ABSTRACT
Kabuki, which until the early twentieth century flourished as a form of popular theatrical entertainment, has in the post-war period taken a position alongside nō, kyogen and the bunraku puppet theatre as one of Japan's classical performing arts. Originating at the beginning of the Edo Period (1600—1867) as a stage entertainment performed principally by women, by the end of the seventeenth century kabuki had evolved under government-imposed restrictions and the influence of bunraku into a complex theatrical art performed by an all-male cast. In its heyday, several troupes and theatres operated in each of the three major cities, Edo (Tokyo), Kyōto and ōsaka. Unlike many Western forms of drama, kabuki has always been primarily a performance art, with an emphasis on acting skill and visual presentation rather than dramatic text or plot.
