Kabuki

Lovers of theater should not miss going to a show at the Kabuki-za in the Ginza .  The word kabuki is written with three Chinese characters - ka meaning music, bu meaning dance and ki meaning skill and that says it all.  Every actor in every scene is posed perfectly; the stage settings are beautiful, even the curtain is beautiful.  It's like watching a series of Japanese woodblock prints ( ukiyo-e) come to life.  All the women are played by onnagata (men specializing in female roles), but you forget that as you get lost in the play.  It’s more expensive, but consider getting seats on the first floor which will let you can see the hanamichi (flower path), a walkway through the audience used by some of the actors for dramatic entrances and exits.

During the first three weeks of any month there are two programs a day, one starting at 11 am and one starting at 4:30 pm.  There are usually 3 or 4 different plays, a mix of comedy, drama and dance.   The whole performance lasts about 4 hours including a break for either lunch or dinner (you order your food before the show and it’s waiting for you in the dining room at intermission).  You can attend the full program or just 1 or 2 segments.  Earphone sets can be rented which not only simultaneously translate the play into English but also give you background information on the actors, the story and kabuki techniques.