Tachiyaku

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Tachiyaku

Tachiyaku is a Japanese Kabuki term for young adult male roles and the actors who play them. Not every Tachiyaku character is a hero—villains and comic figures belong to separate categories. The hero of a play is usually a Tachiyaku, and many top actors and acting families specialize in these roles.

Origin and meaning

The word Tachiyaku literally means “standing role.” It originally distinguished actors from musicians and chanters (who were called jigata).

Two main types of Tachiyaku

- Aragoto: The great, heroic figures in Kabuki. They often wear white face makeup with bold red patterns and speak and act in a loud, forceful way. The most famous example is Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa in Shibaraku.

- Wagoto: Softer, gentler characters. Wagoto roles are commonly companions to the main hero or romantic leads. Examples include Abe Kiyoyuki in Narukami Fudō Kitayama Zakura and Yoshitsune in Kanjinchō.

Other Tachiyaku categories

There are also smaller categories, such as shinbōya (mild-mannered characters defined by the cruelty they suffer) and sabakiyaku (level-headed, wise characters who may serve as judges). These are usually not the main heroes of a play.

Famous Tachiyaku actors and lineages

Many of Kabuki’s top actors historically specialized in Tachiyaku roles. Notably, families like Ichikawa Danjūrō and Ichikawa Ebizō, Nakamura Kanzaburō, Nakamura Kankurō, Nakamura Kichiemon, Matsumoto Hakuō and Matsumoto Kōshirō, Morita Kan’ya, Onoe Kikugorō, and Sakata Tōjūrō are associated with Tachiyaku performance.

Selected notable Tachiyaku

Bandō Mitsugorō VIII; Ichikawa Danjūrō I, II, VII, VIII, IX, XII, XIII; Ichikawa Jūkai III; Matsumoto Kōshirō VII, X; Nakamura Kanzaburō XVII, XVIII; Nakamura Kichiemon I, II; Nakamura Shidō II; Nakamura Tomijūrō V; Onoe Kikugorō V, VII; Onoe Shoroku II; Sakata Tōjūrō I, IV.

See also

Xiaosheng (Xiaosheng) in Chinese opera.