Kabuki a real eye-opener for visitors to Japan

Kabuki actors overact in a stylised sort of way. Picture / Reuters

Whatever you do, friends said before I left for Japan, don't go to kabuki, the traditional Japanese form of theatre. It is, they vowed, incredibly boring and goes on for hours. If you try to sit through a complete production, they warned, you'll end up in a catatonic trance out of sheer tedium.

So, naturally enough, I ignored their advice and went to see a kabuki performance at Tokyo's famous Kabukiza Theatre.

They were partly right. It did go on a bit - from 4.30pm till about 9.30pm, though that included a dinner break.

But, far from being boring I thought it was fascinating. My young Japanese guide, who had never seen kabuki before and was worried about embarrassing herself by falling asleep, also enjoyed it.

The middle-aged Japanese woman sitting next to me seemed to doze off a few times, in between scrutinising the performance through binoculars, but maybe she was just closing her eyes to concentrate on the dialogue.

There was so much action I find it hard to imagine anyone really going to sleep.

Part of the fun of attending any great theatre is the atmosphere, and Kabukiza is fascinating in its own right. It's Tokyo's classic kabuki theatre which first opened in 1889. Over the years it was destroyed by fire, earthquake and wartime bombing - but each time rose again.

The present building - with its steep tiers of traditional roofing, dramatic red-and-gold frontage, and black-and-red banners - soars like a temple in the modern heart of the Ginza shopping area.

Even getting into it is exciting. The police had to direct proceedings as the crowds leaving the afternoon performance merged with those arriving for the evening show and jammed up the entrance to the subway station - a bit like leaving Eden Park after a test.

Inside all is elegance and serenity, with wide seats, roomy aisles and dozens of traditionally dressed ushers.

The theatre is similar to a Western one apart from the platform extending from the stage to the back of the theatre - called the hanamichi or flower path - so most of the entrances and exits can be made through the middle of the audience.

We saw a kabuki classic, Kamikakete Sango Taisetsu, written in 1825 by the famous Tsuruya Nanboku.

I got an English programme (1000 or $13) so caught up on the story beforehand, and for 650 plus a 1000 deposit, the theatre provides a receiver with an earplug through which you get a live commentary in English.

Add the fact that kabuki performers overact in a stylised sort of way, and that the plots are generally highly melodramatic, and it's not hard to follow what is going on.

Our play began serenely with a small boat carrying a famous geisha and her lover rolling down the hanamichi and on to the stage.

This launched a saga of death and betrayal in which many evil-doers were slain - one had his throat cut as he tried to hide behind a low wall which was spectacularly stained by his blood.

Love, alas, was not triumphant but honour, on the whole, was rewarded.

Kabukiza's programme is constantly changing and there are several different plays running at any time.

Whichever play you go to it is likely to offer features such as specialist male actors playing the female roles; dialogue delivered in shouted, high-pitched guttural tones; dramatic poses being struck by the actors to milk applause, especially when departing down the hanamichi; lead players with their faces painted white and wearing fixed expressions; light relief provided by a few comic actors playing minor roles; and high drama.

Some performances include dance and many are accompanied by music from the three-stringed shamisen, flutes and drums, plus, sometimes, blocks of wood clapped together.

It all makes for an intriguing experience - unlike anything I've seen in Western theatre.

If I go to Japan again I'll happily watch another performance.

* Jim Eagles travelled as guest of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


Kabuki theatre tickets
Ticket prices range from Y2520 to Y16,800 though you may get tickets for as little as Y600 if you only want to watch one act and don't mind viewing from the fourth floor.

Food
There is usually a meal break during performance and the theatre includes five Japanese-style restaurant selling tempura, sushi, soba and oden. There is also food stand in the foyer offering cheaper alternatives including sandwiches, Japanese-style sweets and drinks.

Further information
Information about Kabukiza's programme is at www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/.kabukiza/theater/ (see link below)