Kabuki is a theatre form born in Japan in the early 17th century, but well known throughout the world today thanks to post-World War II era tours of the Grand Kabuki. Its highly stylized presentational form, elaborate costumes, exaggerated makeup, refined mimetic dance, and lively musical accompaniment are just some of the signature elements that define the form. This theatrical art has adapted and transformed numerous times over its more than 400-year history, and its life over the past 130 years in Hawai‘i, too, has been one of change and endurance. 

Japanese migration to Hawai‘i coincided with a peak in access to and popularity of kabuki in Japan, so it is no surprise that kabuki became an important source of entertainment in Hawai‘i, as well as an important cultural connection to the motherland. Japanese immigrants formed local professional troupes, performing in rented theatres as well as on temporary stages erected in empty sugar cane fields. They adopted stage names like Ichikawa, Nakamura, and Kataoka, echoing the most famous acting families on the professional kabuki stage in Japan, and trained children in kabuki dance from a young age.

English-language kabuki was born in 1924 when a group of nisei students performed The Faithful, a play by John Masefield based on the kabuki classic Kanadehon Chūshingura. The University Theatre Guild continued English kabuki productions until the outbreak of WWII. In 1950, the Drama Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa was formed, eventually becoming the Department of Theatre and Dance. The many “UH kabuki” productions that have been shared with the community have been possible thanks to the dedicated issei and nisei kabuki practitioners in the community, as well as to Grand Kabuki professionals visiting from Japan, who have shared their time and expertise over the decades.

This exhibition featured selected newspaper articles, advertisements, photographs, posters, and material objects from this unique 130-year Hawai‘i kabuki history, and celebrated the individuals who over many decades devoted their lives to enabling this art to continue to thrive here.

It also featured various events, including a kabuki percussion demonstration, kabuki wig styling demonstration, a talk story session, and a “Discover the Song, Dance, and Skill of Kabuki” special event, featuring guest artists Ichikawa Monnosuke VIII, Ichikawa Komazō XI, Ichikawa Takisho, Ichikawa Utaki, and members from the cast of The Maiden Benten and the Bandits of the White Waves

Click on the above image to access the exhibition flyer.

Japanese children performing kabuki dance on a temporary stage in Hawai ‘i.

Yamato Shinbun advertisement for the Asahi-za kabuki troupe’s production of Chūshingura in Hawai‘i (July 1, 1899).