Japanese Theater:

Noh and Kabuki

Reporters:
Alemania, Ainamela
Alomia, Merry Joy
Caparroso, Jhaziel Mae
Dadea, Alexandra
Dedace, Judy Ann
Farinas, Xanee Kaiz
Ramores, Jan Romel
Reyes, Jefferson
Salazar, Mary Grace
BSE English 4-1

NOH
Origin of Noh
The word Noh means skill, craft, or the talent particularly in the field of performing arts in this
context. The word Noh may be used alone or with gaku (fun, music) to form the word ngaku. Noh is a
classical tradition that is highly valued by many today. When used alone, Noh refers to the historical
genre of theatre originated from sarugaku in the mid 14th century and continues to be performed today.
Noh and kygen "originated in the 8th century when the sangaku was transmitted from China to
Japan. At the time, the term sangaku referred to various types of performance featuring acrobats, song and
dance as well as comic sketches. Its subsequent adaption to Japanese society led to its assimilation of
other traditional art forms.
Studies on genealogy of the Noh actors in 14th century indicate they were members of families
specialized in performing arts; they had performed various traditional performance arts for many
generations. Sociological research by Yukio Hattori reveals that the Konparu School, arguably the oldest
school of Noh, is a descendant of Mimashi, the performer who introduced gigaku, now-extinct masked
drama-dance performance, into Japan from Kudara Kingdom in 612.
Another theory by Shinhachiro Matsumoto suggests Noh originated from outcastes struggling to
claim higher social status by catering to those in power, namely the new ruling samurai class of the time.
The transferral of the shogunate from Kamakura to Kyoto at the beginning of Muromachi period marked
the increasing power of the samurai class and strengthened the relationship between the shogunate and the
court.
As Noh became the shogun's favorite art form, Noh was able to become a courtly art form
through this newly formed relationship. In 14th century, with strong support and patronage
from shgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Zeami was able to establish Noh as the most prominent theatre art
form of the time.
-

The Noh Theater - Principles and Perspectives

Muromachi period 1336-1568

Nohgaku= Noh + Kyogen
= accomplished entertainment
Vocal music = utai
Instrumental music = hayashi (1 flute + 3 drums)
Acting technique = kata (dance poses + action)
Dance elements = mai (dance + utai + hayashi)
Fine arts, crafts = masks, robes, instruments

Salazar, Mary Grace T.

Architecture = Noh stage

Time = mode of production
Space = unified space (= stage + public)
Art of time-space continuum,
perfection > stylization/formalization
Comparable to avant-garde music including improvisation and chance
Utai-bon= (chant book) contains script, score, rules for performance
=> conductor superfluous
Architectural space concept is
- modular
- universal/multi-purpose
Negative space = ma = stillness/emptyness
before and after performance
Positive space = stage properties and dramatic activities
These spaces are connected by time, no curtain.

Types of time and space:

Condensed time
Slippage of time
Vanishing time
Reversed time
Split time

Shift of space
Oscillating space
Floating space
Expanding and contracting space
Space that brings the audienceonstage

Noh = experience, responsibility, not appreciation.

Like tea ceremony, unique in lifetime,not reproducible.
There are no Noh stars..."Never forget the beginners mind!
A Noh program lasts whole day
5 Noh plays + Kyogen are performed
There are five Noh principles:
Sancticity & magic
Stages of beauty
Actor and audience
Aesthetic of discord
Five element theory

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

1. Sancticity & magic

Sancticity of space:
Space of "sacred dialog with the gods

Magic in technique (from mimes):

Acrobatics, mystical forces
will power, autosuggestion:
Merging self and other
mask + mirror
"...the minds eye is opened and the soul grasped; the true Noh, hithertoo invisible, comes
alive...

2. Three stages of beauty

Hana = appearant beauty: blossom/flower
Yugen = invisible beauty: performed sublimity
Rojaku (old quiet) = quiet beauty

3. Actor and audience

Self and other, active fusion

4. Aesthetic of discord
Odd number important in Japan; against symmetry
Center of shape center of space:
Dynamic balance
Jo-Ha-Kyu = most important aesthetic principle:
Jo = "beginning position = spatial element
Ha = "break/ruin = destruction, disorder
Kyu = "rapid = speed, time element
Production principle for Noh program:
Everything is dominated by Jo-Ha-Kyu.
5. Five element theory
(odd number)
Elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, water
~ 5 breaths, 5 tones, 5 organs, etc.
Five Noh play categories:
god, warrior, woman, madness, demon
Have two time categories:
present time
dream time
=>10 categories in plays:
two time categories x five play categories
Every Noh play is one cross section of the life of one person, the shite.
The shite has an appearance (demon, etc.) and subject = one of the five elements
The waki is a kind of co-subject and mirror person to the shite.
Why are gestures dominant in Noh?
Have three languages of human expression:

Vocal
Facial
Gestural

Facial is impossible because of masks.

Vocal is ambiguous in Japanese, bad for expression of will, reserved to lyrical evocation.

Noh is dance drama, no opera or ballet.

All characters are choreographed.
All movements consist of:
units of movement = kata (patterns)
chant unit = phrase (12-syllabe line)
music unit = melodic + rhythmic units
space unit = za (hierarchy of places)

Noh gestures are reduced to unit patterns (kata) and made symbolic.
This enables much richer communication to audience than by eveyday gestures.
Very important for us:
Shite waves a web of fantasy in curves."
Waki draws reality in straight lines."

Classification of katas
Three types:
Realistic, e.g., hold a book in your hand, jump into bell
Symbolic, e.g., weep = hand to face and back
Abstract, e.g., zig-zag = beginning of end of many dances, or extended fan

Three categories:
Pure dance
Descriptive
Dramatic

Have the gliding walk, transports characters horizontally through space > white socks
One could understand Noh by observing feet.
Interesting performance only in upper half of body.
katachi = more than kata:
chi = deity, i.e., katachi = form/shape =
exterior form of kata +
characteristic usage
(mask, clothes, character)
Dance = text" built from kata-units
by enchanment
plus syntactical rules
mai = performed kata text" plus music
Classification of mai according to elements
(music, dance etc.)
Noh = enchanment of 100 types of shodan segments
basically 4 types: spoken/chant/instrumental/silence

ALOMIA, Merry Joy

Noh
Stage Mechanism

Nohthe Stage
The noh stage is an extremely simple space in which there is no curtain between the playing area
and the audience. Originally, noh was played in open fields. In order to retain the idea of performing
outdoors, the modern noh stage, though fashioned indoors, is designed complete with details such as a
roof, bridge with a handrail and a pine tree painted on the back wall.
Another example of the thoughtful design is the change in perspective of the three pine trees that
run along the hashigakari (bridgeway). The tree closest to the stage entrance is smaller than the one
closest to the stage in order to give a sense of distance. In addition the lighting is arranged in such a way
as resemble natural lighting.
In terms of the sound, various devices are used to help amplify the natural sound. It is said that
under many noh stages large empty clay jars are placed to aid in the sound of not just the shites stamping,
but the resonance of the drums and flute as well as the voices from the chorus (The National Noh Theatre
does not have jars under its stage.)

Stage Construction
The noh stage is constructed from hinoki (Japanese cypress). At the back of the stage is
the kagami-ita (back panel, usually displaying a painted pine tree). In the front of the stage is
the kizahashi (decorative staircase). Coming off the left side of the stage is the hashigakari (bridgeway).
At the end of the hashigakari is the agemaku(curtain) which marks the entrance to the backstage area. It is
thought that this current standard stage construction was established just before the reign of the well
known Shgun Oda Nobunaga (circa 1550). The Northern Noh Stage, located Nishi Honganji Temple in
Kyoto, is the oldest standing stage of this type of construction and is said to have been built by Toyotomi
Hideyoshi.
The
complete
noh
stage
is
comprised
of
the hon-butai (main
playing
area), hashigakari (bridgeway), ato-za(seating section for musicians and stage attendants) and the jiutaiza (seating section for the chorus). The main playing area is 5.4m per side.

Different Parts of a Noh Stage

Hashira
This type of Noh stage has a main stage with four hashira or bashira (columns): the sumibashira, waki-bashira, shite-bashira, and the fue-bashira. As the shite wears a mask while performing,
the hashira are a very important tool for the shite to gauge their location on stage. The sumi-bashira is a
particularly important marker and also has the name metsuke-bashira or eye-fixing column.

Kagami-ita
The back wall of a noh stage is called the kagami-ita on which a pine tree called the oi-matsu is
painted. This is said to be the eternal backdrop of noh. The Yg no matsu (The Yg Pine Tree) is said to
be the model for which the kagami-ita is based, and can still be found at the Kasuga Shrine in Nara.
While the noh stories may change, the backdrop does not. All noh are performed in front of the kagamiita.

Jiutai-za and Ato-za

Off to the right side of the main playing area is the jiutai-za (seating for the chorus). The back of
the stage is known as the ato-za and is the spot reserved for the hayashi(musicians) and the koken (stage
attendants). In contrast to the main playing area where the boards lie vertically, in the ato-za the boards
are laid horizontally, and is also known as the yoko-ita.

Hashigakari
Running from the ato-za off to the left of the main playing area is the hashigakari(bridgeway).
The hashigakari is used not just for entrances and exits, but also as another playing area for some
important scenes. As opposed to the openness of the main playing area, the hashigakari is linearly laid out
and consequently aids in creating a feeling of depth. The shite then can use the hashigakari to better
express their mental state.

Agemaku and Kiridoguchi

There are two entrances to the noh stage, the agemaku and the kiridoguchi or kirido.
The agemaku is located at the end of the hashigakari and is the five-colored curtain that is raised and
lowered
for
the
entrance
and
exit
of
the shite, waki, tsure, wakitsure,kygen, and hayashi. The kiridoguchi is located on the right side of the ato-za and is a small sliding
door that is used for entrances and exits of the kken (stage attendants) for both the shite and the hayashi,
as well as for the jiutai (chorus).

Kagami-no-ma
The kagami-no-ma (mirror room) is located behind the agemaku and is where the shite puts on
the mask being used for the noh. This is also where the hayashi play oshirabe (warm-up music). It can be
said that when the shite and hayashi enter this area, the noh has begun.

Kensho
The audience seating area in a noh theatre is called the kensho. The seats located in front of the
stage are called shmen, while the seats on the left side of the stage are called the waki shmen. Audience
members sitting in the shmen section have the best view of the mask effects, while the advantage of
sitting in the waki shmen is the close proximity to the hashigakari. In between the two are the naka
shmen seats which lie in front of the metsuke bashira. Older noh theatres have tatami rather than seats,
while almost all large modern noh theatres are made with fixed seats. Some noh theatres are also
equipped with balconies.

Takigi Noh and Noh Theatres in the present

As stated before, long ago, noh was performed in open fields, while today it can be seen in a wide
variety of settings: noh theatres, public concert halls or temporary stages. When performed in open fields
it was many times in the service of a temple ceremony or a festival. Takigi noh (fire light noh) still utilize
open fields to perform in. Above all, there are many noh performances, many locations, really any place
can be a noh theatre.

Major Noh Theatres in the present

At the National Noh Theatre in Tokyo you can enjoy performances from all five shite schools and
both kygen schools year round at a reasonable price. Along with performances, the National Noh Theatre
also sponsors lectures and exhibits throughout the year. In addition, they have a substantial library
containing books and articles concerning noh.
Each shite school has its own noh theatre: in Tokyo, the Kanze Noh Theatre (with approx. 26
school sponsored performances and approx. 130 associated performances), the Hsho Noh Theatre
(monthly performances as well as many other sponsored events) and the Kita Noh Theatre (monthly
performances as well as other sponsored events). In Kyoto the Kong Noh Theatre presents a number of
performances a year. At the Komparu Noh Theatre in Nara there are currently no performances scheduled.

Takigi Noh
The outdoor performances of takigi noh(torch lit noh) have become popular all over Japan. Held
on the grounds of temples, shrines or public parks, these performances combine the beauty and feeling of
natural surroundings, with the grace and beauty of the performance on stage. In the early part of evening,
a torch lighting ceremony takes place setting the stage for a magical evening.
Takigi noh has as its origin takigi utage, the precursor to the popular shuni-eceremony, which
took place at Kofukuji Temple in Nara in the Heian period (794-1185). This eventually developed
into takigi noh. Even today on May 11 and 12 Okina is performed as a dedication at Kasuga Shrine and
Kofuku Temple.
It was only as recently as 1950 that takigi noh started taking on the implication of relaxing
entertainment at the Heian Jingu Shrine in Kyoto.
-

RAMORES, Jan Romel

Noh Actors
Noh features only male actors. A Noh troupe consists of the tachikata (performers who
don masks, act and dance) and the hayashikata (musicians who are in charge of beating time and
intensifying the emotional atmosphere of the play).
Some Noh roles are regarded as so special that Noh actors are only allowed to play them
once in their lifetimes. A typical Noh performance employs three or four musicians. Traditional
instruments in the Noh wind and percussion ensemble include the nakan (a vertical flute) and tsuzumi
(small hand drums). The musicians sometimes shout and sing when they perform. Big clay pots are
placed sin hollow spaced beneath the wooden stage to amplify sound, mainly footsteps and drumming.

There are two main types of Noh actors:

Shite (the one who acts)

The main characters are shites who usually wear masks. They are generally a supernatural being
such as ghosts, demons, gods or ghosts---or a woman.

Waki (the one who watches).

-Waki nether wear a mask or make up because they represent living, breathing men.

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theater Academy Helsinki wrote:

The actors of a certain play are categorised, not according to the character or character type they
are embodying, but according to the role or importance of the character in the structure of the play.

The actors are categorised as:

1) Shite or the principal character, who often appears masked;

2) Waki or the supporting role, who is always an unmasked human being;

3) Shite-zure actors perform the roles of shite's companions;

4) Waki-zure actors represent waki's companions;

5) Kokata, or child roles, are performed by boy actors.This system does not mean that an actor
specialises in one of the above categories. In fact, an actor can appear in any of the role types
(except kokata). Besides that, he can also sing in the chorus, which forms an integral element of a
noh performance
-

FARINAS, Xanee Kaiz

-

Subject
All Noh plays can be classified into three broad categories.

Genzai Noh (, 'present' Noh) features human characters and events unfold according to a
linear timeline within the play.

Mugen Noh (, 'supernatural' Noh ) involves supernatural worlds, featuring gods, spirits,
ghosts, or phantasms in the shite role. Time is often depicted as passing in a non-linear fashion,
and action may switch between two or more timeframes from moment to moment, including
flashbacks.

Rykake Noh (, 'mixed' Noh), though somewhat uncommon, is a hybrid of the above with
the first act being Genzai Noh and the second act Mugen Noh.

While Genzai Noh utilizes internal and external conflicts to drive storylines and bring out
emotions, Mugen Noh focuses on utilizing flashbacks of the past and the deceased to invoke emotions.

Theme
All Noh plays are divided by their themes into the following five categories. This classification is
considered the most practical, and is still used today in formal programming choices today. Traditionally,
a formal 5-play program is composed of a selection from each of the groups.
1. Kami mono (, god plays) or waki Noh () typically feature the shite in the role of a deity
to tell the mythic story of a shrine or praise a particular god. Many of them structured in two acts,
the deity takes a human form in disguise in the first act and reveals the real self in the second act.
(e.g. Takasago, Chikubushima)

2. Shura mono (, warrior plays) or ashura Noh () takes its name from the Buddhist
underworld. The protagonist appearing as a ghost of a famous samurai pleads to a monk for
salvation and the drama culminates in a glorious re-enactment of the scene of his death in a full
war costume. (e.g. Tamura, Atsumori)
3. Katsura mono (, wig plays) or onna mono (, woman plays) depict the shite in a female
role and feature some of the most refined songs and dances in all of Noh, reflecting the smooth
and flowing movements representing female characters. (e.g. Basho, Matsukaze)
4. There are about 94 "miscellaneous" plays traditionally performed in the fourth place in a fiveplay program. These plays include subcategories kyran mono (, madness plays), onry
mono (, vengeful ghost plays), genzai mono (, present plays), as well as others.
(e.g. Aya no tsuzumi, Kinuta)
5. Kiri Noh (, final plays) or oni mono (, demon plays) usually feature the shite in the
role of monsters, goblins, or demons, and are often selected for their bright colors and fast-paced,
tense finale movements. Kiri Noh is performed the last in a five-play program. There are roughly
30 plays in this category, most of which are shorter than the plays in the other categories.
In addition to the above five, Okina (or Kamiuta) is frequently performed at the very beginning of the
program. Combining dance with Shinto ritual, it is considered the oldest type of Noh play.

NOH PLAYS
Tsuchigumo (The Ground Spider)
- is a classic tale of brave warriors confronting a terrifying spider monster. The main character, Raiko, is
based on a historical figure from about 1,000 years ago. The spider image is said to have originated from
a disparaging term for indigenous people and is thus seen as a commentary on the way that Raiku may
have treated indigenous people and the way the indigenous people rebelled. In the most dramatic seen
four warriors attack the spider who responds by emitting threads that look like white washi paper
fireworks. The slaying of the spider is seen as Raiku's victory over the indigenous people.
Okina
- the oldest play in the Noh repertoire, is rarely performed. Hagoromo, one of the classics of Noh theater,
is about a fisherman that finds a beautiful robe hanging from a pine tree. When an angel comes to claim it,
the fishermen refuses to turn it over. After being enlightened about the foolish ways of humans he
reluctantly hands the robe over and is rewarded with a dance by the angel.
Sesshoseki (The Life-Killing Stone)
- is a famous Noh story about a monk that happens on a mysterious stone with no plants or living things
around. A woman suddenly appears and tells the monk the stone contains the spirit of a woman who
became an emperor's concubine in a bid to overthrow the ruling dynasty and was killed and driven into
the stone by a priest. The woman then revealed herself to be the spirit of the stone and asks the monk to
pray for her so she can stop killing.

According to Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theater Academy Helsinki:

The actor and playwright Kanami (13331384) and his son Zeami (13631443) are regarded as the
inventors of Noh.

Zeami (1363-1443)
-

Also spelled Seami, also called Kanze Motokiyo

The greatest playwright and theorist of the Japanese Noh theatre.
He and his father, Kanami (133384), were the creators of the Noh drama in its present form.
Performs brilliantly but also wrote and revised plays prolifically. He is credited with about 90
(and most of the greatest) of the approximately 230 plays in the present repertoire.
In 1422 he became a Zen monk, and his son Motomasa succeeded him.
In his treatisesof which the most important is the collection Fshi kaden (140018; The
Transmission of the Flower of Acting Style, also known as the Kaden sho), flower
representing the freshness and appropriateness of fine acting.
- CAPARROSO, Jhaziel Mae L.

KABUKI
Kabuki, traditional Japanese popular drama with singing and dancing performed in a highly
stylized manner. A rich blend of music, dance, mime, and spectacular staging and costuming, it
has been a major theatrical form in Japanfor almost four centuries. The term kabuki originally
suggested the unorthodox and shocking character of this art form. In modern Japanese, the word
is written with three characters: ka, signifying song; bu, dance; and ki, skill.
Kabukis highly lyrical plays are regarded, with notable exceptions, less as literature than as
vehicles for actors to demonstrate their enormous range of skills in visual and vocal
performance. These actors have carried the traditions of Kabuki from one generation to the next
with only slight alterations. Many of them trace their ancestry and performing styles to the
earliest Kabuki actors and add a generation number after their names to indicate their place in
the long line of actors.
HISTORY OF THE FORM
The Kabuki form dates from the early 17th century, when a female dancer named Okuni (who
had been an attendant at the Grand Shrine of Izumo), achieved popularity with parodies of
Buddhist prayers. She assembled around her a troupe of wandering female performers who
danced and acted. Okunis Kabuki was the first dramatic entertainment of any importance that
was designed for the tastes of the common people in Japan. The sensuous character of the dances
(and the prostitution of the actors) proved to be too disruptive for the government, which in 1629
banned women from performing. Young boys dressed as women then performed the programs,
but this type of Kabuki was suppressed in 1652, again because of concern for morals. Finally,
older men took over the roles, and it is this form of all-male entertainment that has endured to the
present day. Kabuki plays grew in sophistication, and the acting became more subtle.
Interior of a Kabuki theatre, coloured woodcut triptych by Utagawa Toyokuni, c. 1800;
Eventually, by the early 18th century, Kabuki had become an established art form that was capable of the
serious, dramatic presentation of genuinely moving situations. As merchants and other commoners in
Japan began to rise on the social and economic scale, Kabuki, as the peoples theatre, provided a vivid
commentary on contemporary society. Actual historical events were transferred to the
stage;Chshingura (1748), for example, was an essentially faithful dramatization of the famous incident

of 170103 in which a band of 47 rnin (masterless samurai), after having waited patiently for almost two
years, wreaked their revenge upon the man who had forced the suicide of their lord. Similarly, nearly all
the lovers double suicide (shinj) plays of the playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon were based on
actual suicide pacts made between ill-fated lovers.
Bugaku, the dance ceremony of the imperial court, and the Noh theatre, both of great antiquity, were long
the exclusive domain of the nobility and the warrior class known as samurai; Kabuki became the theatre
of the townspeople and the farmers. Bugaku and Noh have a fragile elegance and an extreme subtlety of
movement. Kabuki is somewhat coarse and unrestrained, and its beauty is gaudy and extravagant.

The strongest ties of Kabuki are to the Noh and to jruri, the puppet theatre that developed
during the 17th century. Kabuki derived much of its material from the Noh, and, when Kabuki
was banned in 1652, it reestablished itself by adapting and parodying kygen(sketches that
provide comic interludes during Noh performances). During this period a special group of actors,
called onnagata,emerged to play the female roles; these actors often became the most popular of
their day.
THE AUDIENCE
Traditionally, a constant interplay between the actors and the spectators took place in the Kabuki
theatre. The actors frequently interrupted the play to address the crowd, and the latter responded
with appropriate praise or clapped their hands according to a prescribed formula. They also could
call out the names of their favourite actors in the course of the performance constantly intruded
on the audience. When two hanamichi, elevated passageways from the main stage to the back of
the auditorium, were used, the audience was fenced in by three stages.
SUBJECT, PURPOSE, AND CONVENTIONS
Kabuki subject matter creates distinctions between the historical play (jidaimono) and the
domestic play (sewamono). A Kabuki program generally presents them in that order, separated
by one or two dance plays featuring ghosts, courtesans, and other exotic creatures. It ends with a
lively dance finale (giri shosagoto) with a large cast.
Although the basic purposes of Kabuki are to entertain and to allow the actors to demonstrate
their skills, there is a didactic element, an ideal represented by the notion of kanzenchaku (reward the virtuous and punish the wicked). Thus, the plays often present conflicts
involving such religious ideas as the transitory nature of the world (from Buddhism), and the
importance of duty (from Confucianism), as well as more general moral sentiments. Tragedy
occurs when morality conflicts with human passions. Structurally, the plays are typically
composed of two or more themes in a complex suji (plot), but they lack the strong unifying
element for which Western drama strives. Kabuki plays include a variety of intermingled
episodes which develop toward a final dramatic climax.
Despite the ease with which it can assimilate new forms, Kabuki is a very formalized theatre. It
retains numerous conventions adapted from earlier forms of theatre that were performed in
shrines and temples. Kabuki dance is probably the best-known feature of Kabuki. Rarely is an
opportunity missed to insert dancing, whether the restrained, flowing movement of
the onnagata or the exaggerated posturings of the male characters. The acting in Kabuki can be
so stylized that it becomes virtually indistinguishable from dancing.

At present, regular performances are held at theNational Theatre in Tokyo. The city was also
home to theKabuki Theatre (Kabuki-za), which closed in 2010. An office towerwhich would
include the theatrewas scheduled to be built on the site, with an opening date of 2013. Other
theatres have occasional performances. Troupes of Kabuki actors also perform outside Tokyo.
There are several such companies, but their memberships often overlap. At the National Theatre
the length of an average program is about four hours. The theatre stresses the importance of the
play itself, trying to maintain the historical tradition and to preserve Kabuki as a classical form.

History of kabuki
16031629: Female kabuki
The history of kabuki began in 1603 when Izumo no Okuni, possibly a miko of Izumo-taisha, began
performing a new style of dance drama in the dry riverbeds of Kyoto. It originated in the 17th century.Japan
was under the control of the Tokugawa shogunate, enforced by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The name of the Edo
period derives from the relocation of the Tokugawa regime from its former home in Kyoto to the city of Edo,
present-day Tokyo. Female performers played both men and women in comic playlets about ordinary life. The
style was immediately popular, and Okuni was asked to perform before the Imperial Court. In the wake of such
success, rival troupes quickly formed, and kabuki was born as ensemble dance and drama performed by
womena form very different from its modern incarnation. Much of its appeal in this era was due to the
ribald, suggestive themes featured by many troupes; this appeal was further augmented by the fact that the
performers were often also available for prostitution
Kabuki became a common form of entertainment in the ukiyo, or Yoshiwara, the registered red-light district in
Edo. A diverse crowd gathered under one roof, something that happened nowhere else in the city. Kabuki
theaters were a place to see and be seen as they featured the latest fashion trends and current events. The stage
provided good entertainment with exciting new music, patterns, clothing, and famous actors. Performances
went from morning until sunset. The teahousessurrounding or connected to the theatre provided meals,
refreshments, and good company. The area around the theatres was lush with shops selling kabuki souvenirs.
Kabuki, in a sense, initiated pop culture in Japan.
The shogunate was never partial to kabuki and all the mischief it brought, particularly the variety of the social
classes which mixed at kabuki performances. Womens kabuki, called onna-kabuki, was banned in 1629 for
being too erotic. Following onna-kabuki, young boys performed in wakash-kabuki, but since they too were
eligible for prostitution, the shogun government soon banned wakash-kabuki as well. Kabuki switched to
adult male actors, called yaro-kabuki, in the mid-1600s. Male actors played both female and male characters.
The theatre remained popular, and remained a focus of urban lifestyle until modern times. Although kabuki
was performed all over ukiyo and other portions for the country, the Nakamura-za, Ichimura-za and
Kawarazaki-za theatres became the top theatres in ukiyo, where some of the most successful kabuki
performances were and still are held.

16291673: Transition to yar-kabuki

The modern all-male kabuki, known as yar-kabuki (young man kabuki), was established during these
decades. After women were banned from performing, cross-dressed male actors, known as onnagata ("femalerole") or oyama, took over. Young (adolescent) men were preferred for women's roles due to their less
masculine appearance and the higher pitch of their voices compared to adult men. In
addition, wakash(adolescent male) roles, played by young men often selected for attractiveness, became
common, and were often presented in an erotic context. Along with the change in the performer's gender came
a change in the emphasis of the performance: increased stress was placed on drama rather than dance.
Performances were equally ribald, and the male actors too were available for prostitution (to both female
andmale customers). Audiences frequently became rowdy, and brawls occasionally broke out, sometimes over

the favors of a particularly handsome young actor, leading the shogunate to ban first onnagata and
then wakash roles. Both bans were rescinded by 1652.

16731841: Golden age

During the Genroku era, kabuki thrived. The structure of a kabuki play was formalized during this period, as
were many elements of style. Conventional character types were established. Kabuki theater and ningyjruri,
the elaborate form of puppet theater that later came to be known asbunraku, became closely associated with
each other, and each has since influenced the other's development. The famous
playwright ChikamatsuMonzaemon, one of the first professional kabuki playwrights, produced several
influential works, though the piece usually acknowledged as his most significant, SonezakiShinj (The
Love Suicides at Sonezaki), was originally written for bunraku. Like many bunraku plays, it was adapted for
kabuki, and it spawned many imitatorsin fact, it and similar plays reportedly caused so many real-life
"copycat" suicides that the government banned shinju mono(plays about lovers' double suicides) in
1723. Ichikawa Danjr I also lived during this time; he is credited with the development of mie poses and
mask-like kumadori make-up.

18421868: Saruwaka-ch kabuki

Male actors played both female and male characters.
In the 1840s, fires started terrorizing Edo due to repeated drought. Kabuki theatres, traditionally made of
wood, were constantly burning down, forcing their relocation within the ukiyo. When the area that housed the
Nakamura-za was completely destroyed in 1841, the shogun refused to allow the theatre to rebuild, saying that
it was against fire code. The shogunate did not welcome the mixing and trading that occurred between town
merchants and actors, artists, and prostitutes. The shogunate took advantage of the fire crisis in 1842 to force
the Nakamura-za, Ichimura-za, and Kawarazaki-za out of the city limits and into Asakusa, a northern suburb of
Edo. Actors, stagehands, and others associated with the performances were forced out as well. Those in areas
and lifestyles centered around the theatres also migrated, but the inconvenience of the new location reduced
attendance.[3]These factors, along with strict regulations, pushed much of kabuki "underground" in Edo, with
performances changing locations to avoid the authorities.
The theatres' new location was called Saruwaka-ch, or Saruwaka-machi. The last thirty years of the
Tokugawa shogunate's rule is often referred to as the Saruwaka-machi period. This period produced some of
the gaudiest kabuki in Japanese history.[3] The Saruwaka-machi became the new theatre district for the
Nakamura-za, Ichimura-za and Kawarazaki-za theatres. The district was located on the main street of Asakusa,
which ran through the middle of the small city. The street was renamed after SaruwakaKanzaburo, who
initiated Edo kabuki in the Nakamura Theatre in 1624.[3]
European artists began noticing Japanese theatrical performances and artwork, and many artists (for
example, Claude Monet) were inspired by Japanese wood block prints. This Western interest prompted
Japanese artists to increase their depictions of daily life including theatres, brothels, main streets and so on.
One artist in particular, Utagawa Hiroshige, did a series of prints based on Saruwaka from the Saruwaka-machi
period in Asakusa.[3]
The relocation diminished the tradition's most abundant inspiration for costuming, make-up, and story line.
Ichikawa Kodanji IV was one of the most active and successful actors during the Saruwaka-machi period.
Deemed unattractive, he mainly performed buy, or dancing, in dramas written by KawatakeMokuami, who
also wrote during the Meiji period to follow.[3] KawatakeMokuami commonly wrote plays that depicted the
common lives of the people of Edo. He introduced shichigo-cho (seven-and-five syllable meter) dialogue and
music such as kiyomoto.[3] His kabuki performances became quite popular once the Saruwaka-machi period
ended and theatre returned to Edo; many of his works are still performed.

In 1868, the Tokugawa shogunate fell apart. Emperor Meiji was restored to power and moved from Kyoto to
the new capital of Edo, or Tokyo, beginning the Meiji period. [6] Kabuki returned to the ukiyo of Edo. Kabuki
became more radical in the Meiji period, and modern styles emerged. New playwrights created new genres and
twists on traditional stories.

Kabuki after the Meiji period

Beginning in 1868 enormous cultural changes, such as the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the elimination of
the samurai class, and the opening of Japan to the West, helped to spark kabuki's re-emergence. As the culture
struggled to adapt to the influx of foreign ideas and influence, actors strove to increase the reputation of kabuki
among the upper classes and to adapt the traditional styles to modern tastes. They ultimately proved successful
in this regardon 21 April 1887, the Meiji Emperorsponsored a performance.[11]
After World War II, the occupying forces briefly banned kabuki, which had strongly supported Japan's war
since 1931;[12] however, by 1947 the ban had been rescinded.[13]

Kabuki today
The immediate postWorld War II era was a difficult time for kabuki. Besides the war's physical devastation,
many rejected the styles and thoughts of the past, kabuki among them. [14] Director TetsujiTakechi's popular and
innovative productions of kabuki classics at this time are credited with bringing about a rebirth of interest in
kabuki in the Kansai region.[15] Of the many popular young stars who performed with the Takechi Kabuki,
Nakamura Ganjiro III (b. 1931) was the leading figure. He was first known as Nakamura Senjaku, and this
period in Osaka kabuki became known as the "Age of Senjaku" in his honor.
Today, kabuki is the most popular of the traditional styles of Japanese dramaand its star actors often appear
in television or film roles.[16]For example, the well-known onnagata BandTamasabur V has appeared in
several (non-kabuki) plays and movies, often in a female role. Kabuki appears in works of Japanese popular
culture such as anime. In addition to the handful of major theatres in Tokyo and Kyoto, there are many smaller
theatres in Osaka and throughout the countryside.[17] The shika Kabuki troupe,[18] based in shika, Nagano
Prefecture, is one example.[19]
Some local kabuki troupes today use female actors in onnagata roles. The Ichikawa Shjo Kabuki Gekidan, an
all-female troupe, debuted in 1953 to significant acclaim but failed to start a new trend.
The introduction of earphone guides in 1975,including an English version in 1982, helped broaden the art's
appeal. As a result, in 1991 the Kabuki-za, one of Tokyo's most well-known kabuki theaters, began year-round
performances and, in 2005, began marketing kabuki cinema films. Kabuki troupes regularly tour
Asia. Europe and America, and there have been several kabuki-themed productions ofcanonical Western plays
such as those of Shakespeare. Western playwrights and novelists have experimented with kabuki themes, an
example of which is Gerald Vizenor's Hiroshima Bugi (2004). Writer Yukio Mishima pioneered and
popularized the use of kabuki in modern settings and revived other traditional arts, such as Noh, adapting them
to modern contexts. There have even been kabuki troupes established in countries outside Japan. For instance,
in Australia, the Za Kabuki troupe at the Australian National University has performed a kabuki drama each
year since 1976, the longest regular kabuki performance outside Japan.
In November 2002 a statue was erected in honor of kabuki's founder Okuni and to commemorate 400 years of
kabuki's existence.Diagonally across from the Minami-za, the last remaining kabuki theater in Kyot, it stands
at the east end of a bridge (Shijhashi)crossing the Kamo River in Kyoto.
Kabuki was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in 2005.

THEATER

EDO PERIOD
The illustration shows part of a byobu (folding screen) on which a theater of the early Genroku
period [around 1690] is depicted. The biggest distinction is that the structure of the Kabuki stage
imitated that of the Noh stage, which is constituted of a Hombutai (main stage) projecting into
the audience seating area and a Hashigakari (passageway) extended from this structure to the
Shimote side. We can understand that in its early days Kabuki was strongly influenced by the
preexisting forms of entertainment, Noh and Kyogen (Noh farces). The audience area had
Sajikiseki (box seating) on both wings of the stage in the second floor section, and non-reserved
seating in the Doma (earthen-floored pit) area around the stage. This byobu depicts audience
members, seated wherever they please on straw matting called hanjo, and enjoying a play.
The roof was constructed only over the Sajikiseki and stage. Because the whole theater was not
roofed, Kabuki was not performed on rainy days.
LATTER HALF OF EDO PERIOD
The first change is that a Hanamichi passing through the audience seating area has been installed.
Exactly when and how the Hanamichi was established is not clearly known, although permanent
Hanamichi are assumed to have been in use by the beginning of the 18th century.
The second change is that all audience seats are covered by roofing. Permission was granted by
the Tokugawa Shogunate, and a theater covered by a tiled roof was completed in 1724.
Middle years of meiji period
The picture shows the interior of the Kabukiza in 1893. The Kabukiza was built as part of the
westernization of Japanese theaters, influenced by the "Engekikairyo undo" (theatrical
performance improvement movement). As shown here, the interior finishing was Japanese-style,
but the external appearance of the theater was that of a 3-story brick building.
Another big difference is lighting. A large chandelier is visible hanging from the ceiling above
the audience seats, and lamps are installed above the Sajikiseki (box seats) on both sides. Gas
lamps were already in use in the Shintomi-za, which had opened in 1878 [Meiji 11], but the
Kabukiza was the first to install electric lamps.
The entire theatre has become much brighter with the use of electric lamps rather than lighting
using candles or gas lamps. This change of lighting fixtures eventually affected all dramatic
techniques including stage sets and the acting itself.

KABUKI- STAGE MECHANISM

Various stage mechanisms installed in Kabuki theaters and shown in the following diagram are
explained here.In the theater, the right-hand side of the stage as seen from audience seats is
called Kamite, and the left-hand side of the stage as seen from audience seats is called Shimote.
The Mawaributai stage mechanism turns the part of the floor of the stage center that is cut out in
a large-diameter circle. Scene changes can be done smoothly by rotating the circular section of
the stage on which sets for 2 or 3 scenes have been erected.

The Mawaributai was invented in Osaka in 1758 by NamikiShoza, a Kyogen-sakusha, inspired

by a spinning top. At present, Mawaributai are moved by electric power, but in the olden days,
Mawaributai were moved manually by the power of people in the Naraku.
Daijin-bashira
Daijin-bashira means the pillar at the left of Yuka (place where Takemoto is recited) on the
Kamite side of the stage, and the other pillar at the right of the Kuromisu (place where Geza
music is played) on the Shimote side of the stage. These pillars are painted matte black like the
boards covering the Kuromisu and Yuka and are sometimes not visible, being hidden by stage
sets on which scenery is painted.
The area of the stage between the 2 Daijin-bashira is called Hombutai (the stage proper).

Kuromisu
In the Kuromisu, Nagauta is sung to enhance stage effects by matching the timing of acting, and
musical instruments including large drums and hand drums, are played to provide sound effects.
The music performed here is sometimes itself called Kuromisu.
Seri
Seri is the trap-door lift stage mechanism for raising and lowering cut-out portions of the stage
floor.
Ozeri
The first Ozeri in Kabuki was said to have been contrived and used in 1753 by NamikiShoza, a
Kyogen-sakusha. At present, the Ozeri is moved by electric power, but in the Edo period Ozeri
were moved by human power.
Daijin-bashira
Daijin-bashira means the pillar at the left of Yuka (place where Takemoto is recited) on the
Kamite side of the stage, and the other pillar at the right of the Kuromisu (place where Geza
music is played) on the Shimote side of the stage. These pillars are painted matte black like the
boards covering the Kuromisu and Yuka and are sometimes not visible, being hidden by stage
sets on which scenery is painted.
The area of the stage between the 2 Daijin-bashira is called Hombutai (the stage proper).
Yuka
Yuka is the place on the Kamite of the stage where Takemoto is performed. A misu (bamboo
curtain) is hung in front of the Yuka, and is rolled up or down depending on the scene. Reciting
of Takemoto with the misu rolled up is called Degatari, and reciting with the misu rolled down is
called Misu-uchi.
Suppon
Suppon is a small Seri located near the section where the Hanamichi joins the stage. The Suppon
is used for unreal roles such as ghosts, apparitions, spirits of animals or sorcerers, and effectively
gives the impression that those characters have suddenly appeared.The Suppon is now moved up

and down by electricity, but in the Edo period it was moved by human power as shown in the
picture below.
Joshiki-maku
A stage curtain permanently installed in a theater where Kabuki is performed."Joshiki" means
"pre-determined form." The striped Kabuki Joshiki-maku is made by sewing together fabric of 3
colors: black, moegi (dark green) and kaki-iro (yellowish brown). SaruwakaKanzaburo, founder
of the Nakamura-za, was ondotori (shantyman) for a Tokugawa Shogunate government ship, and
is said to have used the pattern of the canvas he was awarded for leading the singing, for a stage
curtain. This is supposedly the origin of the Kabuki Joshiki-maku.
Naraku
Naraku means the area under the Hombutai and Hanamichi. At present, various systems are
installed to move the Seri and Mawaributai, but in the period when they were moved by human
power, it was a very dark, damp place reminding people of hell, so it was called Naraku, which
means hell. As shown in the picture, stagehands relied on the light of candles when doing the
work of moving the stage systems.
Hanamichi
Hanamichi is the passage that extends at right angle to the Hombutai from its Shimote side,
passing through the audience seating area to the Agemaku; it is used mainly for actors' entrances
and exits.
The Hanamichi becomes various places such as a road, corridor, sea or river bank according to
the scenes being performed on the Hombutai. Because audience members are close to the
Hanamichi it gives them a sense of intimacy. The name Hanamichi (flower path) may have been
used because it was where audience members presented actors with gratuities called "hana," or
because it functions as a roadway for actors who are dressed as beautifully as flowers. There are
various theories, and no clear reason has been found for this name the Hashigakari.
Agemaku
The Agemaku is the curtain hung at the end of the Hanamichi (passageway to/from stage) and is
visible from the stage. Usually, the crest of the theater is dyed on the curtain. This sound and the
speed of opening/closing the Agemaku vary according to the scene and the character entering or
exiting on the Hanamichi.
The curtain on the Kamite side under the Yuka where Takemoto is recited, is called Kamiteagemaku, and the 5-color curtain hung on the Shimote side in the "Matsubame" stage set used for
Kabuki developed from Noh plays and Kyogen farces, is also called Agemaku.
PROPS
The props used are very unique to this style of theatre. Flowing water is represented with
fluttering rolls of linen and creatures such as insects and foxes are dangled from sticks or
manipulated by helpers dressed in black hooded robes, making them invisible to the audience.
Fans are used to symbolise wind, swords, tobacco pipes, waves or even food. One of the most
difficult props to make are decapitated heads, known as kirikubi. The kirikubi are divided into

low class heads or Dakubi, or high class heads known as Jokubi.Dakubi are usually cotton
forms stuffed with wood shavings, sometimes covered in Japanese paper with crudely painted
features and hair. Jokubi are more realistic and well made. Their construction is usually reserved
for master carvers, who attempt to capture an exact likeness of the actor. This can be carved from
oak or pauliwnia wood or papiermache over a wooden base.
Here are some key prop related words:
KodOgu = Props
MochidOgu = Hand props (These include accessories, swords, fans and armour)
DedOgu = Set props ( furniture, set dressing and other items left on the stage throughout the
performance)
Kiemono = Props used up after each performance, such as food and consumables
Norimono = Vehicles and portable shrines
Shikake/ Shikake Mono = Rigged and trick props
Nuigurumi = Animal costumes
Hakimono = Footwear
-

DEDACE, Judy Ann

Kabuki Acting: Traditions & Techniques

Generations of Kabuki actors
Many spectators came and still come to the kabuki theatre in order to see their favorite actors.
The script is generally seen simply as a vehicle for the actor to showcase his talents. Acting in
the Kabuki theatre was largely a family tradition and subsequent generations were virtually
raised in the theatre. Fathers trained their sons, and if they had no biological sons, they would
often adopt a son into the family.
Some families have an acting tradition that covers many centuries. For example, one of the
earliest kabuki actors took the name Ichikawa Danjuro, and over three centuries later, Ichikawa
Danjuro the Twelfth is still acting in the same manner as his forefathers.
Onnagata is the term used to describe a male actor who plays a female role: in traditional
kabuki, all of the roles are played by men. Becoming an onnagata involves a long training period
and was often a way of life that continued outside of the theatre. Onnagata, of course, often
couldn't rely on their physical beauty, although many of them had androgynous features. But by
emphasizing and stylizing feminine movements and gestures, they are able to create a largerthan-life femininity. Onnagata speak in falsetto and they stand with the knees and back slightly
bent so as to look smaller. Fingers are kept together and movements are elegant and tightly
controlled. They take tiny steps with their knees pressed together and their toes pointed inward.
Often the onnagata were so good at their roles that male audience members fell in love with
them, and this could lead to some major quarrels. This was no small feat when we remember that
many onnagata had been playing the role for many years, so it wasn't uncommon to have an
onnagata in his sixties convincing the audience that he was a beautiful young maiden.

Wagoto is a term used to describe male characters played with a feminine acting style such as
romantic leads. The acting style is close to that of the onnagata roles. The wagoto characters
have a more narrow stance than the aragoto characters and their movement is more fluid in
comparison. This acting style was popular in Osaka and Kyoto.
Aragoto translates as "rough stuff or business" and refers to the super heroes and villains in
kabuki plays, such as the character Narukami. Actors playing the aragoto role wear heavily
padded costumes and brightly colored face makeup. Aragotocharacters are performed with a
broad and bombastic style which was popularized in Tokyo.
-

ALEMANIA, Ainamela

Kabuki Costumes & Make Up

Kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese drama that emerged at the beginning of the Edo
period (1603-1868). Based on popular legends and characterized by striking costumes,
stylized acting and the use of both male and female roles by male actors, Kabuki refers to
a style of theatre once considered avant-garde.
Kabuki is theatrical entertainment in which the fantastical combines with the artistry of
the actor. The Japanese dance-drama is distinguished from other dramatic genres by
specific characteristics, notably kesho (an elaborate make-up worn by its performers),
exaggerated gestures to express emotions, and a particular repertoire, including historical
plays, domestic dramas and dance segments.

Facts about Kabuki Costumes

1. Costuming in kabuki is calledIsho
2. Kabuki costumes use big wigs and many different types of mask styles to match the
character they portray.
3. The color RED is excellent and means passion and super human power.
4. BLUE is considered to be a bad color and gives a negative feeling that articulates
jealousy and fearfulness.
5. Kabuki costumes are made with bold colors and patterns.
6. Kabuki costumes are usually discarded after one 25-day theater run because the brilliant
colors fade in the bright lights and they smell bad from all the sweat.
7. The female characters generally wear an elaborate kimono and obi.
8. Costume changing is regarded as an art unto itself.
9. Some craftsmen specialize in wigs for a certain kind of character.
10. Most wigs are made of human hair but some are made of horse hair or, bear fur or yaktail hair imported from Tibet. In the old days some wigs were made by painstakingly
sewing on one hair.

Spectacle-Makeup
There are about a hundred of these masklike styles in which the colors and designs used
symbolize aspects of the character.

Kabuki actors do not wear masks like Noh performers

They cover the faces, necks and hands with white paint and have red painted around their
eyes and their lips.
The exotic make-up is regarded as:
1. A means of elevating a character to mythic status.
2. A way of defining the actions of the character.
3. A method for actors to reveal invisible qualities about themselves.

Kabuki Music
By far the most important instrument used in kabuki is the three-stringed shamisen.
The standard Nagauta Ensemble includes several shamisen players as well as singers plus
drums and flute players. In addition to the onstage music, singers and musicians playing
the shamisen, flute, and a variety of percussion instruments are also located offstage.
They provide various types of background music and sound effects. A special type of
sound effect found in kabuki is the dramatic crack of two wooden blocks HYOSHIGI
struck together or against a wooden board.
Two types of wooden clappers are used for different purposes:
1. Ki clappers, with their intensive crescendo, announce the beginning of the play.
2. Tsure clappers, struck against a board, anticipate and accompany dramatic
climaxes, such as the dramatic Mie Poses.
These highlights are also accompanied by the loud, well-timed kakegoe shouts of
encouragement and appreciation from the semi-professional kabuki fans.

Special Techniques in Kabuki

Mie Pose
One of the most important special techniques of kabuki is mie, a dramatic movement
sequence, which ends up in an expressive pose culminating in a highly stylised facial
expression with crossed eyes. Mie is performed by male actors, while similar poses,
although less stylised and without crossed eyes, of the onnagata female impersonators are
called kimari.
They are the highlights of a play just as the highest notes of arias are in Western opera.
These dramatic climaxes are anticipated by wooden clappers and by rhythmic shouts of
encouragement (kakegoe) of the semi-professional kabuki fans in the auditorium. The
mie poses and their caricature-like facial expression, always applauded by the audience,

are like logos of the plays. They have been repeated in the old wooden block prints as
well as in the modern kabuki posters.
Roppo
Another special technique is roppo (six directions), a stylised, exaggerated way of
walking typical of the vigorous male characters, which is often seen in the aragoto and
jidaimono plays. The roppo, with its powerful arm movements and high steps, is mainly
executed on the hanamichi pathway to signify the exit of an important character.
Tachimawari
The fighting scenes in kabuki are called tachimawari. As in the Peking opera of China, so
too in kabuki the battle scenes clearly reflect the techniques of the martial arts. However,
in kabuki they are even more stylised than in the fast and highly acrobatic battles of
Chinese opera.

Kabuki Audiences
Kakegoe
Critical moments of a kabuki play are often marked by long pauses known as Kakegoe
in which Japanese fans shout praise and encouragement and think about what has
happened in the play.
Japanese often bring food to kabuki performances and social with their friends during the
intervals or even during the play. Most people who attend kabuki performance are elderly
Japanese or foreign tourists.
Critical moments of a kabuki play are often marked by long pauses known as kakegoe in
which Japanese fans shout praise and encouragement and think about what has happened
in the play.
During some performances shouts come from the audience at specific times. The
shouts---also known as kakegoe---are carefully timed to coincide with moments of high
drama. The shouters often sit in the cheap seats and are known as omuko-san (great
distance ones) but are generally very knowledgeable about the plays and know exactly
when to shout.
-

REYES, Jefferson

THEMES
Kabuki subject matter creates distinctions between the:
historical play (jidaimono)
domestic play (sewamono).
Common kabuki themes include loyalty, retributive justice, love, honor and revenge and consummating
love with suicide. Many kabuki masterpieces are adaption of bunraku puppet pieces.

Example:
The main story usually revolves around a high born young man who falls in love with a desirable
courtesan and lower class friends who protect them.
Although the basic purposes of Kabuki are to entertain and to allow the actors to demonstrate their skills,
there is a didactic element. Some of them are:

chuushin gishi (loyal and dutiful samurai)

kanzen-choaku (reward the virtuous and punish the wicked)

PLAYWRIGHTS
Three Eminent Playwrights:
Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1724)
-

who mainly wrote for bunraku puppetry. He wrote about 100 bunraku and kabuki plays is
sometimes called Japan's Shakespeare.

produced several influential works, though the piece usually acknowledged as his most
significant, Sonezaki Shinj (The Love Suicides at Sonezaki)

Tsuruya Namboku IV (1755 - 1829)

-

The distinctive features of his literary style were his realistic depictions of the common people of
the time, called Kizewa, and his striking Shuko (plot plans) in which ghosts had active roles.

He spent at least 20 years as a low-ranking writer before the performance of his work "Tenjiku
tokube ikokubanashi," a great hit in 1804, made him famous.

"Tokaido yotsuya kaidan" is particularly famous as his most important work.

Kawatake Mokuami (1816-1893 )

-

The distinctive feature of Mokuami's literary style is its superiority from the musical viewpoint.
He effectively interwove Kiyomoto music with poetic speech in shichigo-cho (7-and-5 syllable
meter) while realistically depicting the lives of common people in the Edo period.

His most important works are the Shiranamimono, "Aotozoshi hana no nishikie; and "Kumo ni
magou ueno no hatsuhana" which Mokuami wrote after the Meiji period started to preserve the
public morals of the Edo period, and a Buyogeki "Tsuchigumo."

FAMOUS PLAYS
Some of the popular plays are:
1. Kanadehon Chshingura (Treasury of Loyal Retainers)

- is the famous story of the Forty-seven 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.
2. Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees)
- follows Minamoto no Yoshitsune as he flees from agents of his brother Yoritomo. Three Taira
clangenerals 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.
3. Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy)
- is based on the life of famed scholarSugawara 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.
4. The Love Suicide at Sonezaki
- a low-caste Romeo and Juliet drama based on a true story involving the love between a
prostitute and a clerk at a soy sauce company
5. Benten Kozo (Benten the Thief)
- This sewa-mono (domestic play) is popularly known as Benten Kozo ( Benten the Thief); it was
written by Kawatake Mokuami (1816-1893), the top playwright of the late Edo period. The play portrays
the exploits of the rogue Benten Kozo Kikunosuke and the gang of five thieves of which he is a member.
- JALAGAT, Joseph