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Oyama (Japanese Theatre)
(also ) are male actors who play female roles in kabuki theatre. History The modern all-male kabuki was originally known as ("male kabuki") to distinguish it from earlier forms. In the early 17th century, shortly after the emergence of the genre, many kabuki theaters had an all-female cast (), with women playing men's roles as necessary. ("adolescent-boy kabuki"), with a cast composed entirely of attractive young men playing both male and female roles, and frequently dealing in erotic themes, originated circa 1612. Both and (or ), actors specializing in adolescent female roles (and usually adolescents themselves), were the subject of much appreciation by both male and female patrons, and were often prostitutes. All-male casts became the norm after 1629, when women were banned from appearing in kabuki due to the prevalent prostitution of actresses and violent quarrels among patrons for the actresses' favors. This ban failed to stop the problems, since the young male () acto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Musume Dōjōji
''Kyōganoko Musume Dōjōji'' (京鹿子娘道成寺), commonly called ''Musume Dōjōji'' (娘道成寺, "''The Maiden at Dojoji Temple''"), is a kabuki dance drama. It is the oldest surviving Noh-based Kabuki dance drama, which tells the story of a maiden who dances before a bell in the Dōjō-ji temple and then reveals herself to be a serpent-demon. The work is noted for its sequence of dances during which the performer dances for nearly an hour with nine changes of costume. It may be considered the most important piece in the kabuki dance repertoire, one that the onnagatas are required to learn to show their mastery of classic dances. It is classified as one of the ''hengemono'' (変化物, "change pieces") that involve quick change of costumes and roles. Geisha and other dancers may also learn to perform parts of the dance as solo buyō dance pieces. Origin ''Musume Dojoji'' originates from the Noh play '' Dōjōji'' which refers to the tale of a woman later named Kiyohim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otokonoko
is a Japanese term for men who have a culturally feminine gender expression. This includes amongst others males with feminine appearances, or those cross-dressing. is a play on the word ("boy", from the characters for 'male' and 'child'), which is also pronounced ; in the slang term, the kanji for "child" () is substituted with "daughter"/"girl" (). The term originated in Japanese manga and Internet culture in the 2000s, but the concept reflects a broad range of earlier traditions and examples of male cross dressing in Japan, such as in kabuki theater. Its popularity increased around 2009, with the rise of dedicated maid cafés, fashion stores, cosmetic products, and a range of popular media in the culture. It is often combined with the cosplay of female fictional characters by men ( crossplay). By extension, is also a genre of media and fiction about feminine-looking or feminine-dressing men, and often contains erotic or romantic elements. It is mainly aimed at male ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Theatre
This article is an overview of traditional and modern Japanese theatre. Traditional Japanese theatre is among the oldest theatre traditions in the world. Traditional theatre includes Noh, a spiritual drama, and its comic accompaniment ; kabuki, a dance and music theatrical tradition; , puppetry; and , a spoken drama. Modern Japanese theatre includes (experimental Western-style theatre), shinpa (new school theatre) and (little theatre). In addition, there are many classical western plays and musical adaptations of popular television shows and movies that are produced in Japan. Traditional forms of theatre Noh and Noh and theatre traditions are among the oldest continuous theatre traditions in the world. The earliest existing scripts date from the 15th century. Noh was a spiritual drama, combining symbolism from Buddhism and Shinto and focusing on tales with mythic significance. , its comic partner, served as a link between the theological themes of the Noh play with the p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoshizawa Ayame I
Yoshizawa Ayame I (初代 吉沢 菖蒲) (1673-15 July 1729) was an early Kabuki actor, and the most celebrated ''onnagata'' (specialist in female roles) of his time. His thoughts on acting, and on ''onnagata'' acting in particular, were recorded in ''Ayamegusa'' (菖蒲草, "The Words of Ayame"), one section of the famous treatise on Kabuki acting, ''Yakusha Rongo'' (役者論語, "The Actors' Analects"). A.C. Scott wrote that "Yoshizawa Ayame I was regarded as the greatest onnagata or female impersonator of his time and was an artist of ability, who developed the unique technique which was to be a model for the actors of the future. His ideas and secrets were written down in a book called 'Ayamegusa', which was afterwards regarded as the Bible of the female impersonator."Scott, A.C. (1955) The Kabuki Theatre of Japan George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Ayame is famous for advocating that ''onnagata'' behave as women in all their interactions, both onstage and off. In ''Ayamegusa'', he is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taichi Saotome
, also known as , is a Japanese actor and singer. He played young men and onnagata roles of women. Biography His father is the head of the theatre troupe ''Gekidan Sujaku''. Saotome performed in '' taishū engeki''. A "female impersonator", he has performed onstage. In ''Zatoichi'', he played the child disguising himself as a geisha ( Daigoro Tachibana). Though in a different troupe from Tachibana, they frequently practiced and performed together. In '' Takeshis''', Saotome played a young female impersonator and dancer. He played a ''bishōnen'' aesthetic, i.e. graceful, beautiful young men. He played Mori Ranmaru in a National Museum event called " Sengoku Fantasy", and played a young Horibe Yasubee in the NHK New Year's ''jidaigeki'' play. He created his official fan club in 2006. He said that he misunderstand his appeal, but is happy about his role."Teen's Female Performances Draw Him a Crowd." NPR.org 30 October 2007. He appeared in the variety show ''D no Gekijō'' in Janua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sakata Tōjūrō IV
was a Japanese kabuki actor in the Kamigata style and was officially designated a Living National Treasure. Unlike most kabuki actors, he performed both male and female roles, and was renowned as both a skilled '' wagotoshi'' (actor of male roles in the ''wagoto'' tradition) and '' onnagata'' (actor of female roles). He was the fourth in the line of Sakata Tōjūrō, having revived the name after a lapse of over 230 years. Lineage Though he bears no direct hereditary connection to the previous lineage of Sakata Tōjūrō which he has revived, Tōjūrō traced his line back several generations within the kabuki world. He is the eldest son of Nakamura Ganjirō II, grandson of Nakamura Ganjirō I, and great-grandson of Nakamura Kanjaku III who was adopted into the kabuki families by Nakamura Utaemon IV. Tōjūrō's sons Nakamura Ganjirō IV and Nakamura Senjaku III perform as kabuki actors, as do his grandsons Nakamura Kazutarō and Nakamura Toranosuke. Life and career He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Onoe Kikugorō V
was a Japanese Kabuki actor, one of the three most famous and celebrated of the Meiji period,"Onoe family" (尾上家, ''Onoe-ke'')Kabuki Encyclopedia(歌舞伎事典, ''kabuki jiten''). Japan Arts Council, 2001–2003. Accessed 30 May 2009. along with Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and Ichikawa Sadanji I. Unlike most kabuki actors, who specialize in a particular type of role, Kikugorō, as a ''kaneru yakusha'', played both ''tachiyaku'' (male heroes) and ''onnagata'' (women) roles and was best known for his roles in plays by Kawatake Mokuami. Kikugorō was also known as one of the chief actors in the "modern" subgenre of kabuki plays known as '' zangirimono'' ("cropped hair plays"), featuring Western-style clothes and hairstyle. Kikugorō was a popular figure in ''ukiyo-e'' woodblock prints, especially in those by Toyohara Kunichika. He was also featured on Japanese postage stamps, and performed in one of the first motion pictures ever made in Japan, '' Momijigari'', as the demon prince ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nakamura Shichinosuke II
(born May 18, 1983) is a Japanese Kabuki, theatre, TV, and film actor. He was born , the second son of famed Kabuki performer, Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII. Unlike many kabuki actors, who specialize in a single type of role, Shichinosuke plays both male (''tachiyaku'') and female (''onnagata'') parts. Name and Lineage Nakamura, often represented as "Shichinosuke Nakamura" in reference to his American film career, is a member of the kabuki guild Nakamura-ya, and currently performs kabuki along with his brother Nakamura Kantarō II. His family can trace their lineage back, within the kabuki world, at least seven generations, to Onoe Kikugorō III and Ichimura Uzaemon XI, who performed in the early 19th century. As is the case with the names of all kabuki actors, "Nakamura Shichinosuke" is a ''yagō'' or stage name. Life and career In September 1986 he made his first appearance on stage at the Kabuki-za, taking the name Nakamura Shichinosuke the following year. Within a few years ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nakamura Jakuemon IV
(20 August 192022 February 2012) was a Japanese kabuki actor most known for onnagata (also ) are male actors who play female roles in kabuki theatre. History The modern all-male kabuki was originally known as ("male kabuki") to distinguish it from earlier forms. In the early 17th century, shortly after the emergence of the g ... performance. Biography In 1991 the Japanese government designated him as a Living National Treasure. Filmography *1954 '' The Woman in the Rumor(Uwasa no Onna)'' as Dr. Matoba Further reading *''Beautiful boys/outlaw bodies: devising Kabuki female-likeness'', 2005, By Katherine Mezur *''Nakamura Jakuemon IV: The Art of Onnagata Acting'', 2005, by Rei Sasaguchi References External links * (Japanese)biography {{DEFAULTSORT:Nakamura, Jakuemon Kabuki actors 1920 births 2012 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in Japan Cross-gender male actors ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kataoka Nizaemon XII
was a Japanese kabuki actor of the Kamigata tradition; also known as Jinzaemon.Dower, John W. ''Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II''. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999. p109. His violent death at the hands of a starving writer living on the actor's property has been cited by scholars such as John Dower as an example of the chaos and "social disintegration" in the months and years immediately following Japan's defeat in World War II. Names & Lineage Like most kabuki actors, Nizaemon had a number of stage names over the course of his career. He debuted onstage under his birth name, Tōkichi Kataoka, and later took on the names Kataoka Tsuchinosuke II and Kataoka Gadō IV before becoming the twelfth in the line of Kataoka Nizaemon. He was the fourth actor to be known by the poetry name ('' haimyō'') Roen, and bore the guild name (''yagō'') of Matsushimaya. Nizaemon was born into a kabuki family, and was the son of Kataoka Nizaemon X, who in turn was the son ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nihonbashi (play)
is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The current bridge, designed by Tsumaki Yorinaka and constructed of stone on a steel frame, dates from 1911. The district covers a large area to the north and east of the bridge, reaching Akihabara to the north and the Sumida River to the east. Ōtemachi is to the west and Yaesu and Kyobashi to the south. Nihonbashi, together with Kyobashi and Kanda, is the core of Shitamachi, the original downtown center of Edo-Tokyo, before the rise of newer secondary centers such as Shinjuku and Shibuya. History The Nihonbashi district was a major mercantile center during the Edo period: its early development is largely credited to the Mitsui family, who based their wholesaling business in Nihonbashi and developed Japan's first department store, Mitsuk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
