My Japanese friend has recommended i should go to a Kabuki show once i move to Tokyo from Fukushima next week i asked her if its worth going if i don’t understand Japanese and she mentioned that they speak an old dialect of Japanese that even most fluent speakers don’t understand
I saw that there is a Nausicca Of the Valley Of the Wind show that is shown and it looks really interesting but not sure if it would be worth knowing i cant understand any of it
13 comments
I didn’t enjoy it, but your mileage may vary.
I took my Mom when she visited Japan and they had English translations prerecorded into headphones available for a small fee.
I didn’t think I’d enjoy it at all, but it was quite good. We both enjoyed it.
Even a lot of Japanese don’t understand what the more complicated kabuki shows are talking about. Go and enjoy the new theater building and the show.
I know Japanese and went to a kabuki show and could barely understand anything. Try to go to a kabuki show aimed at a general audience. They have them at the national kabuki theater. Even if you don’t understand what they’re saying, you can still enjoy the spectacle of the acting, the singing, the dancing, the music, the sets and props, etc.
It might not be for you but it’s worth going at least once. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
I’ve lived here since the devil was a boy…when i came here those many moons ago, i went to a kabuki show. To this day, it is in my top 3 best experiences I’ve had. I loved it! After the show, my Japanese friend explained some things to put it more in perspective for me. But that didn’t take away from the spender it was!
Tip: if you can’t avoid it, go to the shortest one
Went and saw a famous rakugo performer in my first year. With little to zero Japanese ability, loved every moment of it.
Go for it and enjoy it. More than anything… have fun!
If you go to the National Theatre in Tokyo I believe they provide English guidance etc via wireless headphones as well as an explanatory guide.
There are also “intro to kabuki” shows.
More info:
https://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/schedule/kokuritsu_l/2022/4713.html?lan=e
Have you ever watched one on tv and do you have a small bladder?
I’ve done this, it’s fun for the first 20 minutes and then your mind will start to wander
Best to already arrive crazy drunk and pee before it starts. Or at least very caffeinated
Don’t bring your Switch or Katana
I went to Kabukiza with a friend once and they had these devices with explanations of various scenes while it was going on.
I got a lot more out of going to Asakusa Rockza than going to Kabukiza. It’s all performance based too, so the language barrier isn’t an issue.
I always got the English translation device. They also have a Japanese version since Kabuki is using old Japanese, many native speakers can’t understand either. Like Shakespeare in English