Theater Form of Kabuki

Timeline

1. 1603–1620Kyoto · Kyoto PrefectureIzumo no Okuni and others performed eccentric dances at the Kawara in Kyoto; kabuki quickly became popular and spread to Edo and Osaka, forming an early form centered on onnagata actors performing on outdoor stages or temporary playhouses.
2. 1629–1645Edo · Tokyo MetropolisThe shogunate banned women from the stage in 1629; performances shifted to wakashū (young men) playing onnagata, and wakashū kabuki flourished in Edo and Kyoto while also arousing shogunate concerns about public morals and public order.
3. c. 1645–1650Dōtonbori, Osaka · Osaka PrefectureBy around 1650, permanent theaters (za) had arisen, such as the Nakamura-za in Edo and in the Dōtonbori area of Osaka; aragoto and wagoto repertories diverged, and the kabuki theater form led by young male actors was essentially established, laying the foundation for later Genroku kabuki.