enpaku 早稲田大学演劇博物館

The Tsubouchi MemorialTheatre Museum

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History of the Theatre Museum (Enpaku)

With the aid of supporters from a range of fields, The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Waseda University, familiarly known as "Enpaku", was founded in October 1928 to commemorate the 70th birthday of Professor Tsubouchi Shoyo and the completion by him of the translation into Japanese of all 40 volumes of the "Complete Works of Shakespeare", a task to which the Professor had devoted half his life. Since then, 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.

Greetings from the Director

KODAMA Ryuichi

The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Waseda University, (commonly known as “Enpaku”) will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2028.
On October 27, 1928, Dr Tsubouchi, i.e., Shoyo Tsubouchi (1859-1935), gave a famous speech at the inauguration of the Theatre Museum. The manuscript of his speech is preserved here. Shoyo said, “This building is now like an empty warehouse or container with little substance, but I secretly hope and believe that it will one day serve as a cradle to nurture and grow new cultures for our country and for the countries of the world”. At the same time, he also set forth the ideal that the materials and documents to be collected by the Theatre Museum should not be limited to a single period or country, but should span all eras, and all regions.
In the 100 years since then, the Theatre Museum has collected a vast number of materials on all aspects of theatre from all ages, from the East to the West, in accordance with Shoyo’s ideal. The Theatre Museum’s ideal is to “have everything related to the theatre”. Our vast collection has been made possible, first and foremost, by people from all over the world who have donated materials to the museum. Secondly, it is the result of the diligent efforts of successive generations of museum staff who have continued to collect and purchase materials, contributing to the diversity of the collection accumulated in this way. It is only when there are people who need these materials that the collection shines. It is also the visitors and users of the museum who give meanings to the materials and discover their value. With these collections at its core, the Theatre Museum will continue to promote the appeal of theatrical culture through a variety of exhibitions and events, both large and small, putting an emphasis on permanent and special exhibitions.
The Theatre Museum is not only a museum but also the largest library of theatre books in Japan. Moreover, this library has no restrictions on its users, making it one of the most open to the public among the facilities of Waseda University. Let me quote the congratulatory address delivered in 1953 by Otani Takejiro (1877-1969), the then Chairman of Shochiku Co., at the 25th anniversary of the Theatre Museum: “Whenever I see this library thriving and flourishing, I think that the voices of those who say that the Japanese theatre is dying or will disappear are almost void. As long as there are people who study theatre at our museum, it will not decline, and it will not perish. We, the members of the theatre community, extend our heartfelt congratulations to you, because we deeply believe that the Japanese theatre will continue to flourish.” The “Japanese theatre” here can be replaced today with “the World theatre”. The Theatre Museum is committed to fulfilling this trust.
I, Kodama Ryuichi, am the newly appointed director of the museum, and my research focuses on Kabuki and Bunraku. Wada Osamu, who has been appointed vice director, focuses his research on Kabuki and folk performing arts. This combination does not indicate that the Theatre Museum will specialize in Japanese theatre with an emphasis on Kabuki. It is based on the recognition that the vast scope of the Theatre Museum cannot possibly be covered by the director and vice director alone. In addition to the vast field presented by Shoyo, we are also looking into the field of film and visual arts, and we would like to continue to be a useful institution for all genres of performance, while receiving opinions from experts both within and outside of the university.
The Theatre Museum will do its utmost to serve the needs of its users around the world. Since our users include those who will be using the museum decades from now and even later, there will be times when we will have to inconvenience our current users in order to preserve our materials. Fortunately, the materials can now be accessed through the digital archive and other means. In 2000, the Theatre Museum was the first to open its collection of over 40,000 digital images of Yakusha-e(wood-block prints depicting Kabuki actors’ image)to the world, and we are proud to say that this has greatly contributed to the advancement of the study of Yakusha-e. We have also begun to release video recordings of plays as the Japan Digital Theatre Archive (JDTA). In addition, we are making primary documents such as playbills and pamphlets available to the public, as well as a number of databases related to performance history based on these documents. We will continue these efforts to make more materials available for academic research, theatrical creation, students’ study, and the promotion of culture by making them more accessible and useful.
We sincerely appreciate your generous and continued support for these endeavors of the Theatre Museum.

Architecture & Design

At the suggestion of Tsubouchi Shoyo, the design of the Theatre Museum by Imai Kenji and his followers was modeled on the historic Elizabethan "Fortune Playhouse" built in the 16th century. The covered area in front of the building represents the main stage of the playhouse, with entrances on each side. The museum's reading rooms correspond to the backstage area, with the wings that flank the main entrance as box seats and the open area in front of the building as ordinary seats. In this way, the theatre museum building itself has become one of the exhibits in its collection. The phrase "Totus Mundus Agit Histrionem" inscribed in the front of the stage is the Latin translation of "All the world's a stage", taken from one of Shakespeare's own plays.

Tsubouchi Shoyo 1859-1935

Tsubouchi Shoyo is one of the greatest pioneers of modern Japanese culture, with a legacy of innovative and groundbreaking achievements that spans the Meiji and Showa eras in diverse fields such as the theatre, literature, dance, children's drama, fine art and education. The Shoyo Memorial Room on the 2nd floor of Enpaku is the room that Shoyo used when he visited the museum. The ceiling of the room is decorated with sheep, signifying the Year of the Sheep in which Shoyo was born.

A bust of Shoyo delivering a lecture on Shakespeare
(sculpted by Eisaku Hasegawa)

A lyric by Yaichi Aizu to honour Shoyo the teacher is carved on the plinth. As it is said that students who shake hands with the statue will pass the entrance examination of Waseda University successfully, there is no shortage of students who come to shake hands with Shoyo.

Activities

The museum collects source materials on the theatre and motion pictures, conducts surveys and research, and organizes and stores materials. The results of these activities are made available widely through exhibitions and other events, as well as via publications and online database. Enpaku also contributes to the broader dissemination of the culture of theatre through participation in regional exchange programs actively.

Permanent Exhibitions

Permanent exhibitions of items taken from the Enpaku collection are categorized into "Western Drama", "Ancient and Middle Ages", "Early Modern Age", "Modern and Contemporary", "Motion Pictures & TV", and "Folk Performing Arts and Oriental Drama". These exhibitions cover the respective eras, drama in different regions and the cultural history of motion pictures.

now exhibitions (in Japanese)

Special Exhibitions

Twice a year in Spring and Autumn, the museum holds exhibitions that cut across regional boundaries, drawing on the unique Enpaku storage of the theatre and motion picture resources from regions all around the world.

Special Exhibitions (in Japanese)

Collections

"The many world-class collections that add such colour to the Enpaku exhibitions"

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Folding screen depicting female Kabuki

  • Gigaku mask "Drunken Persian King (Suiko-ou)"

  • Theatre magazine "Le Théâtre"

  • Mask used in the Indian Purulia "Chhau" dance

  • Costume of Lady Oscar in "The Rose of Versailles"

  • The 4th folio of the "Complete Works of Shakespeare"

  • Bunraku doll "Keisei"

  • Lantern-slide plate of "Kanjincho"

  • > more (in Japanese)

Events

Admission is free to all regular Enpaku events, including events related to the exhibitions and courses, as well as the Shakespeare Festival and the Shoyo Festival. Projects using the stage in front of Enpaku are also popular.

> now events (in Japanese)

Information

The museum collects source materials on the theatre and motion pictures, conducts surveys and research, and organizes and stores materials. The results of these activities are made available widely through exhibitions and other events, as well as via publications and online database. Enpaku also contributes to the broader dissemination of the culture of theatre through participation in regional exchange programs actively.

Admission: Free of charge

Museum opening times

Exhibition rooms & library:
10:00 am to 5:00 pm (until 7:00 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays)
Rare & foreign-language book library, AV booths:
Weekdays, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Museum closed: ※Please visit Japanese website for information.

Location & access

7-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Tozai line Waseda station
5-minute walk from Toden Arakawa line Waseda station
2-minute walk from "Soudai seimon-yuki" stop on Toei bus from Takadanobaba station (Waseda exit) on the JR Yamanote line or Seibu Shinjuku line

Email news updates

Information on topics such as exhibitions and lectures at the Theatre Museum is sent out by email monthly. To subscribe, simply register on our website.
> more (in Japanese)

Inquiries

The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Waseda University

1-6-1 Nishi-waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050

+81-3-5286-1829(weekdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm)

[email protected]

https://enpaku.w.waseda.jp/

@waseda_ENPAKU

https://www.facebook.com/WasedaU.ENPAKU

Facilities

Library (main bldg. 1st fl.)

Provides access to Japanese-language books and magazines in the fields of the theatre, motion pictures, folk performing arts, dance and music published from the Meiji era onward, as well as scripts from media such as motion pictures, TV and radio. Publications and related items of Enpaku are also sold at the counter in the main building.

Rare & foreign-language book library (annex, 3rd fl.)

Rare books

Provides access to Japanese bound books from the Edo era onward, including Noh chants (utai), Kabuki scripts, Joruri texts, and ukiyo-e prints of Kabuki actors, as well as Japanese bound books with high historical value from the Meiji era onward.

Foreign-language books

Provides access to foreign-language books and magazines in fields such as the theatre, motion pictures, dance (ballet and modern) and music. The Enpaku also has a particularly extensive selection of Shakespeare-related materials which is one of the foremost collections in Japan.

AV booths(annex, 3rd fl.)

Can be used to listen to a wide range of the theatre and motion picture resources of classical Japanese performing arts such as Noh and Kyogen, Kabuki and Bunraku as well as folk performing arts, entertainments, motion pictures and contemporary drama from all around the world.

Materials in the collection are available to all (ID required). Note that the viewing method varies depending on the type of material. Please check beforehand. Be aware that some materials may not be available on the day because applications are required in advance or because they are in use elsewhere.
Please visit our website for details.

※Use the search systems below to look through the materials mentioned above.

Waseda University Scholarly Information Network System "WINE"
https://waseda.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=81SOKEI_WUNI:WINE&lang=en
Digital Archives Collection
https://archive.waseda.jp/archive/index.html?arg={%22advanced_search%22:false,%22institute_id%22:%223%22}&lang=en
JDTA (Japan Digital Theatre Archives)
https://enpaku-jdta.jp/en

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Soshi-kai ENPAKU SUPPORTERS CLUB

The Supporters Club Soshi-kai is one way to make your time at Enpaku even more enjoyable. For an annual membership fee of 3,000 yen, you will receive a free calendar and greeting cards as well as privileges such as the ability to borrow books from the library's collection. For details, please check the "Soshi-kai Guide" booklet or our website. Inquiries: 03 5286 1829 (weekdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm)

> more (in Japanese)

Digital Archives Collection is made up of works from the Enpaku collection that are being digitized and made available to the public progressively. It includes more than 47,000 ukiyo-e prints, all of which can be viewed online. Users can also check through various catalogs, including rare books, stage photographs and folk performing arts, that have been widely used in research and many other purposes since they were first made available to the public in 2001. Staff are also working hard in recent years to build an archive with 3D data files for three-dimensional exhibits.


Photoshoot for 3D digitization

▲Ukiyo-e database
Keywords such as names of Kabuki actors and Japanese painting artists can be used in filtered searches and even novices can search the archive easily.

▲Magical lantern slide database
Users can view one of the world's rarest collections related to the prehistory of motion pictures.

Comprehensive Theatre Information Database Digital Archives Collection