Kabuki kids: the children of Japan’s traditional theatre

May 04 (Dawn) - Mahalo Terajima made his debut kabuki performance in Tokyo on May 1, 2023, becoming Japan’s first officially recognised dual national kabuki actor.

Like most 10-year-olds in Japan, Maholo Terajima enjoys baseball and video games, but recently his schedule has also included lessons in sword-fighting, choreography and fan dancing — preparations for his kabuki debut.

The French-Japanese child made his first appearance to rapturous applause this week under his new stage name, Onoe Maholo, at Tokyo’s Kabuki-za theatre, the storied home of the classical artform.

He joins just a handful of children who tread the boards in the ranks of Japan’s kabuki actors, part of a tradition that is hundreds of years old. “Practice is hard,” the soft-spoken Terajima said, conceding he is sometimes jealous of friends who don’t have hours of training after school.

With his debut, Terajima has taken up the mantle of his maternal grandfather, the celebrated kabuki actor Onoe Kikugoro VII. ...continue reading

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