Yokohama Living

Kabuki is a very famous Japanese tradition that has its roots in the beginning of the 17th Century. It has transformed a lot since then though. Originally performed by men and women of dubious moral character it soon became the domain of mature male actors only and entertainment for aristocrats and plebeians alike. The government claimed to be fighting against loose moral values but the popular belief is that they were really trying to suppress the radical ideas that were being promoted through these performances.

While Kabuki today seems very rigid and unchanging this was not always the case. In its heyday Kabuki was a very dynamic art form with new plays being written almost every week whereas these days the same kabuki families repeatedly perform the most popular of these plays time and time again adding only slight changes to the performances which would be impossible for a layman to notice.

Kabuki is usually divided into three categories.

• Shosagoto (Dance)
• Sewamono (Common people)
• Jidaimono (History Story)

While the Jidaimono are usually very grand with splendid costumes the language used is very complicated and is difficult even for Japanese people to understand. The Sewamono usually have less extravagant costumes but the stories are no less famous. One of the most famous of them being the ghost story “Yotsuya Kaidan”.

There are several places around Tokyo where you can attend a Kabuki performance, the most famous of which is the Kabuki-za. The National Theater also holds performances in a more modern theater. Even though most seats provide you with a good view of the stage many prefer the more traditional but cramped Kabuki-za.

Earphone Guide: You will be able to rent an earphone guide in English or Japanese at some theaters.

Tickets: Kabuki is still popular in Japan and therefore it is often very difficult to get tickets to the performances. You must book ahead for sometimes the tickets for the following month will be sold-out within hours of going on sale. If you are desperate you still probably be able to get tickets for the 4th floor balcony in Kabuki-za for around 2000 yen, without the use of the earphone guides however.