Features of Kabuki Costumes-Trivia of costumes you should know before watching Kabuki

Kabuki is one of the traditional Japanese performing arts that is popular not only in Japan but also in the world. Some people from overseas may ask you about the appeal of Kabuki, and you may be thinking of trying it again.

You can enjoy the world of Kabuki more by holding down some points. Here, we explain in an easy-to-understand manner the meanings and roles of Kabuki costumes and makeup.

Please use it as a reference to introduce Japanese culture to the world!

Japan's world-class Kabuki, costumes that color the stage

The costumes used in Kabuki are gorgeously decorated, and the extraordinary world is beautifully produced with bright colors and unique makeup.

Kabuki's view of the world attracts foreigners and influences the image of Japan as seen from abroad. Let me introduce you to some basic tips on costumes that decorate the Kabuki stage.

Basic tips on Kabuki costumes

Kimono is mainly used as a costume for Kabuki, a performing art that grew up in the Edo period. In addition to kimonos such as yukata and hanten that are worn even today, as samurai costumes, a set of hakama and jacket called kamishimo, sometimes reminiscent of a fantasy existence. Innovatively designed costumes are also used.

In addition, Kabuki is divided into "Kyogen" that shows a play and "Dance" that shows a dance, depending on whether it plays a realistic story based on the culture of the time or expresses a fantastic dance or majesty. , The costumes used are different.

A particularly popular Kabuki costume is "Oiran"

Among the costumes used in Kabuki, the gorgeous kimono worn by Oiran is especially popular. Gold and silver embroidery is applied to the uchikake used in the scenes of the Oiran journey, and the "cutting board belt" that hangs down in front and the uchikake that is double-worn are so fascinating just to look at.

The unique make-up "Kumadori" has unique characteristics as well as the costumes.

Along with the costumes, Kabuki make-up is one of the major features. The unique make-up called "Kumadori" also has the role of emphasizing the emotions and facial expressions of the character.

Red kumadori expresses courage and justice, blue kumadori expresses ruthlessness and evil, and brown kumadori is used for imaginary beings such as youkai and demons.

Jidaimono costumes and care costumes that you want to keep in Kabuki

In addition to plays and dances, Kabuki can be divided into "Jidaimono" and "care products".

The differences between the costumes used for the period and the care products are as follows.

What are Jidaimono costumes and their characteristics?

Kabuki Jidaimono is a modern "historical drama". In the Edo period period when Kabuki was popular, costumes are often deformed because they tell stories before the Edo period such as the Muromachi period and the Heian period.

What are care costumes and their characteristics?

Kabuki is a "modern drama" from the Edo period. Since the performance is set in the same period as the people who came to see Kabuki in the Edo period, costumes that are more realistic than those of the period are used.

You can also learn the customs and culture of the Edo period from the costumes and accessories that the characters of the care products are coming from.

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It's true that you can see the characters of the characters in Kabuki costumes! ??

Kabuki costumes have different characteristics depending on the characters. The main roles of Kabuki and the characteristics of each costume are as follows.

Tachiyaku

The role of Kabuki is the role of a man. The basic costumes for men are kimono and hakama, which have the roles of modern shirts and trousers, respectively. Haori hakama is a townsman's formal wear, and Kamishimo is a samurai's formal wear.

In the Edo period, ornate decorations were forbidden, so the samurai costumes that appear in the care products are modest, and the samurai costumes of the period are luxurious, such as with gold and silver embroidery.

Antagonist

The enemy role means the "villain role" that appears in Kabuki. In addition to the characteristic kumadori called "Akatsura" and "Catfish", wigs such as "Ende" and "Ouji" also mean enemy roles. It is a typical costume to do.

Onnagata

Onnagata literally means the role of a woman.

Kabuki, in which all characters are played by men, has been devised to make the women played by men look more feminine, and features long furisode, a dragging hem, and a long hanging sash.

Onnagata has a wide variety of costumes for both period and care products, and there are many small features such as how to tie an obi depending on the role.

There are also obi ties that express the character of the character, so if you have knowledge of kimono, you may be able to enjoy Kabuki even more.

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Summary

Kabuki is one of the leading performing arts in Japan, and is very popular from overseas because of its unique makeup and beautiful costumes.

Costumes have various characteristics depending on the appearance and role, and even beginners of Kabuki can enjoy watching them, but knowing a little bit of knowledge will be an opportunity to introduce Japanese culture overseas.

This article is a partial re-edit of the article published in Nihongo Biyori by KARUTA.
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