Kodansha's Daily English-Japanese Dictionary

Kabuki traces its origins to exactly the same era as Shakespeare.

As the legendary Izumo no Okuni was entertaining spectators with her "kabuki dance revue" in Koyto, Shakespeare's four great tragedies were opening in rapid succession in London. The art of Kabuki was never intended to mirror life but to be something more grandiose, more spectacular.

Kabuki unashamedly makes use of the crudest as well as the most subtle theatrical devices to achieve its ends.

The magnificence of the scenery, the costumes, and the music are devised to excite even the most jaded theatergoer. With an introduction by Donald Keene explaining the Kabuki Theater and an informative commentary by Kabuki literati Iwao Kamimura, Kabuki Today captures the essence of Kabuki its characteristics, tradition, principal stage features, makeup and costumes, stories, characters, outstanding actors, dance and music, and ongoing growth. Including beautiful photographs by Shunji Ohkura, a devoted follower of the art for over thirty years, Kabuki Today is a visual marvel sure to thrill Kabuki enthusiasts, as well as those who have never experienced its magic firsthand.