Origins of Kabuki

Three Japanese characters separately meaning “dance, music, craft or skill”, define Kabuki. The original characters indicating Kabuki however were drawn in a different style that implied “tilted or out of balance”, a distortion of the present definition. Somehow the first Japanese characters for Kabuki, insinuated something evilly bizarre and immoral. The negative pictured presented people dancing naked, in wild abandon, a mockery performance.

Documentations however reveal that Okuni, a shrine maiden from the Izumo shrine is the creator of Kabuki around the year 1600. In a dry riverbed at Kyoto in 1603, Okuni staged what is thought of as her first public performance together with her fellow dancers they showed a mixture of folk dance and a form of religious dance named nembutsu odori. Okuni’s objective was innocent. The suggestive movements of the dancers were interpreted as immoral, so much so that its intent was questioned.

Men as women

Okuni’s performance in Kyoto’s dry riverbeds caused a sensation and soon their scale increased and a number of rival companies arose. Some people of the lower class imitated the shows and alleviated the misinterpretation of society towards their art. The performers which were mostly made up of women had another illicit occupation, they were prostitutes off stage. These led to the banishment of women in theatre which is perceived by male actors as a blessing in disguise in later years.

Onnagata or men who played women roles surfaced adding more spice to the Japanese theatre scene. With the rise of the onnagata kabuki was transformed, its main focus on dance and beauty was overshadowed by skill and drama which paved the way to becoming what is now known as a dramatic art form.