Kabuki Japan

Life needn't be a drag

While cross-dressing in the UK is liable to get you sectioned, in Japan it's been turned into something of an art form. 'Kabuki for Everyone' lifts the curtain on this form of traditional Japanese theatre to find out what's going on under all the greasepaint. Its genesis came in the 17 th century with Okuni, a shrine maiden, dancing among the dry riverbeds of the then capital, Kyoto. Several dance troops soon sprang up. Most of the performers were women, who off-stage found different ways of entertaining the men-folk. In a bit to protect public morality the government outlawed them and men stepped into their shoes.

The site's co-author, Ichimura Manjiro, is amply qualified to lead you around this world of coquettish maidens and fiendish warlords, being a latter-day "onnagata"(man acting the role of a woman). High points include a diary - 'Life as a kabuki actor', a photo-essay on the makeup process, theatre listings and sound-files of the accompanying instruments(pride of place going to the three-stringed shamisen).

The site has a distinctly home-grown aesthetic, which it undoubtedly is, and is all the more charming for it. Highlights include 'Kabuki Sounds' and the 'Online Theatre'. Lowlights include the worrying 'camp Norman Bates look-alike' photo. Any unanswered questions can be e-mailed to the self styled 'Kabuki master' himself.

www.fix.co.jp

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