Kabuki

Timeline

1. 1603–1620Kyoto, Edo · KinkiIzumo no Okuni and others performed in the kawaki style in Kyoto, causing a sensation; in the 1610s kabuki spread to cities such as Edo, attracting townsman and samurai audiences with onnagata, kyōgen-style music, and gorgeous costumes, becoming a new urban entertainment.
2. 1629–1652Edo · KantōThe shogunate banned women and wakashū from the stage on grounds of corrupting public morals, leading to the establishment of all-male kabuki (yarō kabuki); it also regulated theater locations and performance content, bringing kabuki under controllable public entertainment.
3. 1700–1800Three theaters of Edo · EdoThe three Edo theaters, Ichimura-za and Nakamura-za among them, were established, and famous actors such as Sakata Tōjūrō and Onoe Kikugorō emerged; aragoto, sewa, and dance forms matured, and in concert with ukiyo-e and jōruri, kabuki became the core symbol of Edo townsman culture.
4. 1868All Japan · JapanFrom the Meiji era onward, kabuki underwent modern theater reform and overseas performances; after World War II it continued to be staged as Japan's representative traditional theater, and in 2005 it was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.