nishishiogo Revolving Stage” was restored for the first time in approximately 50 years after much trial and error. Despite being only a two-hour performance, it was a great success, drawing a huge crowd of 3,000 spectators. In the autumn of the following year, the stage was assembled again for a “complete revival,” and the 9th National Jishibai Summit was held at the same time. We were able to show off the beautiful assembly-type stage to Jishibai stakeholders who had gathered from all over the country.

In this way, the stage restoration and Jishibai performances have continued, with performances now held, in principle, once every three years. These activities have received high acclaim from many people, and we were awarded the “Suntory Prize for Community Cultural Activities” in 2006, and the 1st Tiffany Foundation “Award for the Preservation of Traditional Arts” in 2008. This is entirely thanks to everyone’s guidance and cooperation. We express our heartfelt gratitude.

Therefore, from the following year, we began calling for assistance in stage assembly from other regions, and since 2001 (Heisei 13), we have recruited volunteers from an even wider area. As a result of these efforts, by 2006 (Heisei 18), we had over 70 volunteers cooperating in everything from the stage assembly itself to the creation of stage props and costumes, as well as dressing and scene changes on the day of the performance.

The preservation and succession of the stage cannot be achieved without the help of volunteers. The enthusiasm and support of every single volunteer who gathers from beyond regional boundaries is the driving force that connects our stage to the future. With our heartfelt gratitude, we hope to continue expanding this circle of support.