Kooky Kabuki: Mon 24 Jul 2006

Well, a few weeks ago, I went on a school trip to watch the Kabuki Theatre. Off course, when I say school trip, Im sure you all imagine a big yellow bus, with lots of excited kids screaming and yelling. The Tokyo style of a school trip is to assemble at school and walk in big groups towards the station. Just another day commuting with the good citizens of Tokyo. When we got there, we went straight to our seats. There was a pre-amble before the show explaining the origins of Kabuki and its techniques. The storyline is so complex with twists and turns that purposely tries to throw you off the story (Even the average Japanese finds the kabuki hard to follow). Basically there is a bad guy that Rokusuke (the main hero) has to chase and during then he falls in love with a girl and saves a little boy from bandits. It was so difficult to follow, that I fell asleep throughout half of the show! It also didn't help that the men playing the shamisen were lulling me to sleep. On a good note, I must say the set design and costumes were great. Simple yet eye-catching. So, to wrap up my kooky kabuki experience, once is enough to last me a lifetime...

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Kabuki' under links on the right column