E to Bun: Hokushou Kairi, Kageki January 2005
E to Bun, Kageki January 2005: Hokushou Kairi
Happy New Year. Everyone, I think you are spending an enjoyable New Year’s. I, Hokushou Kairi, from here on for a short time will be on duty for the “E to Bun” corner. Please look forward to it. This time, I want to try reporting on the event of “New Year’s” and the private affairs of Takarazuka seito.
What kind of New Year’s do you generally imagine that seito have??? Wearing beautiful kimono, noisily gathering together with other seito and eating delicious New Year’s foods…that’s the ideal and what we wish for, but the reality is not nearly like that. My memories of the last seven years as a Takarasienne are…
The Tokyo Takarazuka Theater in Hibiya was new and the opening was precisely during Makoto Tsubasa-san’s lead performance in Moon Troupe’s “Ima Sumire Hana Saku/Ai no Sonata.” On New Year’s Day, we entered the dressing room early in the morning. After opening day preparations were finished we wanted to start putting on our stage makeup, but since it was New Year’s, we first went to the haigashiki (1). Moreover, since it was the opening of the Tokyo Theater, beginning with Kasugano Yachiyo-sensei all of the seito stood in a row outside wearing monshiki hakama. With many fans watching intently, we had the opening ceremony. Guys, the tips of our noses turned red; it was reeaaaaaaly cold then! Didn’t a lot of people catch colds? At the haigashiki, what I looked forward to was…kouhaku manju (2). The manju that was passed out to everyone was really delicious. Ahhh, that was what I secretly looked forward to on opening day.
Hmm, as for being a seito in a troupe that wasn’t in the middle of a performance…I have memories of that too. On one New Year’s Day, all the Moon Troupe members had a job appearing in the New Year’s Day live broadcast program “Hatsuwarai! Naniwa Yumeichiza” (3) This was at NHK’s Osaka Hall studio and was a program of various people from Yoshimoto Kogyo (4) and various singers. On New Year’s Eve we had one day of rehearsal, but various celebrities had the “Japan Records Grand Prize” and “Kouhaku Uta Gassen” (5) and they themselves couldn’t come. For that reason, the live performance the following day was completely unrehearsed and going on air was life or death (Am I exaggerating? *sweat mark emoticon*).
On New Year’s Day, we attended the haigashiki in the morning and after returning home once to change our clothes we met at the theater and everyone traveled by bus to NHK’s Osaka Hall. Just as we arrived at the studio, celebrities such as Katsura Sanshi from “Welcome Newlyweds!” (6) and his wife, and the famous 宮川大介・花子san, and so on, one after passed right in front of our eyes. We were in a state of “Hieeeeee~~!” (*shock emoticon*). After that, the man we call the Grandma Killer, Hikawa Kiyoshi...was riding in the same elevator as us! (7) Once again, we were extremely “Hieeeeee~~!” (*shock emoticon*) In spite of the fact that day after day they bustle about recording live broadcasts across the country, without showing tiredness or surprised laughter they politely greeted the performers and staff. I was captivated by everyone’s looks of admiration and respect. There are times when I want to go “Kya ♥ Kya ♥!”, but because each Takarazuka seito must carry themselves with dignity in their actions and act responsibly, I keep my senses. Deep down I am going “Zun zunzun zundoko ♪” and my heart is pounding doki doki and dancing.
One other thing happened… After recording “Hatsuwarai! Naniwa Yumeichiza!”, when at last we thought we could experience a New Years-esque New Years, one of my classmates came down with a high fever and became dizzy!! I rode in a taxi with my classmate and we looked for a hospital, but since unfortunately it was New Year’s, nothing was open and we went to an emergency hospital. The disease’s name was influenza… OH! NO!! Why? WHY??? (8) Even though we were supposed to have taken the vaccination together…poor girl... (*sad emoticon*) I attended my classmate who had met with disaster from the beginning of the year as she received a fluid injection. She spent two days at the hospital and after confirming that my friend was getting better, I was belatedly able to finally make and eat zouni (9).
Hmm, with passing New Year’s in this way, the ideal and the reality are far removed, but because I’m now in a healthy state and can do many things, I’m grateful. I look forward to an ideal New Year’s in the future… ♥
Well everyone, thank you for reading these pages. Here’s a bit of Takarazuka trivia that I heard from the stage staff. They say that for the 26-step Grand Staircase (sparkle emoticon)…the amount of energy required for making it move even one time is…the same amount of energy as one family uses in one day. Heh heh heh…what are you looking at?
Notes:
1) This is the ceremony you see on Takarazuka Chronicle specials at the beginning of the year.
2) Manju are a Japanese sweet made with sweet beans.
3) Certain TV shows are a part of New Years, like how in America watching football is associated with Thanksgiving. Wikipedia is telling me that this particular New Year’s show ran from 2002-2004.
4) A major Japanese entertainment conglomerate. Er, so says Wikipeida.
5) For the first one this is just my rough translation, I don’t know if it has an official translation. The second one is an annual singing contest held in Japan on New Year’s.
6) Another Japanese TV program. I think this one is a variety show. Katsura Sanshi I believe is the host.
7) A Japanese enka singer.
8) This part is written entirely in English, which the exception of “Why?”, which was written as なぜ (literally, “why”)
9) In Takarazuka Anonymous Research 2006, Micchan mentions that she makes particularly good zouni.