Experience Spring in Kyoto with your Eyes: Miyagawa Kabuki
When I hear the word “Kabuki”, I imagine its characteristic kumadori stage makeup, or poses that make one’s eyes look like they’re going to pop out. When I see the sleek figures of the female-impersonating actors, I am utterly astonished at how there can be such beautiful men in this world. Kabuki has a reputation of being performed only by men, but did you know that there is a woman’s Kabuki in Kyoto??
The word used nowadays is “Kabuki”, and it’s made up of three characters: "song”, “dance”, and “art”. However, before the Edo Period, instead of “art”, the characters for “princess” and “geisha” were used, indicating that it was a female-centered art. Yes, Kyoto Kabuki was actually entertainment performed by women!
So, I made a visit to see the Kyo Odori performance at the Miyagawacho Kabuki Theater in Kyoto’s geisha district nearby the cherry-blossom blooming Kamo River.
The title of this year’s performance was “Miyagawa Kabuki Satonisakushibainonishikie” (quite a mouthful!). It depicted the story of Izumo no Okuni, the supposed originator of kabuki, and her famous scenes and lines presented geisha-style. There were glamorous and dramatic performances as well as songs about Kyoto vegetables sung by the fresh maiko (geishas-in-training), giving the show a mix of slow and fast tempos. Even though there were a total of 9 scenes, the show was over before I knew it.
The fresh, new maiko were cute, but the geiko (full-fledged geisha) were spectacular with their polished dancing. Their eye glances, their upper body movements, even down to the tips of their fingernails—they moved with such feeling that you forget to blink. I personally was really excited to see Miss Kikuno who has been featured on Dove shampoo commercials. She was even more beautiful adorned in kabuki makeup than she is in the commercials.
If you have a ticket that includes tea, you can also watch a geiko and maiko perform a tea ceremony as you enjoy tea cakes—a very luxurious experience. It’s a shame I can’t show pictures since photography was prohibited.
For me living in Kyoto, I feel proud of the charming Kyoto geisha district culture passed down from the older generations. Its absolute beauty also lies in the fact that it charms all people regardless of their nationality. The cherry blossoms are beautiful, but with the elegant geiko and maiko dances I witnessed the moment when a blossom blooms.