Kabuki

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese dance-drama existing already for over 400 years. Its first performance in 1603 was presented by Izumo no Okuni in Kyoto at a time of disarray after the battle of Sekigahara. Okuni was dressed in peculiar men's costumes, which delighted and caught the imagination of the people. Later, in the beginning of the Edo period, onna kabuki (kabuki played by women) was banned as a corrupting influence on social morals. Men took over, even playing the female roles (onna-gata), and the resulting shows developed into the kabuki of today. Modern Kabuki is still using old Japanese and since not even my Japanese friend Emi was able to understand it we rented a pocket radio with the English translation and explanation to the play. We listened to old Japanese tunes and watched the dance of the sparrow. A love story about a geisha and her true love. It was really interesting to not only absorb old Japanese acting but also to learn and grasp a bit of how life was in the Edo period.