KABUKI

Presented by:
Group 2
 What is Kabuki?
- It is a Japanese traditional theatre art that is performed in a
stylized manner which combines acting, singing and dancing.
-Kabuki is an art form rich in showmanship.
-It involves elaborately designed costumes, eye-catching make-
up, outlandish wigs, and arguably most importantly, the
exaggerated actions performed by the actors.
-The highly-stylized movements serve to convey meaning to the
audience; this is especially important since an old-fashioned
form of Japanese is typically used, which is difficult even for
Japanese people to fully understand.
• When it originated, kabuki used to be acted only by women,
and was popular mainly among common people. Later during
the Edo Period, a restriction was placed by the Tokugawa
Shogunate forbidding women from participating; to the
present day it is performed exclusively by men. Several male
kabuki actors are therefore specialists in playing female roles.
• The term kabuki in modern Japanese means: ka, “song”: bu;
“dance”; and ki,”skill”.
KABUKI
History
 KABUKI
An Educational Video
Kinds of
Kabuki
Kabuki the Art of Song and Dance was first
called Onna Kabuki,
Okuni being a woman (onna); although, as
her religious chants gave place to popular folk-
songs, she wore the garments of men and acted
the part of one who frequented tea-houses and
sported with their inmates. She soon gathered
about her a group of players, women, children,
and men in the garb of women, Sanzaburo
himself presenting Kyogen as interludes.
• Such success led to imitation, and the
number of Kabuki playhouses multiplied;
but, in spite of occasional signs of
aristocratic favor, Kabuki remained
essentially an entertainment of the
common people--in reality a protest
against social as well as dramatic
conventions.
• The doom of Onna Kabuki seems to have been foreseen by some,
for in 1617 Dansuke, who had been conducting a company of
women, founded the first company composed of men-players only.
Men, especially young men, had played in Onna Kabuki; and it
probably was not difficult to build up a company from these and
from men about town, as the downfall of the Ashikaga Shogunate
had left many of its natural supporters without employment.
Wakashu Kabuki
• As women were forbidden the stage, young men held a
monopoly of the female parts; and for this reason the
new companies and their plays were known as Wakashu
Kabuki.
• In 1644, when Wakashu Kabuki was most popular, official
prohibition was renewed to stop the employment and
training of young boys, which, it was charged, was
undermining the morals of the warrior class; and in 1652
this second type of Kabuki was banned.
Yaro Kabuki
• Profiting not a little from the example and success of
the Ayatsuri stage, Kabuki refused to be destroyed. In
spite of restrictions perhaps in part because of them it
had made for itself a place in the social life of the people
which demanded satisfaction. Older men continued
the Kabuki tradition of freedom; and there developed
the Yaro (adult male)Kabuki, which enriched its
presentations with music and the inclusion of better
dramatic material to compensate for the relative absence
of debasing elements.
• With the development of the Yaro Kabuki actors began,
more generally than before, to train themselves for
specific parts. In the earlier Kabuki men had often played
the part of women; but now, when it had become
necessary that they should do so upon all occasions, a
professional class of womenfolk (onnagata) grew into
prominence.