Tsutsui Tokujirō
# Tsutsui Tokujirō

Tsutsui Tokujirō (1881-1953) was a Japanese performer born in Osaka, Japan.

## Career

Tokujirō began his performance career at 19, performing in a shinpa troupe led by Fukui $Mohei^{:23}$ In 1920 he joined a group of actors who were not satisfied with the work of Sawada Shōjirō [ja], the artistic director of Shinkokugeki [ja] (New National $Theatre).^{:23}$ Together they formed a new troupe, which toured the Kansai region, though they also had several shows in $Asakusa.^{:23}$ As part of the troupe he 'established a solid reputation in kengeki [ja] swordplay $dramas.^{:21}$

### Western tour (1930-31)

The Tsutsui Troupe was one of the first groups to bring traditional Japanese performance to the United States and Europe. His troupe performed in twenty-two $countries,^{:3}$ with attendees including seminal directors such as Bertolt $Brecht,^{:255}$ Jacques Copeau, Charles Dullin, and Vsevolod $Meyerhold.^{:154,n.192}$

They had a repertoire of sixteen plays that were based on Kabuki plays 'in a mélange of styles with an emphasis on swordplay to appeal to $audiences.'^{:154,n.192}$ Four of the plays were presented only for Japanese residents in California, and were absent from the rest of the $tour.^{:35}$ Tsutsui emphasised that he 'wanted to put the Western audience in the presence of the true Japanese theatre, such as the Japanese conceive $it'.^{:135}$ Contemporary critics, however, questioned this authenticity, noting the number of changes Tsutsui made to traditional Japanese $theatre.^{:136}$ These included the shortened length of the plays (which had to be under two $hours),^{:33}$ the use of painted scenery and 'enormous stage settings' in a Western style, 'the troupe's replacement of onnagata', roles traditionally played by male transvestites, with $actresses.^{:136}$

**Selected performance locations**

| Date | City | Country | Theatre | Notes | Reference |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| February 1930 | Los Angeles | United States | Figueroa Theatre | Under the production of Michio Itō | $^{:154}$ |
| March-April 1930 | New York City | United States | Booth Theatre | | $^{:344}$ |
| 2 May-June 1930 | Paris | France | Théâtre Pigalle | Attended by Edwin $Piscator.^{:68}$ | $^{:135}$ |
| 24 June 1930 | London | England | Globe Theatre | | |
| 18-25 August 1930 | Paris | France | Apollo | | $^{:185}$ |
| 3-9 October, 1930 | Berlin | Germany | Theater des Westens | Attended by Bertolt $Brecht.^{:41}$ | $^{:255}$ |
