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Japanese Theatre Costuming

Japanese society has put a great deal of responsibility on both Noh and Kabuki theatre to maintain a certain level of historical reverence.  These two forms of theatre are left in a time capsule due to Japanese society.   While the society holds these on a higher plateau, the Japanese society continues to advance into modern times.  Noh and Kabuki costumes are portrayed as historical documents explaining a time when shoguns and samurais were the norm of an ancient society.  It is considered unacceptable to try to make a character your own by changing the costume, wig, mask or makeup.  Japan has held these two art forms until they have begun to stagnate.  With the advances in theatre and costuming, these art forms could become more mainstream.  In Japanese culture, this is unacceptable.  Japan wants to maintain the elitism of Noh and Kabuki and do that in part through the elaborateness of the costuming and makeup.  These two types of theatre are amazing and awe-inspiring in their contradiction of both simplicity and elaborateness.

This page was last updated on 05/05/04.