Important characteristics of Kabuki theatre include its particular music, costumes, stage devices and props as well as specific plays, language and acting styles, such as the mie, in which the actor holds a characteristic pose to establish his character. Another speciality of the Kabuki stage is a footbridge (hanamichi) that extends into the audience. The Kabuki stage is equipped with several gadgets, such as revolving stages and trapdoors through which the actors can appear and disappear. The actors speak in a monotone voice and are accompanied by traditional instruments.

Kabuki plays are about historical events and moral conflict in relationships of the heart. Two other major role types are aragoto (rough style) and wagoto (soft style). Male actors specialized in women’s roles are called onnagata.

Originally, both men and women acted in Kabuki plays, but eventually only male actors performed the plays: a tradition that has remained to the present day. Kabuki is a Japanese traditional theatre form, which originated in the Edo period at the beginning of the seventeenth century and was particularly popular among townspeople.

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