On Kabuki Theatre

Kabuki is a prominent form of theatre in Japan and it is spectacular.  The colors featured on stage are bright and verdant, and the expressive actions performed by the actors magnificently displays an art form that has matured over many centuries.  Kabuki has evolved in its style drastically throughout its history and yet has remained recognizable throughout its existence.  In present day and for most of its history Kabuki has been performed exclusively by men.  However, this was not always the case.  In the beginning women were featured heavily on the stage; and in fact, according to legend, Kabuki was founded by a woman.  Her name was Izumo no Okuni who was an ex-priestess who started these new performances in Kyoto in 1596. The Tokugawa bakufu, which was the ruling government at the time, claimed that these women performers were tied to prostitution and this was their rational for their restrictive policies placed upon Kabuki.  In 1629 women were banned altogether from taking the stage.  This is why there are only male performers in it current incarnation.  

Kabuki has had a huge impact on society not only in Japan but other places across the globe as well.  Kabuki is an extravagant experience that UNESCO had deemed as a “masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of Humanity.”  The illustrations contained within this book are from the art form called ukiyo-e.  In Ukiyo-e, every color in the print was originally carved on a separate panel of wood and was then pressed onto a single sheet of paper.  Ukiyo-e was inspired heavily from the art form of Kabuki and, in turn, Kabuki synthesized the aesthetics of Ukiyo-e as well.  Kabuki remains a dominant force within Japan and continues to evolve to this day. It has even been recently converting scripts from contemporary movies and animations and is embracing these modern stories within the context of Kubuki.  It is unclear what new transformations await in future productions.