香こう盤ばん表ひょう

こ

う

ば

ん

ひょ

う

Meanings

1

noun

cast list; playbill

Used primarily in the context of traditional Japanese theatre (kabuki, bunraku) to list the actors and their roles.

歌か舞ぶ伎きの香こう盤ばん表ひょうには、出しゅつ演えん者しゃの名な前まえと役やく柄がらが書かかれている。
The kabuki cast list shows the performers' names and their roles.

香

incense, smell, perfume

盤tray, shallow bowl, platter

表surface, table, chart

Similar words

番ばん付づけ
番付 is a ranking list, especially for sumo wrestlers, while 香盤表 is specifically a cast list for theatrical performances.
キャスト
キャスト is a general term for the cast of a film or play, while 香盤表 refers to the written list itself, often in traditional theatre.

Etymology

香盤 (kōban) originally referred to an incense-smelling game or a ranking board used in such games, and 表 (hyō) means 'table' or 'list'. The term came to be used for a ranking or cast list in traditional theatre.