Kabuki

Paper Masters will custom write research papers on any type of art or theater that you need explored. Kabuki is just one of the many styles that our theater professionals will write about.

Japan's rich tradition in art has a style that is unparalleled throughout the world. Japanese dance provides one of the most fascinating genres of art to date - Kabuki. Kabuki has reflected the culture of Japan since its inception in the latter part of the 1600's.

Kabuki is Japan's over-the-top dance experience.

• The dancers transform themselves through words, action and all the trappings of costumes, makeup and props into a spectacular array of characters.
• Valiant heroes, faces painted with blood-red lines of makeup denoting status and strength, emerge from Japanese history and legend to clash thunderously with their enemies.
• Doomed lovers-sometimes modestly, sometimes lavishly attired-come to life in order to enact the heart-rending moments that are a prelude to their departure together from this world.

Kabuki is currently enjoying a boom-which is the very word used in Japanese. The audiences are made up not only of scores of Kabuki-loving middle age patrons, but also of young people, for whom Kabuki has a trendy, retro appeal. And I was surprised at how many women, from in their 20's to seniors, come to the theater in kimonos-a relatively rare sight in Japan these days.

Kabuki began in what is referred to as the Edo Era in Japan's cultural history. Japanese people of today are re-evaluating the life-style of the Edo period. Many have thought of the Edo period as a feudal Dark Age that fell far behind the progress of history. Surprisingly however, extensive research has proven that the city of Edo was very affluent, diverse and highly developed.

In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun, and founded the Edo Shogunate. The period till the fall of the shogunate in 1867 is called the Edo Era. During this period, the sovereignty was strongly held by shogun. The shogunate closed the country, and Japan prospered, isolated from the most of the world. There was no civil war and the people admired the peace. During these two and half centuries, only two major wars occurred, unprecedented for Japan at that time.

However, all was not peaceful among the classes. The distinction between the warrior class and the common people was a growing chasm of unrest and oppression. The merchant class, due to the money they afforded the country and the shogun, became increasingly powerful economically. However, the shogun insisted they remain inferior.

Art is often a reflection of the angst of society. Merchants began the art of kabuki as a means of expressing their emotions under the repressive social conditions. Fundamental kabuki themes are the conflict between humanity and feudalism. This helped perpetuate the popularity of kabuki during the Edo Era and integrated it into Japanese society.