Tokyo – June 27, 2019 – Toppan Printing (Toppan) (TSE:7911), a global leader in communication, packaging, décor materials, and electronics solutions, and the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Waseda University, have produced digital content based on the Shintomiza Kabuki Theater Curtain, a 4m x 17m Theatre curtain painted by renowned Japanese artist Kawanabe Kyosai. The content has been created as part of joint research between the two organizations and makes use of high-definition digitization of the work of art. It will be screened for the first time on June 29 at a symposium at Japan House London (www.japanhouselondon.uk/) to coincide with the the display of the curtain itself at the Manga exhibition held at the British Museum between May 23 and August 26 (www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/manga.aspx).
Kawanabe Kyosai’s Shintomiza Kabuki Theater Curtain (from the collection of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Waseda University)
The Shintomiza Kabuki Theater Curtain was painted by Kawanabe Kyosai in response to a request from Kanagaki Robun, a Japanese author active in the 19th century. The giant painted curtain is four meters high and 17 meters long and depicts Japanese mythical creatures that Kawanabe based on leading Kabuki actors of the Meiji period, such as ONOE Kikugoro V and ICHIKAWA Danjuro IX. It shows numerous creatures coming out of a box one after the other and appearing to approach the audience. It is said that Kawanabe painted the piece in four hours while drinking sake. Kanagaki presented the curtain to the Shintomiza theater in Tokyo, one of the leading theaters of the Meiji period. It is known for Kawanabe’s unique style and is a rare example of a theater curtain that has been preserved.
High-definition digital data totalling 9.4 billion pixels was obtained using Toppan’s proprietary techniques. Due to the difficulty in photographing such a large work of art, a special set was constructed in a studio and high-definition digital cameras were used to shoot the curtain in 419 parts.
High-definition photography of the Shintomiza Kabuki Theater Curtain
The data obtained was then used to produce an animation and content for tablets and other devices. The animation gives life to the world depicted by Kawanabe by showing the mythical creatures in motion, facing off against each other, as well as a reconstruction of the location where the curtain was originally used.
The content for tablets allows users to zoom in on the details of Kawanabe’s work and compare it with photographs and woodblock prints of the actors on which the characters were based. The content can also be displayed at full scale on large displays.
About the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Waseda University, familiarly known as Enpaku, was founded in October 1928 to commemorate the 70th birthday of Japanese author, critic, translator, playwright, and university professor Tsubouchi Shoyo. As Asia's only museum dedicated solely to the theatre, Enpaku has been engaged in collecting works relating to the theatre and motion pictures both in Japan and all around the world. Its extensive collection of about one million works that has been amassed over 85 years may be termed as "the history of theatre" itself. Meanwhile it also contributes to researchers from a wide range of fields, extending from the theatre and motion pictures to other areas such as literature, history, clothing and construction.
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