Raeana GallKelsey Rodriguez

Manhattan Johnson

The Japanese Kabuki

Who and when it was started by? Izumo no Okuni

started the Kabuki dance◦Started in 1603

Women were the first to perform ◦They were later

banned in 1629 The sensuality of the

actors proved to be too disruptive for the government and community

Who is in this culture dance now?Young boys and menCalled yarō-kabukiWhich is an all man PerformanceYoung boys played as women due to less masculine appearance and the higher pitch of their voices compared to adult men.

Specific dancesMidareMieMaigoto

Religious OriginsThe original dance was a Buddhist dance.Has been a form of Buddhist nembutsu, a

dance of worship in praise of Amida;

How the dance came to be?Okuni was seen by Sanzaburo, who’s from

Nagoya had been sent by his family to be trained for the priesthood in the Kennin Temple

He influenced her to greater abandon the religious worship, and taught her to dance the popular songs of the day and music of his own composition. This was Kabuki, a slang designation of the time later to be dignified by the use of written characters signifying the art of song and dance

Dance DescriptionA very exotic dance

with ◦Very elaborate

costumes◦Very sharp

movements ◦Exotic facial

expressions◦Also exotic makeup◦Very vibrant colors

used for everything

Dance Attire

Dance attire

Dance attire

Kabuki DanceMake up

◦https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=32&v=hALJT_zRzOg

Dance performance-◦https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JjLuh4Ns7s

The steps to the Make UpKabuki makeup is applied heavily to create a brightly

painted mask that uses colors to indicate age, gender, and the moods of each character.

First, the actor applies oils and waxes on his face to help the makeup stick to the skin.

Then a thick coat of white makeup called Oshiroi is put on to cover the whole face. The white face creates a dramatic look onstage, and many historians believe that the white faces were more easily seen in the centuries before stages were lit with electricity.

The Oshiroi is made of rice powder, and different shades of white are used depending on the age, class, and gender of the character.

On this white face, red and black lines are used to outline the eyes and mouth, which are also shaped differently for male and female characters.

Meaning behind the make upStandard makeup applied to most actors and kumadori makeup which

was applied to villains and heroes.The dramatic lines and shapes applied on the face in

different colors, each representing different qualities. The most commonly used colors

• dark red = passion or anger• dark blue = depression or sadness and evil• pink = youth• light green = calm• black = fear

• purple = nobility. 

SettingUsually preformed in a theater in front of an

audience

Setting ContinuedThe theater stage is very elaborate which

consists of ◦Trap doors◦A foot isle◦Revolving back ground

Performance Description Percussion is heavily used

to complement the movements performed by the actor(s).

Story line that can differ depending on the theme of the performance.

Highly exotic with facial expressions

Continued…..Use of Elaborate

Kimonos◦a long, loose robe with

wide sleeves and tied with a sash, originally worn as a formal garment in Japan and now also used elsewhere as a robe

Props…..The use of

elaborately decorated fans

Also the use of decorative staffs and “Swords”

Instruments SHAMISEN

KO

-TS

UZ

UM

IO-TSUZUMI

NOKAN--

NOH FLUTE

HYOSH

I-GI

Stereotypes:Many white Americans, particularly well-educated

white Americans, think of Japanese Americans as a "model minority" because of their reputation for hard work and their high educational attainment. Despite this reputation, many Japanese—as well as other Asian Americans—complain that they are stereotyped as good technicians but not aggressive enough to occupy top managerial and leadership positions. Anti-Asian graffiti can sometimes be found at top universities where at least some white students voice jealousy and resentment toward perceived Asian American academic success.

Discrimination/BigotryThe Japanese are discriminated against by

some other groups of people just by the way they look or talk. This could effect the way they express their culture.

Cultural celebrations:Festivals are often based around one event,

with food stalls, entertainment, and carnival games to keep people entertained. Some are based around temples or shrines, others hanabi (Fireworks), and still others around contests where the participants sport loin cloths

MatsuriJapanese word for a festival or holiday. In Japan,

festivals are usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple, though they can be secular

There are no specific matsuri days for all of Japan; dates vary from area to area, and even within a specific area, but festival days do tend to cluster around traditional holidays such as Setsubun or Obon. Almost every locale has at least one matsuri in late summer/early autumn, usually related to the rice harvest.

Matsuri continued:One can always find in the vicinity of a matsuri

booths selling souvenirs and food such as takoyaki, and games, such as Goldfish scooping. Karaoke contests, sumo matches, and other forms of entertainment are often organized in conjunction with matsuri. If the festival is next to a lake, renting a boat is also an attraction.

Takoyaki- made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion.

New Years DayNew Year is a time for debts to be paid and quarrels to be

settled. It is an occasion when houses are cleaned, baths are taken, and new clothes are worn.

On New Year's Eve, many Japanese Americans go to temples and shrines. Shinto shrines are especially popular. Just inside the red tori gate, worshippers wash their hands and rinse their mouths with water from the special basin.

Then a priest cleanses them by sprinkling water from a leafy branch on them and blesses them by waving a wand of white prayer papers. The people sip sake, receive amulets (charms), and give money.

New years continuedOfferings are set in various places of honor around the

house. The offering consists of two mochi (rice cakes), a strip of konbu (seaweed), and a citrus arranged on a "happiness paper" depicting one or all of the seven gods of good luck. The offerings symbolize harmony and happiness from generation to generation.

At breakfast on New Year's Day many Japanese Americans eat ozoni, a toasted mochi, in a broth with other ingredients such as vegetables and fish. Mochi is eaten for strength and family cohesiveness. Sometimes children compete with each other to see if they can eat mochi equal to the number of their years.

Contributed to American cultureOne of the main things the Japanese culture

has contributed is Martial ArtsThey have also contributed by all the foods

they eat like sushi.

Contributed to American cultureAlso from the Japanese company Sanrio Hello

Kittywas introduced in Japan in 1974, and brought

to the United States in 1976

Tradition and dance acculturated??The Japanese traditions and dance have

evolved over the years. They have become stronger even when immigrating over to another country.

To this day they still stick to there traditions and culture.

For example the parents encourage their children to be educated about their culture.

What Has Been LostThe culture surrounding the kabuki dance has remained

throughout the years for the most part. However some things have been lost

The first thing lost was women’s role in the cultural dance in the 1629.

Another thing that has been lost is the role it played in Japanese society through the 1600’s

Never gained wide representation in the U.S. ◦ WW2

Traditional storied passed through families have also suffered due to the discontinuation of the family line, or even families no longer participating in the traditional dance.

What IS The Dance To Dominant Culture PeopleThe dance hasn’t grabbed the attention with

the dominant cultures in America for a few reasons◦Japan was a very isolated society until the 1800’s◦World War 2 caused much discrimination against

the Japanese people◦The Japanese Kabuki Dance is a very family

oriented and established tradition. It gets passed down through family members as the generations go on.

Social StructuresThere are still strict family and social rules that

are still in place as far as learning the dance goes. ◦Family members pass down their own styles of dance

and performing◦Non family members may spend their ENTIRE LIVES

shadowing (apprenticing) underneath a “Master Performer” without ever getting the chance to perform on their own.

◦It is a very highly prized and noble performance highly honored within the Japanese community.

What have I learned Manni

◦ I personally have learned a lot. This is actually a part of my culture and where my family comes from. I had the opportunity to talk to my dad about his childhood and family traditions relating to the kabuki dance. It was interesting to go back into my own family history and find out what the Kabuki dance really was. I always wanted to know more about my culture and where it comes from and I finally have another piece to my “ Family History” puzzle.

Rae◦ I have learned a lot about where the dance first started and a lot about how there make

up can mean several different things. For me it was really fun and interesting learning about kabuki because I didn’t even know what it was or had even heard about it before this and it was really eye opening how much we don’t know about each others culture

Kelsey◦ I have learned so much about the cultural celebrations in the Japanese culture. My

favorite thing was learning some of the things they do at the Matsuri.

Sourceshttp://

www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Early-Cultures-Asia/Kabuki-Makeup.html

http://theater162digitalportfolio.weebly.com/kabuki.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/309298/Kabuki

http://www.theatrehistory.com/asian/kabuki001.html

https://books.google.com/books?id=hCkvBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA342&dq=Yoshitsune+Senbon+Zakura+dances&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UWQ9VaupEpXdoAS7p4GwBQ&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Yoshitsune%20Senbon%20Zakura%20dances&f=false