Tokyo and the Kabuki-za

Kumadori

Kumadori developed in Edo, as Tokyo was then called, in the aragoto or "rough" style of acting, traditionally credited to Ichikawa Danjūrō I in the late seventeenth century. Over a white base, actors paint lines that follow the muscles: red for heroes and passion, blue for villains, brown for spirits. After a performance, an actor may press a silk cloth to his face to take a print, the oshiguma, a prized keepsake.

Actor families

Kabuki roles pass through acting families, whose stage names, such as Ichikawa Danjūrō, are inherited across generations. All roles are played by men; onnagata, specialists in women's roles, wear white oshiroi with painted lips and brows. Kabuki was inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2008. The Kabuki-za offers single-act tickets so visitors can see one play.

Guides of Tokyo and the Kabuki-za

KumadoriPainted Kabuki lines seen nightly at the Kabuki-zaOshiroiThe white base of onnagata and kumadori rolesTheatrical makeupKabuki actors paint their own faces