Hongyū

Hongyū [苒唱; ほんぎゅう] was a form of theatre popular in Kanton during the 11th to 14th centuries. It originated from an earlier form of entertainment called kappori. Early hongyū reminiscent of the modern-day circus, with acrobatics, juggling, and pantomime, sometimes combined with drum dancing. Hongyū came to Kanton from China in the 8th century and there mingled with indigenous tradtions, particularly the existing entertainment of the peasantfolk. 
By the 1100s, the public began to favour more comic sketches while other elements (such as contortions and acrobatics) had faded away. By the mid-Nittori period, hongyū was an umbrella term for all sorts of (generally impromptu) entertainment, like dancing, comic dialogues, singing, short plays, sketches, and musical arrangements. The refinement and formality of a hongyū performance could vary, but since it was performed exclusively by the serfdom, it was never intended to be overly elaborate, stylised or restricted.
During the 1300s, there was increased standardisation of words, gestures, musical themes, and combinations of activities; additionally, specific playwrights and actors associated with hongyū began to emerge, such as Yōsaka and his son Mizuzake no Tanyō. Gīkyū also developed from later hongyū. Of particular significance were the hongyū troupes who emerged around the capital during the late 1300s. The Yōsaka Theatre Company, run by Yōsaka and a number of other writers and actors, performed before the manza Yūtei no Hōsō in 1370 and convinced him of the 'art' of modern hongyū drama. Although hongyū had originated as a type of entertainment only available and understood by commoners, it became widely appreciated in its comedic value, charming rusticness and informal nature with the nobles of Kanton.
Hongyū gave way to the more popular and refined jūkyū by the 15th century.