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

Viewing Kabuki Music Thumbnail Image

COURSE: East Asian 833 – Topics in East Asian Visual Cultures

MEDIUM: Video Documentary

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.