Kabukiza

One experience I always try to have when I am in Japan is Kabuki Theater. One thing you need to know about going to the Kabuki Theater is to dress properly. There are some people nowadays who think it is ok to go to the theaters in T-​shirts and Jeans, but come on… please respect the historical theater and culture. The closer to the stage, the better you need to dress. The same principles goes to the Opera theater. I mean, this is a Japanese Opera in a way. Let’s appreciate the beauty of the theater and its theatrical arts in style!
What I love about this theater, addition to the great performance, is the special food offerings. I always get the «medetaiyaki» and bento from there, they are sooooo good! It really completes the experience. Read my full review of the theater and the food on my food blog, foodlovergirl.

Ok… so years ago, I went to a Kabuki show and I was confused and had no idea what was going on. That’s what happens when you opt out of renting the English translation guide. So THIS time — we paid 1500 yen to rent the English caption guide (you get 1000 yen back when you return the guide) and the show was amazing! Even though we just bought tickets for one act of the show (the shows are multiple hours long) — it really was like watching an entire show with an introduction of characters, a plot, a climax and an outcome. You really get sucked in to the story, the music and of course, the fact that the female characters were played very beautifully by men! Don’t miss a Kabuki show while in Japan!

I don’t think I’ve ever called something divine… but that’s basically what this was. First off – I don’t speak Japanese. Never touched the stuff. But knowing Japanese is not a prerequisite for getting into this awesomeness, at all. Man… kabuki is intense!
So, all the kabuki actors are men – so that geisha girl floating around on stage? She’s a dude. So, in the show that I saw, there was a guy dressed as a geisha, who ended up being the SPIRIT OF A SPIDER, and then turned into a SPIDER GEISHA, and threw webs at everyone. Like, I don’t even know what level is above awesome, but whatever that level is… that’s what kabuki is. And like, again – I don’t speak Japanese! But I still understood what was going on! Which is crazy!
So how do you see Kabuki? Well, the full kabuki shows are like, HOURS long, so, you’re better off showing up day of and getting tickets for one act (which is about an hour). The ticket box will let you know what is available. You’ll be seated in the nose bleed section, so if you wear glasses: bring ‘em (or if you have those opera glasses thing). But you can hear and see everything from the one-​act section, so don’t fret!