Let’s go for Kabuki!
Hakataza Theartre

Category of Kabuki play
(1) Jidai-mono
A play which deals with stories for the period before the year
1600 and mainly features ancient legends, aristocrats in theHeian period (8th-12th centuries), Samurai in the Kamakura
period (12th-14th centuries), Buddhist monks, and so on.
(2) Sewa-mono
A play which deals with stories featuring the lives ofcommoners in the Edo period (17th-19th centuries).
(3) Buyo-geki
A play featuring the Kabuki dance with Shamisen (strings) andsongs. One of four kinds of music genres called Nagauta, Gidayu,Tokiwazu and Kiyomoto is used in Buyo-geki. The Buyo-geki inwhich Nagauta is used is called Syosagoto, while the Buyo-gekiin which Gidayu, Tokiwazu and Kiyomoto are used is calledJoruri.
(4) Shin-kabuki
A play featuring stories which incorporate ideas andtechniques from western countries.
製作・著作 博多座
協 力
一般社団法人 九州通訳・翻訳者・ガイド協会
表紙絵 出典 「山海愛度図会つづきが見たい 志州西宮白魚」
作者：歌川国芳 （名古屋テレビ放送株式会社所蔵）

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2.Seri

3.Hanamichi

1.Mawari-butai

4.kari-hanamichi

1.Mawari-butai
A revolving stage
which carries actors
and various piecesof equipment. Thishas the effect that ascene changes toanother scenesmoothly and a shiftof scenes andsituations standsout.

2.SeriA device on the Mawari-butai
which raises and lowers actors
and stage equipment
automatically.
3.Hanamichi
A passage which runs on Shimote (the left of the stage as seenfrom the audience).
It is effective in order to bring the audience and actors closer.
4.Kari-hanamichi
A passage which runs on Kamite (the right of the stage asseen
2from the audience).

2.Kuro-misu

Chunori
A visually eccentric choreography in which anactor who plays the role of a ghost or a specter ishoisted with wires hanging over the stage so thatthe actor can seem to be flying in the air.

1.Yuka3.Suppon

3.Suppon
A device which islocated at threetenths of theHanamichi from theside of the stage
and raises andlowers actors.

1.Yuka (Chobo-yuka)
A place inside which
the string players play
the strings andnarrators narrate.
2.Kuro-misu
A black room insidewhich instrument
players perform anaccompaniment tothe Kabuki play. 3(1) Shumei
It means that an actor succeeds his predecessor's name,most often that of the actor's father, grandfather orteacher. When the Shumei is done, a performancecommemorating his succession is performed. The
performance includes Kojo.

(2) Kojo
A verbal message delivered when an announcementof Shumei is made. In Kojo, main actors in a suit witha family crest called Kamishimo make a congratulatory
speech with the main actors lined up on the stage.

Joshiki-maku
A formal curtain colored black, yellowish red and dark green.
4Dorobo
A robber. However, robbers
in the Kabuki play such as
Ishikawa Goemon are often
cool!

Uma
A horse of which two actors playthe role. Horses in the Kabuki
play range from fine horses todraft horses.

Oiran
A courtesan who is beautiful,intelligent and cultivated.

Hero
A champion of justice who appears
and defeats bad fellows.

Hime
A princess who is cute and elegant. A
male actor plays the role of Hime as well.

Yurei
A ghost who appears with5
creepy music.

KokenA member of staff who helps an actor change
clothes and gives the actor props inconspicuously.
He wears black clothes normally but wears a wig
and a suit called Kamishimo consisting of asleeveless jacket and a separated skirt in aparticular play.

Roppo
An actor moves his hands and feetdynamically in six directions including up,
down, east, west, south and north. Thisbehavior shows the forcefulness and theclimax of the emotion of a character.

Mie
It means that an actor stops his movement
for a moment and then looks daggers atsomebody. This behavior is conductedwhen the emotion of a character reaches
its climax.

Kuro-goOne of the Koken who wears
black clothes. The black color
means “nothing” in Kabuki. The
Kuro-go is supposed to be invisible
to the audience.

6Kumadori (Stage makeup)(1) Beni-guma
Stage makeup with red stripes
over a white foundation. Thismakeup style symbolizes virtue,
bravery or youthfulness.

(2) Ai-guma
Stage makeup with blue stripes
over a white foundation. Thismakeup style symbolizes
something weird, a great evil or anenemy.

(3) Taisha-guma
Stage makeup with dark brown
stripes over a light brownfoundation. This makeup stylesymbolizes a supernatural monster
such as a ghost or a demon.

Matsubamemono
One of the plays which incorporate the style of Noh (theJapanese classical performing art) into the Kabuki play. InMatsubamemono a plate on which a pine tree is drawn islocated at the front of the stage.

Ki
Wooden clappers
which are beaten
shortly before theKabuki play starts
and when theplay ends.

Tsuke
Sound effects which are generated byhitting a plate with a wooden clapper.
These sound effects emphasize the Mieand footsteps.
7Gidayu
The music style originated by Takemoto
Gidayu, a famous Joruri chanter. This musicstyle is often used in a puppet show and deals
with the description of deeds or incidents. Abroad-neck Shamisen is used.

Nagauta
The music style most often used as backgroundmusic in Buyo-geki and other Kabuki plays, whichmainly deals with the description of visual scenes.
This music style comprises Shamisen (strings),
small and big Japanese hand drums, flutes, andso on.

Kiyomoto
The music style of Joruri which cameabout in the late Edo period. It isoften used in a dance performance. In
this music style, high pitched voices
and sensual melodies with complex
melody lines are used. A mediumneck Shamisen is used.

Tokiwazu
The music style which was
popular as music used in
Buyo-geki. It has flowing
melodies and a lighter
rhythm than that of Gidayu.
A medium-neck Shamisen isused.

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