Kabuki

black and white photograph taken in a play house, this is Kabuki which is like Japanese Pantomime.

Kyoto, Japan.


1603–1629: Female kabuki
1629–1673: Transition to yarō kabuki
1673–1841: The golden age
1842–1868: The Saruwaka-chō kabuki

Kabuki (歌舞伎, kabuki?) is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.

The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing (歌), dance (舞), and skill (伎). Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing."
The kanji of 'skill' generally refers to a performer in kabuki theatre. Since the word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning "to lean" or "to be out of the ordinary", kabuki can be interpreted as "avant-garde" or "bizarre" theatre.