East Asia Seminar - Dr Furukawa Ryota

Creating Gods on Stage: Rethinking the Ritualistic Nature of Kabuki

Kabuki is  a theatrical art that was born in the early 17th century, at the beginning of the early modern period. Its roots, however, are in medieval performing arts, which were believed to possess the power to appease deities and ancestral spirits. As such kabuki strongly retains the character of a celebratory ritual. By the 18th century, it absorbed the narratives and dramatic techniques of the puppet theatre (jōruri), acquiring sophisticated dramatic qualities and developing as a form of commercial entertainment. But how did its ritualistic nature change in the process? 

This lecture explores this question and argues that from the late 17th to early 18th century, kabuki possessed a participatory ritual quality. Audiences did not merely witness actors performing ceremonial plays for the sake of appeasing spirits; they joined forces with the actors to create gods out of humans. Furthermore, I will explore what drives kabuki's immense energy and consider how this legacy is inherited by contemporary Japanese culture.

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Dr Furukawa is Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo. Ph.D. (Literature). His research specialization is Japanese literature and performing arts of the Edo period. He also serves as host and commentator for traditional performing arts performances at the National Theatre and Noh theatres.