All you need to know about Kabuki, a Japanese art form

If you are a fanatic of Japan's culture, you must have heard about Kabuki. Kabuki is a fascinating art form in Japan, and it will be a shame to visit Japan without watching it once during your stay.

1. Kabuki, a traditional art of Japan

Kabuki is a classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. In 2005, UNESCO announced kabuki as one of the 43 Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

2. The origin of the word kabuki

Since the word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning "to lean" or "to be out of the ordinary", kabuki can be interpreted as "avant-garde" or "bizarre" theatre.

3. Kabuki was invented by a woman, Okuni 

The history of kabuki began in 1603 when Okuni, possibly a "miko" (priestess), began performing a new style of dance drama in the dry riverbeds of Kyoto.

4. Now, all kabuki actors are men

Men, generals, merchants, children, princes, princesses, young women, old women, ghosts and so many more roles are all done by men. How a person moves, and what they wear is the way they distinguish their roles.

5. There are two themes: kabuki kyougen and kabuki buyou  

"Kabuki kyougen" have stories, that actually happened in the past (ex. death of a general), or a fictional story set in a certain era. "Kyougen" means a play. "Kabuki buyou" is mainly dance. "Buyou" means dance. If you're new to kabuki, I recommend watching kabuki buyou first. You don't exactly need to understand what they're saying because they mostly dance.

6. Kabuki kyougen are based on the same world

In the stories, they use the same characters (some of whom really existed) in the same era, but alter what happened. As a result, there are several stories that contain the same world setting, but with different plots. 

7. The person dressed in black is invisible on stage

The people dressed in black are called "kurogo kouken". They move or hand props to the actors. The actors and the audience are not supposed to see them.

8. The makeup of kabuki

Makeup of kabuki is distinct to the character. The less human the characters are, for example ghosts and demons, the more bizarre the makeup becomes. It emphasizes the muscles and veins of the face. Red is used for the good characters, blue is used for the enemies, and brown is used for demons or hobgoblins. This method of makeup is called Kumatori.

9. Mie

"Mie" is a stage phase when the actor makes a pose in the heat of the moment. It's something like a stop motion moment in a movie. Mie emphasizes the picturesque beauty of the whole stage, including the actor.

10. When somebody is shouting during Mie, it's a praise

This act is called a "kakegoe". They are shouting the name of the actor, to praise the beauty of their acting. It is done by professional audience members. Never do it if you're an amateur.

See more: The gorgeous Takayama festival in Japan

Source: tsunagujapan