What is kabuki? | Theatres, stars and their fans in olden Japan

Dr. Petra Doma, theatre historian and expert of Japanese language and culture, adjunct professor at the Department of Japanese Studies of the Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church will introduce the audience to the history and traditions of kabuki theatre in Japan.

Kabuki is still one of the most prominent and famous genres of traditional Japanese theatre. It developed in the early 1600s, and by the late 1700s it had already reached its final form, which is still prevalent today. Originally consisting mainly of female dances, the genre is now exclusively male. During the Edo period (1603-1868), despite the marginal social position of theatre and actors, kabuki enjoyed enormous popularity. Many woodcuts depict the most famous artists and performances of the period. During his visits to Japan, Count Péter Vay collected several of these engravings. In my presentation, I will look at the development of kabuki and its main characteristics, as well as the most famous performances and actors of the period.

To attend the programme, you will need an exhibition ticket valid on the day of the programme.

Attention, the language of the programme is Hungarian!