Ninagawa Yukio: Okada Masaki’s mentor for theatres

The late Ninagawa Yukio's "Cymbeline", photograph by Watanabe Takahiro

A rather belated Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope your Christmas has been peaceful and full of love…

This time, I just want to share a short epiphany about one of Okada Masaki’s mentors. When I first learned that Okada Masaki was going to star as the titular character in the Bunkamura “Hamlet” 2019 production, I was very excited. When I realised that Simon Godwin was going to direct the production, I was even more excited. I thought, how amazing it was to have Masaki being tutored by a British Shakespearean director?! I wasn’t trying to have the white supremacy here at all; it was just an excitement to have a British Shakespearean director directing the 2019 Hamlet production. At that time, I didn’t know that Shakespeare stories had often been performed in Japan, and that there was a number of Japanese directors who had actually directed such performances.

The late Ninagawa Yukio (source)

Then, recently, I learned that there was actually a Japanese Shakespearean director, not only praise-worthy in Japan but also globally. His name was Ninagawa Yukio (蜷川幸雄). He died on 12 May 2016, but not before directing many Shakespearean plays, including EIGHT Hamlet plays and at least one all Japanese-cast Macbeth. Yes, Yukio-san loved Shakespeare so much, in particular Hamlet, that he produced the play eight times. His last Hamlet was actually Fujiwara Tatsuya (paired up with Masaki in the Scientific Investigation drama) and he was very well-received at the Barbican London.

Claudius (Hira Mikijiro) and Gertrude (Ohtori Ran)
in Ninagawa Yukio's last Hamlet in 2015 (source) 

Ninagawa Yukio was a critically acclaimed director; his Shakespearean productions were praised by so many critics and played in different cities outside Japan (including Paris, New York, London and Singapore) despite some of them supported by all-Japanese cast delivered in Japanese language (English subtitles provided).

A scene in Ninagawa Yukio's last Hamlet at the Barbican London (source)

Why, one glance at his Macbeth made me realise why Yukio-san was such a renowned director! The story was Macbeth, but Yukio-san utilised his Japanese roots very well, such that Macbeth was transferred to the Azuchi-Momoyama era Macbeth instead of the Elizabethan era Macbeth.

Ninagawa Yukio's Macbeth was met with standing ovation at the Lincoln's Centre (source)

The grandeur Ichimura Masachika as Macbeth in Ninagawa-san's production (source)

Beautiful.

Although he truly admired Shakespeare, Ninagawa-san also had many non-Shakespeare works, including “Musashi” (want to see that!). Yukio-san also directed two theatre plays in which Okada Masaki was one of the main actors; those were “Total Eclipse” and “Woman in Black”.

Total Eclipse 2014 (starring Okada Masaki & Namase Katsuhisa)

Woman in Black (2015)

Thus, here I am, admitting that I was an ignorant fool to think that there was no Shakespeare director in Japan. I was a fool to think that Shakespeare could only be translated to Western-style interpretations. I didn't realise that Shakespeare was very much absorbable into many cultures, including into the Japanese feudal era, nor that I realised that non-Japanese speaking audience actually sought for Japanese-spoken Shakespeare productions.

I was definitely ignorant, but not of malice.

I’m still very happy that Masaki is being tutored by Director Simon Godwin; I am indeed… and I am definitely looking forward to it. However, I now realised I have lost an opportunity to watch a play by the famous Director Ninagawa Yukio because… well, I just didn’t realise it when he was still alive.  And for that, and for the loss of such a talented director, I grief.

Anyway, Ninagawa-san was such an inspiration to Okada Masaki that one day Masaki said to Ninagawa-san that he wanted to perform a Shakespearean play with Ninagawa-san one day. Unfortunately, Ninagawa Yukio died before Okada Masaki was able to play in a Shakespearean performance with him. Yet, Yukio-san thought very highly of Masaki, such that the famous director told Masaki one day that, when one day Masaki was done with movies and dramas, he could come to theatre with Yukio-san. Thus, I think Yukio-san is now smiling in Heaven, knowing that Okada Masaki, one his students, is at the helm for Hamlet, Yukio-san's favourite Shakespearean play.

This is the paragraph I copied from our Facebook friend “Masaki Okada 岡田将生”:

The play was directed by Yukio Ninagawa, who apparently told Okada, “If you’ve gone off film and TV, come to theater.” “He taught me the fun and joy of plays,” Okada said of Ninagawa. “I didn’t want to forget that mixed sensation of tension and excitement you get when playing in front of an audience.” Okada was also enthralled by the performers and staff members in the Ninagawa production, who built one another up in the rehearsal studio. The experience fuelled his motivation to learn more about theater, he said. 

And this is what Okada Masaki admitted about a Shakespearean production, in relation to Ninagawa-san:

初舞台作品での演出家蜷川幸雄に「いつか君とシェイクスピアをやりたい」と言われていたこともあり、待望のシェイクスピア作品、そして念願のタイトルロールとなる。 

Hatsubutai sakuhin de no enshutsu-ka ninagawa yukio ni `itsuka-kun to Sheikusupia o yaritai' to iwa rete ita koto mo ari, taibō no Sheikusupia sakuhin, soshite nengan no taitorurōru to naru. 

Once, his first Stage Director Ninagawa Yukio said (to Okada Masaki), “One day I’d like to perform a Shakespeare play with you.” 

Thus it became the long-awaited Shakespeare work that his heart desires. 

Well, next year Masaki will play a Shakespearean production alright, with Simon Godwin's Hamlet... so I suppose Masaki's wish was partially fulfilled.

Below are some snippets of Ninagawa Yukio’s works, including his Macbeth. I do wish I could watch the Macbeth (starring the amazing Ichimura Masachika); it looks so gorgeous…


(This Macbeth performance was repeated as a memorial performance in the Barbican London about 1.5 years after Yukio-san passed away)

Having read Yoshikawa Eiji's Musashi and in the midst of watching the 2003 Musashi Taiga Drama, this production would be interesting to watch again...

I have a translation I want to finish before New Year, but if I cannot do that, Happy New Year 2019 for now… and may the Universe always bless us all… (including our Okada Masaki, of course!).