Viewing Kabuki Music in Ukiyo-e of Early Modern Japan by Yumi Kusunoki

COURSE: East Asian 833: Topics in East Asian Visual Cultures MEDIUM: Video Documentary DESCRIPTION: This video introduces the different musical genres of kabuki theater and analyzes the roles of musicians in ukiyo-e, woodblock prints. Although the topic is about the kabuki music, this project does not look at any sheet music or listen to any musical recording. Though the visual cultural theory, I speculate why the musicians were depicted in such unrealistic ways in the woodblock prints in early modern Japan.