Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII as Soga no Gorō Tokimune

In this series “Paraphrase of the 12 Months” (Mitate jūnikagetsu no uchi) for the 5th month, i.e. the month of the Boys’ Festival (satsuki), the actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII plays the character of Soga no Gorō Tokimune – one of the courageous brothers who avenged their father’s murder after waiting eighteen years – as a symbol of masculinity. The word “paraphrase” (mitate) in the series’ name suggests it is not necessarily linked with a specific performance, though Danjūrō VIII often played both the younger brother, the choleric Gorō, as well as the older brother, the sensible Jūrō. (See Helena Honcoopová, Kunisada, Praha 2005, p. 207)