Kabuki Juhachiban (18 best plays of the Ichikawa family of kabuki actors) (歌舞伎十八番)
Kabuki Juhachiban refers to performances selected by Danjuro ICHIKAWA (the seventh), that are specialties of his kabuki (traditional drama performed by male actors) school.
In March, 1832, the Seventh performed "Sukeroku" at Edo Ichimuraza theater. When he let his eldest son succeed to the professional name of Danjuro ICHIKAWA (the eighth) he succeeded to the professional name of Ebizo ICHIKAWA. It refers to Kabuki Kyogengumi (a group of comic drama) Juhachiban, which was publicly announced on this occasion as something that belonged to the Ichikawa school.
In both cases, they are performance numbers that are sure to be successful with Danjuro as the leading male actor, and the first performance was put on by Danjuro ICHIKAWA (the first), Danjuro ICHIKAWA (the second) and Danjuro ICHIKAWA (the fourth). It is said that by this performance, the feature attraction of 'Aragoto no Naritaya' (aragoto (kabuki play featuring exaggerated posture, makeup, and costume) at Naritaya) was established.
Someone's specialty is called 'ohako' (a box), and it is written in Chinese characters as 'juhachiban' (number eighteen). This term originates in the Ichikawa family because they placed the scripts of Kabuki Juhachiban in a box and kept the box in a safe place.
Kabuki Juhachiban
Listed in random order
"Sukeroku"
"Ya no Ne"
"Kanu (Kabuki)"
"Fudo"
"Zohiki"
"Kenuki Kenuki Kabuki Juhachiban 'Kenuki'" (tweezers)
"Uiro Uri"
"Shibaraku"
"Nanatsumen"
"Gedatsu"
"Uwanari"
"Jayanagi"
"Narukami"
"Kamahige"
"Kagekiyo"
"Fuwa"
"Oshimodoshi"
"Kanjincho"