There’s no denying that “2.5 D Musicals” have taken the stage-bound world by storm over recent years here in Japan. There’s an entire industry set on turning out musicals based on the animated likes of Haikyuu and Bleach. But while these shows have found real popularity, there’s something special about an anime adaptation bound for the rarified air of the great kabuki stages. Rupan Sansei (流白浪燦星), playing at the Minami-za, the great Kyoto kabuki theater, is just that: an adaptation of the sixty-year-old Lupin III anime franchise, focused on a globetrotting gentleman thief, given all the aplomb and technical prowess reserved for the best of kabuki.
Readers of this site may well be familiar with Lupin III; the globally beloved franchise features the Japanese grandson of fictional French thief Arsene Lupin pulling off capers alongside a crew of memorable characters. There’s laidback sharpshooter Jigen Daisuke, femme fatale Mine Fujiko, and swordsman Ishikawa Goemon. Chasing them to the ends of the earth is obsessive Interpol officer Inspector Zenigata. It’s a franchise with near limitless malleability, with seven TV shows and dozens of theatrical or TV films to its name. Despite its very 70s vibes, international settings, and jazzy music, Lupin often features deep Japanese cultural pulls; transposing the action to late 16th-century Japan works more easily than you might imagine.
Rupan Sansei is playing at the Minami-za until near the end of September 2025. The show is a revival of the 2023 hit on the Tokyo Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre stage; we were able to book tickets for a group of nine traveling with Unseen Japan Tours. I was more than happy to do so, given my longstanding love of the Lupin III series. I was ready for something fun, but perhaps a bit chintzy; however, my expectations were soon blown asunder, as if hit by an expertly aimed bullet from Jigen’s Magnum.
Lupin III Descends on Kyoto
There’s a real excitement in seeing this show in central Kyoto. The Minami-za theater is situated not fifty feet from the statue of Izumo no Okuni, who founded the art of kabuki on the banks of the river Kamo some 400 years ago. The story is even set within Kyoto. The Imperial Palace, Nanzen-ji Temple, and the Kamo River itself are major locations. The very spectators at the Minami-za only added to the play’s Kyoto mystique; while in many of the city’s landmarks, locals are crowded out by international tourists, here were to be found only a few obvious interlopers. In their place were the theatergoers of Kyoto, many of them in kimono. Geisha could even be seen enjoying the show with patrons.
(The show even pokes fun at the current glut of tourists in the city. At one point, Lupin and Jigen are served some confections by a katakuri atomaton. When told of the incredible price of the snacks, Jigen remarks that “they must be aimed at all those inbound tourists.”)
Lupin, Transposed a Mere 400 Years
Kabuki is a highly stylized, populist version of theater that grew up amidst the booming urban culture of Tokugawa-era Edo and Kyoto. For those not used to the form, it may initially feel stilted and stagey, but before long, the incredible production values, exuberant colors, energetic performances, and mind-boggling set and costume changes should win you over. Kabuki follows its own logic and forms, but unlike the more esoteric Noh theater, entertainment is still the name of the game.
While many kabuki performances at the major theaters offer English caption devices, the Lupin III kabuki was Japanese-language-only. This was a bit of an issue for some of our group, since the first part of the play is a bit talky. There’s the usual convoluted-but-fun plot for Lupin and his gang to insert themselves into; buddy thieves Lupin and Jigen are after a set of ancient swords said to have incredible powers. Swordsman thief Goemon is after the same haul, with oiran (courtesan) Fujiko working behind the scenes with a shady automotan-maker who’s close friends with the Taiko (a feudal lord clearly patterned after warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi). Throw in some star-crossed romance, a world-ending threat, and a Shinto god or two, and you have the plot of Rupan Sansei.
Classic Characters, Kimono-Clad
Rupan Sansei is in full kabuki mode through almost its entire run, with language that tends to be just as inscrutable for Japanese speakers as Shakespeare can be for English natives. Still, the characters shine through. Kataoka Ainosuke VI imbues Lupin with his irascible charm and classic voice ticks originated by the legendary Yamada Yasuo. Ichikawa Emisaburo looks great as Jigen, with kiseru pipe chomped firmly in his jaw. Naturally, for a samurai tale, Goemon gets much to do, too.
Sadly, Fujiko gets shortest shrift here. While onnagata performer Ichikawa Emiya gets a few moments to charm with an impish mug or a slap to Lupin’s face, she’s by far the most underutilized of the main characters. She also resembles her animated counterpart the least.
Meanwhile, the breakout star is, perhaps unsurprisingly, Inspector Zenigata. “Pops” is his usual bumbling but undaunted self, chasing Lupin into the balconies and aisles. Actor Ichikawa Chusha gets plenty of laughs via his dogged pursuit and occasional use of an anachronistic megaphone. His costume, a beige kimono pattered with coins (“zeni”), is topped with a very fedora-esque hat. You may start to miss Zenigata when he disappears for much of the later acts, but as in many Lupin stories, he comes back just in the nick of time.
The Thrill of the Chase (and of Set Changes)
The first act starts with a classic Lupin heist, followed by a propulsively impressive action scene as Zenigata and his samurai police force give chase. Set changes in this first act include beautiful temple gates with cherry blossoms falling from above stage; the show is fun but a bit talky at this point. Half of our group, unable to understand the dialogue, left at first intermission – they felt they’d got the gist of the show. That was too bad, since it’s from Act II that the show really kicks into gear, introducing incredible and surprising setpieces after setpieces. It’s the sort of thing you don’t want to describe, lest you spoil the live experience; the inventiveness surprises you time and again.
And lest you assume the anime origins of the play deprive it of its kabuki authenticity, think again. I was stunned by some truly wonderful examples of traditional Japanese art forms. At one point, an expert shamisen player emerges on stage to perform a skilled mini-concert, distracting the audience with an amazing performance as an especially impressive set change happens behind curtain. During another scene, an elaborately kimonoed Fujiko features in an oiran procession in the Gion pleasure quarters, gracefully moving atop absurdly high, lacquered koma-geta shoes. A porter carries a huge paper umbrella to shade her, while a retinue of kimono-clad handmaidens trails behind. It’s a moment from the long-gone pleasure quarters come to life, and without the bother of cell-phone-bearing lookey-loos that would be present in one of the very rare oiran processions that take place in real life these days.
Rupan Sansei is an excellent show for both fans of Lupin III and kabuki, and can serve as a fun intro to both. The half of my crew that remained through the whole show came out buzzing, charmed, and wowed by the show – despite not understanding a word of the dialogue! If you’re going to be in Kyoto this month, there’s still time to check it out – and get transported to a nexus of Japanese pop culture from the 1970s and the Edo era. The Lupin III kabuki is very much worth your time. Like Zenigata, I’ll be chasing the high of this performance to the ends of the Earth.
Discover the “unseen” side of Japan
Japan is on everyone’s travel bucket list. Sadly, many end up going to the same places as everyone else. That can turn what could have been a fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience into an exhausting battle with crowds.
We started Unseen Japan Tours for the same reason we started Unseen Japan: To give people a unique glimpse into Japan they can’t get anywhere else. Let us create a custom itinerary of hard-to-find spots centered on your interests. We can also serve as your guides and interpreters, taking you to places that non-Japanese-speaking tourists usually can’t access.
Contact us below to get the ball rolling today!
What to read next
Tourists Feeding Bears in Japan Has Deadly Consequences
A sad story from Hokkaido illustrates how tourist behavior altered the disposition of a bear that came to view humans as food.
Child Sex Tourism to Laos from Japan Booms, Driven By Social Media
Japanese men are flocking to Laos to participate in the heinous practice. Some who live in Laos are even conducting tours.
1st vs. 118th: On Gender Equality, Japan and Iceland Took Different Roads
The Emperor of Japan asked Iceland’s president a very good question recently: Why is your gender gap so much smaller than ours?
