Kabuki

Popular today – the kabuki stylization of manga. Following “Super Kabuki II ONE PIECE”, “NARUTO” is being performed as a new kabuki production. Meanwhile, as an avant-garde trend, the independent efforts of Kyoto-based Kinoshita Kabuki are receiving high acclaim. The picture shows the interior of the Kabukiza Theatre around 1893.

 

Edo Aragoto and Kamigata Wagoto

Kabuki’s roots date back to the beginning of the 17th Century, when the female performer, Izumo no Okuni, danced on the banks of Kyoto’s Kamogawa river in the guise of a male kabuki-mono. Onnakabuki performances by women dressed as men soon exploded in popularity, followed by wakashukabuki, performed by young men. These kabuki troupes were the Takarazuka or Johnny’s groups of the Edo period.
In time, older men began performing yaro-kabuki, which became the precursor to kabuki as its known today. Ichikawa Danjuro emerged as a superstar during the Genroku era, wearing kumadori makeup and performing in the aragoto style, featuring extravagant appearance and dynamic characters. Meanwhile, in Osaka, a more elegant and delicate style of kabuki was preferred. The contrasting styles—aragoto of the east with its emphasis on bold patterned performances, and the softer wagoto of the west which preferred realism—would thus expand the range of diversity in kabuki culture.