Kabuki: The Japanese Art Of Song, Dance, And Skill

Image source: theguardian.com

On a recent trip to Japan, I finally had the chance to witness a Kabuki play. Clearly, it was the highlight of my trip and I couldn’t have spent the holiday any other way than watching a good cultural performance.

I learned a lot about Kabuki through books and the net, but witnessing the performance first hand was a totally different experience. Here’s what I can share about Kabuki, from what one of my Japanese friends told me.

Kabuki is one of the three major classic theater performances in Japan, alongside noh and bunraku. Kabuki means song (ka), dance (bu), and skill (ki). The performance is designed to showcase dramatic and spectacular artistry, unlike the solemn and ritual-like noh.

Image source: pinterest.com

Kabuki performances are accompanied by musical instruments like shamisen, chanting, drums, and flutes. The stage is often set in green, black, and reddish stripes. Actors wear jidaimono or sewamono, which were famous in the Edo period. Traditional kabuki plays ban female artists on-stage because back in the day, prostitution was a wide side business in some kabuki troupes. Since then, male actors do “onnagata” or female impersonation, which requires them to train for years. Common themes of kabuki include filial piety, giri-ninjo (love and duty conflicts), and Confucian thought.

The performance was undoubtedly long (five hours with intermissions), but I enjoyed every part of it. Luckily, I had an English ear-piece so I had an idea of what was happening during the long display of talents.

Hi, Joshua B. Eaves here! I’m a big fan of the Blue Man Group and all things related to theater. Let’s explore the colorful world of performance arts together when you follow me on Twitter.