KABUKI

kabuki
(sing), (dance),
(skill)

"the art of singing

and dancing"

kabuku
"to lean"
"to be out of the ordinary"
avant-garde or bizarre theatre
kabukimono - refers to those who were
bizarrely dressed or swaggered on the
streets.

Izumo no Okuni
originator of Kabuki theatre in
the 17th century (1603)
miko of Izumo Taisha
performed a new style of
dance drama in the dry
riverbeds of Kyoto

KABUKI
It is traditional Japanese form of theater with roots tracing
back to the Edo Period. It is recognized as one of Japan's
three major classical theaters along with noh and bunraku,
and has been named as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural
Heritage.
It involves elaborately designed costumes, eye-catching
make-up, outlandish wigs, and most importantly, the
exaggerated actions performed by the actors. The highlystylized movements serve to convey meaning to the
audience.

STAGE
Hanamichi - footbridge/walkway that leads
through the audience, allowing for a
dramatic entrance or exit.

STAGE
Mawari-butai - revolving stage

STAGE
Seri - refers to the stage "traps". These
traps raise and lower actors or sets to the
stage.
Seridashi or seriage refers to trap(s) moving
upward
Serisage or Serioroshi to traps descending.

STAGE
Chnori - riding in mid-air) is a technique by
which an actors costume is attached to
wires and he is made to fly over the stage
and/or certain parts of the auditorium.
Ambiance is aided with live music performed
using traditional instruments.

PERFORMANCE
Jidaimono - history plays (samurai class)
Sewamono - domestic plays (commonerstownspeople/ peasants)
Mie - actor holds a pose to establish his
character
Kesho - kabuki make-up
Oshiroi - base for the characteristic stage
make-up which is made from RICE
POWDER

PERFORMANCE
KUMADORI - enhances or exaggerates
facial lines to produce dramatic animal or
supernatural masks.
COLORS:
RED - used to indicate passion, heroism,
righteousness, and other positive traits
BLUE or BLACK - villainy, jealousy, and
other negative traits
GREEN - the supernatural
PURPLE - nobility

PLAY STRUCTURE
jo-ha-ky
-states that dramatic pacing should start
slow, speed up, and end quickly.
like other traditional forms of drama in Japan
and other cultures, kabuki was (and
sometimes still is) performed in full-day
programs.

FAMOUS PLAYS
Kanadehon Chshingura (Treasury of Loyal
Retainers) is the famous story of the Fortyseven Ronin, led by Oishi Kuranosuke, who
track down their enemy and exact revenge
upon him before committing seppuku as
required by their code of honor upon the
death of their lord, Lord Takuminokami of the
Asano clan.

FAMOUS PLAYS
Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Yoshitsune and
the Thousand Cherry Trees) follows
Minamoto no Yoshitsune as he flees from
agents of his brother Yoritomo. Three Taira
clan generals supposed killed in the Genpei
War figure prominently, as their deaths
ensure a complete end to the war and the
arrival of peace, as does a kitsune named
Genkur.[

FAMOUS PLAYS
Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (Sugawara
and the Secrets of Calligraphy) is based on
the life of famed scholar Sugawara no
Michizane (845903), who is exiled from
Kyoto, and upon his death causes a number
of calamities in the capital. He is then
deified, as Tenjin, kami (divine spirit) of
scholarship, and worshipped in order to
propitiate his angry spirit.

KABUKI THEATRES
A day's performance is usually divided into two or three
segments (one in the early afternoon and one towards
the evening), and each segment is further divided into
acts.
Tickets are usually sold per segment, although in some
cases they are also available per act. They typically cost
around 2,000 yen for a single act or between 3,000 and
25,000 yen for an entire segment depending on the seat
quality.

Kabukiza Theatre
located at Tokyo's Ginza district
staging plays almost everyday and offering single-act
tickets and English headsets.

National Theatre (Tokyo)

Programs vary monthly, and include kabuki or bunraku
performances, as well as kabuki appreciation
workshops for beginners. English headsets are
available for rental.

Minamiza Theater (Osaka)

About two runs of three weeks per year, usually one
during spring and the other during autumn, are
performed.

Shochikuza Theater (Kyoto)

Three to five runs per year, each lasting between three to four
weeks. English headsets are unavailable, but an English program
book can be purchased at the information counter.

Hakataza Theater (Fukuoka)

Two runs per year, one in February and one in June,
are usually performed at this theater.