History and Watching of Kabuki! Single Act Tickets Recommended

Kabuki, a traditional drama unique to Japan and also one style of traditional Japanese theater, is said to have originated from the “dance of kabukimono” that was popular in Japan around the year 1600. The term “kabukimono” in Japanese referred to those dressing in flamboyant, eye-catching and bizarre clothing and acting strangely. Possibly, they are just the origins of such features of kabuki as dazzling costume, extravagant make-up and over-dramatized actions on the stage.

A kabuki theater has a walkway called a “flower path” (“hanamichi” in Japanese), which runs through the auditorium to the main stage and via which dramatic entrances and exits are made. In the center of the main stage, a revolving stage (“mawari-butai” in Japanese) is set to achieve dramatic effect of transitioning pre-played scenes in an instant. Besides, there are stage traps called “seri” in Japanese. They are also used for transitioning scenes, while actors can be transferred from or to the scene through small traps in an unexpected way.

The dramas staged in a kabuki theater are normally traditional ones. Most of them focus upon the events or stories in the days when samurai hadn’t quitted the stage of history, while the lives and feelings of commoners are reproduced in some other plays. However, actors tender to read or recite their lines in a rather distinctive way, which renders it very difficult to catch the storyline or contents of the play even for those born and bred in Japan.

To facilitate understanding, some theaters have begun to offer a paid service named “earphone guide” since 1975. Thus the audience can watch the play while they listen to commentaries through earphones to comprehend plot development, roles, costumes and skills in kabuki performance. The earphone guide also brings the audience more pleasure in watching kabuki. In addition to commentaries in Japanese, commentaries can also be provided in English. (The earphone guide is priced at 700 yen per person)