Kabuki

Kabuki

In the sixteenth century, Japan was torn by incessant but virtually meaningless civil warfare (Toit, 9). Kabuki was created as a form of diversion for the people. Kabuki used to mean eccentric, but now it is translated in three Chinese characters (ka, bu, and ki) meaning “song, dance, skill” (Toit, 11). Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki has a very distinct history, which is why the performance is so unique.
Kabuki was started in 1596 by O-Kuni on the dry bed of the Kamo River in Kyoto. O-Kuni was a ritual dancer attached to the great Shinto Shrine of Izumo (Kincaid, 49). Her performances started out boring, but this changed when she met and married a samurai named Nagoya Sansaburo (Kincaid, 51). He recognized that her dance was not sufficiently interesting and set himself to carry out many successful improvements. The performances contained many sexual scenes that influenced groups of prostitutes to use the performances as an advertisement for their trade. All-female companies were created and performed soliloquies, mimetic dance, and short skits. These were called Onna Kabuki (Kincaid, 58). The shows were erotic, revealing, and filled with elaborate costumes and props. After a while, the men and women performed together indiscriminately. Men took the roles of women, and male characters were being assumed by women (Kincaid, 59). Eventually a three stringed instrument, called the shamisen was added, and Kabuki was well on its way to the form we recognize today (Kincaid, 59).
Kabuki was not only influenced by O-Kuni and prostitutes seeking advertisement (Toit, 11). It was also directly influenced by politics of the day. Japan had recently ended many years of civil war and a feudal system (Toit, 9).   The country had a distinct hierarchy, but more importantly, it was a militarily controlled nation (Tokyo Topia).   The emperor was the symbolic ruler, but the real authority...