Korakukan Theater

MISAWA ITT

Korakukan Theater

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HISTORY OF KABUKI

Created around the year 1600, around the same time the English began to form colonies on the American continent, the history of Kabuki is as long as that of the United States and just as multi-faceted. While it barely scratches the surface, the brief description of the history of Kabuki that follows will attempt to give a general overview of the theater.

Kabuki was created by Okuni, a shrine maiden from Izumo Shrine. Her performances in the dry river beds of the ancient capital of Kyoto caused a sensation and soon their scale increased and a number of rival companies arose.

Early Kabuki was much different from what is seen today and was comprised mostly of large ensemble dances performed by women. Most of these women acted as prostitutes off-stage and finally the government banned women from the stage in an effort to protect public morale, just one in a long history of government restrictions placed on the theater.

This ban on women, though, is often seen as a good move because it necessitated the importance of skill over beauty and put more stress on drama than dance, putting Kabuki on the path to become a dramatic art form. Another development was the appearance of onnagata female role specialists, men who played women.

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HISTORY OF KABUKI

The last quarter of the 17th century is referred to as the Genroku period and was a time of renaissance in the culture of Japanese townspeople. As the main form of theatrical entertainment for commoners, there was a great flowering of creativity in Kabuki. It was during this period that the stylizations that would form the base of Kabuki were created. The playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon and actors like Ichikawa Danjuro and Sakata Tojuro left strong legacies that can still be seen today. It was also during this period that the close relationship between Kabuki and the Bunraku puppet theater began and the two would continue to grow while influencing each other.

The decades after the Genroku period saw numerous cycles of creative periods followed by refinement. In the early 18th century, the rise of skilled playwrights in the Bunraku puppet theater helped it to briefly eclipse Kabuki in popularity.

Indeed, it was remarked by one observer that it seemed as though "there was no Kabuki." Actors responded by adapting puppet plays for the stage and creating stylized movements to mimic the puppets themselves. The late 18th century saw a trend towards realism and the switch of the cultural center from Kyoto and Osaka to Edo. One consequence of this was the change of tastes in onnagata acting. While onnagata trained in Kyoto who had the soft, gentle nature of that city had been valued before, now audiences preferred those who showed the strong pride and nature of Edo women. An increasing audience desire for decadence as seen in the ghost plays and beautification of murder scenes marked early 19th century.

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ABOUT THE KABUKI

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese form of theater with its origins in the Edo period.

Kabuki, in contrast to the older surviving Japanese art forms such as No, was the popular culture of the townspeople and not of the higher social classes. Kabuki plays are about historical events, moral conflicts in love relationships and the like. The actors use an old fashioned language which is difficult to understand even for some Japanese people. They speak in a monotonous voice and are accompanied by traditional Japanese instruments.

The kabuki stage (kabuki no butai) is a rotating stage and is further equipped with several gadgets like trap doors through which the actors can appear and disappear. Another specialty of the kabuki stage is a footbridge (hanamichi) that leads through the audience.

In the early years, both, men and women acted in Kabuki plays. Later during the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate forbade the acting to women, a restriction that survives to the present day. Several male kabuki actors are, therefore, specialized in playing female roles (onnagata). During kabuki plays, fanatic fans in the audience shout the names of their favorite actors in the right moments during short pauses - a phenomena that is not common during theater performances in the West.

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ABOUT THE KABUKI

The kabuki stage features a projection called a hanamichi (literally, flowery path), a walkway which extends into the audience and via which dramatic entrances and exits are made. Kabuki stages and theaters have steadily become more technologically sophisticated, and innovations including revolving stages and trap doors, introduced during the 18th century, added greatly to the staging of kabuki plays.

Important characteristics of Kabuki theatre include the mie, in which the actor holds a picturesque pose to establish his character. In kabuki, as in some other Japanese performing arts, scenery changes are sometimes made mid-scene, while the actors remain on stage and the curtain stays open. Stage hands rush onto the stage adding and removing props, backdrops and other scenery; these stage hands, always dressed entirely in black, are traditionally considered "invisible.“ There are three main categories of kabuki play: jidai-mono (historical), sewamono (domestic), and shosagoto (dance pieces).

KeshĹ?, or make-up, provides an element of style easily recognizable even by those unfamiliar with the art form. Rice powder is used to create the white oshiroi base, and kumadori enhances or exaggerates facial lines to produce dramatic animal or supernatural masks for the actors.

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KORAKUKAN KABUKI

Built in 1910 for the entertainment of mine employees, the Korakukan is the oldest existing wooden theater in Japan. From the American Gothic style in the eaves' sawtooth pattern to the arabesque at the center peak, the exterior is of Western design. Upon entering the theater, one discovers a traditional kabuki stage and tatami seating area. The Korakukan was designated a nationally important cultural property in 2002.

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KORAKUKAN THEATER TOUR

Korakukan Tour

Available daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., except when performances are in session. *Closed 27 December to 3 January for New Year's Holiday.

Stand atop the 9.73 meter revolving stage. Descend into the theater's naraku (literally, hell) and see how it works. See how actors rise up using the suppon (snapping turtle) trap door.

Walk through the gently sloping seating area. Touch the names of such famous actors as Hira Mikijiro, Nakadai Tatsuya and Tono Eijiro in the dressing rooms. The atmosphere of the Meiji era will sweep over you during your visit to the Korakukan.

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Misawa ITT Office Location: Bldg. 973 Phone: 226-3555

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Closed Sundays & federal holidays