Abstract

★The heroines of kabuki are not as composed as they seem — they carry the same pain and confusion we do.
★A guide to the women of kabuki — female characters burdened with struggles familiar to modern audiences.

The women who appear in kabuki plays often endure tragic fates — violence, double suicides, separation — yet on stage, they remain graceful and resplendent, captivating audiences with their beauty.
But if we strip away kabuki’s forms, rules, and stylized beauty to see them simply as “women,” it becomes impossible not to feel sympathy for their cruel circumstances.
Rather than viewing them merely through the lens of onnagata (male actors who play female roles), this book reconsiders them as “characters in stories,” revealing their humanity, strength, and the ways they mirror contemporary women.
It is a guide to kabuki’s female characters — sorrowful, endearing heroines whose struggles resonate across time.

Contents
Chapter 1 – “Because I’m a woman” — Pulled around by others
Chapter 2 – “Because I was born into this family” — Bound by social class
Chapter 3 – “Because I am a kept woman” — Powerless to change my fate
Chapter 4 – “Because I work for a living” — My troubles never end
Chapter 5 – “Because we are women together” — Rivalry and friendship
Chapter 6 – “Because I look this way” — Tormented by lookism
Chapter 7 – “Because I am a mother” — Wanting only to protect my child

Author’s Information

Writer and performer. Graduated from Gakushuin Women’s College in 2007.
She began studying classical ballet at the age of five, later expanding her career into film and stage acting.
During university, her participation in performances with the Gakushuin Traditional Theatre Club sparked her passion for kabuki, leading her to begin writing about it.
She now leads Kabukokko, a program introducing kabuki to children, and shares the art’s appeal through her writing and public events.