Reasons Behind Traditional Kabuki Theatre Costumes

Kabuki is a centuries-old theatre tradition from Japan. It is a highly-stylized staged drama that incorporates singing and dancing. The type of performance typically found in Kabuki, though related to another Japanese theatre tradition Noh, is very unique and unlike any other theatrical tradition found anywhere else around the world.

One very identifiable aspect found in Kabuki theater is the staging, more specifically the traditional costumes. Every aspect of Kabuki is steeped in tradition. Since this theatrical style has been highly regarded and popular in Japan since the 1600s, it is only appropriate that the costumes worn in Kabuki theater are the traditional ceremonial garb of ancient Japan. Even now, during modern Kabuki performances, the costumes remain slightly modernized version of traditional Japanese clothing from the seventeenth century.

The characteristics of Kabuki theater costume style are meant to evoke old tradition while, at the same time, making an extreme, sometimes shocking, visual impact. Because many of the characters portrayed in Kabuki are aristocratic nobles or samurai warriors, the costumes are often quite grand and ceremonial. To allow for that stronger visual impact, certain characteristics of the traditional style are exaggerated. These characteristics include the silhouette, color combinations, richness and texture of the fabric and the intense amount of detailing.

For more knowledgeable audience members in a Kabuki performance, there are aspects of the costumes that add an extra dimension to the drama. This is because, in addition to the great visual impact and character description that they provide, the costumes are also designed specially to convey certain subtlety, illusion and hidden meaning. For example, a subtle bit of red lining in the robe of a character's kimono signifies that that character is a courtesan.

The very earliest actors in the Kabuki tradition were both male and female. In fact, the person credited with originating Kabuki in 1603 was Izumo no Okuni, a woman. However, only two decades later, female Kabuki performers were deemed too erotic by the shogunate and, hence, were banned from performing on stage. For three centuries, men have played both male and female roles in Kabuki. Now, there are some women in Kabuki theater, but it is now deemed a new and modern idea.