August: だんまり (danmari) Danmari means to be silent or a person who rarely talks. In Kabuki, danmari is a type of wordless pantomime where a group of characters perform a battle. The word literally...

July: 囃子 (hayashi) Hayashi. “Orchestra.” Kabuki uses musicians who play percussion and wind instruments. The four basic instruments adopted from the Noh are the flute (fue), small drum (kotsudumi), large drum (otsuzumi), and stick...

June: 揚げ幕 (agemaku) Maku are a vital part of Kabuki production. A number of different kinds of curtains, or maku, are used, including the traveler show curtain (joshiki maku or hiki maku), the drop...

May: 奈落 (naraku) Naraku is the Japanese word for “Hell.” It refers to the area beneath the stage and hanamichi. The revolving stage (called mawari butai) and elevator traps (called seri) made it necessary...

April: すっぽん (suppon) Suppon, meaning “snapping-turtle,” is a word used to describe a stage trap located at the place on the hanamichi called shichisan. It is used for the entrances and exits of ghosts,...

March: 花道 (hanamichi) Hanamichi. The “Flower path” is a raised passageway that joins the stage on the audience’s left and passes straight through the auditorium. This is Kabuki’s most characteristic stage element. It is...