The Kabuki Theater: Fangirls and Merchandise

If you've read "The Return of Layhar", you might remember a certain salesman trying to sell prints, fans and umbrellas.

“Buy a list with the actors starring in the new play of the Harubi theater.” On the sheet were printed the names of the actors beneath drawings of the tough characters they played.

... I also have fans with the family crests of your favorite actors. Show everyone that you’re a true fan.”

[Translated quote from Shirareta Sekai 1 – The Return of Layhar]

But to what extent is this scene based on historical realities? As the title suggests, this article seeks to lift the veil of the world of Kabuki, one of Japan's three traditional styles of theater.

Despite how lots of people imagine Japan before its "westernization", early modern Japan was surprisingly modern in many ways. The Kabuki theater is one of the places where this is clearly visible. Kabuki actors were basically the rock stars of their time, complete with fanclubs and merchandise. They were called the "flowers of Edo". But where does it actually come from?

Development

Kabuki, 歌舞伎, is written using the characters for "sing" 歌, "dance" 舞 and "skill" 伎. It was created in 1603 as a new form of dance drama on the river bed of Kyoto by Izumo no Okuni (Wikipedia). At first the performances were done by women and eventually they developed more. They told increasingly elaborate stories and the actrices sometimes engaged in crossdressing. However, eventually female actors were forbidden, because they were available as prostitutes outside of their performances and their male audience (clients) often became restless and got into fights. That's how the Kabuki theater came to have exclusively male actors, with the female roles being played by young men in women's clothing called Onnagata. Did that work? No, not at all actually... The young men were also available as prostitutes and men were just as eager to fight each other for their services. So the government decided to forbid young male actors in the plays as well (Wikipedia).

According to Andrew Gerstle in his work "Flowers of Edo: Kabuki and its Patrons", Kabuki became increasingly popular and faced mixed attitudes. The public held actors in high esteem, but in the eyes of the government they were no more than male prostitutes. In reality, though, Kabuki and the government needed each other. Society during the Edo Period (1600-1868) was very strict and the Kabuki theater offered a temporary escape from the harsh reality of everyday life. It was a form of escapism which people gladly enaged in. Without something like Kabuki commoners might not have endured their tough working lives and government policies, and without that rigidity Kabuki might not have gained such popularity; the theater was an "anti-structure" opposing and thus balancing the "structure" of society.

Kabuki in Edo

Especially in the city of Edo – now Tokyo – Kabuki developed in an interesting way. Edo had no clear master/servant relationships and was comprised of three groups: bushi (= samurai), provincial "outsiders" and chōnin (the craftsmen and merchants), which created a special dynamic. In his "Edo Culture: daily life and diversions in urban Japan, 1600-1868" Nishiyama Matsunosuke explains that those three groups were constantly confronted with one another. The chōnin shaped a strong identity for themselves as Edokko ("children of Edo") and this made them feel the need to set themselves apart from the rest. Thus the aragotostyle of Kabuki developed, a rebellious style which openly mocked the bushi. Contrary to what you might expect, the daimyō (domain lords of the bushi class) actually liked this. A famous example of a diehard Kabuki fanboy that Gerstle mentions, is the daimyō Nobutoki, who invited Kabuki actors to peform at his house.

Kabuki was mainly a form of theater for "ordinary" people and, according to Gerstle, heavily influenced daily life. The Onnagata that were specialized in female roles, were trend setters. They were men who imitated women and were then imitated by women. Hairstyles, clothing and even cakes were named after famous actors and their family crests were printed on merchandise sold to fans.

Ichikawa Danjuro

The merchant in "The Return of Layhar" I mentioned at the beginning, he eventually managed to sell a print, bearing the name Ichikawa Danjuro. In case you were wondering: yes, Ichikawa Danjuro is a real historical figure. Multiple figures, in fact. In the actor's family the name Ichikawa Danjuro was passed from father to son, along with the occupation. But a print of Ichikawa Danjuro... what would that look like?

This is a print of Ichikawa Danjuro V in his Shibaraku role. It was designed by Katsukawa Shunshō in 1779. The actor is recognizable by his family crest on his sleeves, three squares that encapsulate each other. The absurdly large sleeves and unusually long sword were worn to mock the bushi.

Would you like to know what Kabuki looks like? Click here to watch a piece of a contemporary Kabuki performance. Do you have any further questions regarding Japanese theater, or specifically Kabuki? Feel free to ask them in the comments 🙂

Sources:

1. Nishiyama Matsunosuke, “Chapter Two (Edokko: The Townsperson)” in Edo culture: daily life and diversions in urban Japan, 1600-1868. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, 1997, pp. 41-52
2. Gerstle Andrew, “Flowers of Edo: Kabuki and its Patrons” in Eighteenth Century Japan: Culture and Society, London: Curzon, 1989, pp. 33-50
3. Wikipedia, “Kabuki”, accessed on March 13, 2019.