(1572?-1613) was the main founder of kabuki theater. She was a miko at the Grand Shrine of Izumo who began a new style of dance in the dry riverbeds of Kyoto.

History

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Early years

Okuni grew up in the vicinity of the Izumo shrine, where her father worked as a blacksmith, and where several other family members served. Eventually Okuni joined as a miko, where she was known for her skill in dancing and acting, as well as her beauty. As it was a custom of the time to send priests, miko and others to solicit contributions for the shrine, she was sent to Kyoto to perform sacred dances and songs.

It was during her performances in Kyoto that she also became known for her innovation: her nembutsu dance, in honor of the buddha Amida, tended to be known for its sultriness and sexual innuendo. Between this and other dances and acts, she garnered much attention and began to draw large crowds wherever she performed. Eventually she was summoned to return to the shrine, a call she ignored, though she continued to send money back.

The founding of Kabuki

Around 1603, Okuni set up a theatre on the dry riverbed of the Shijogawa (now the Kamo river). Gathering up the outcasts and misfits of society, who had been dubbed kabukimono (from kabuku "to lean in a certain direction", and mono, an informal term for teens), she gave them direction, teaching them acting, dancing and singing skills; naturally, she called her troupe's performances kabuki. The earliest performances of kabuki were dancing and song with no significant plot, oftentimes disdained as gaudy and cacophonous, but equally lauded as colorful and beautiful.

Though she required her male actors to play female roles and her female actors to play that of the males, she was known for playing roles of either gender. In particular, she was best known for her roles as samurai and Christian priests.

Eventually, with the aid of Sanzaburo Ujisato, who supported Okuni financially as well as artistically, kabuki evolved into drama. On a more personal level, Sanzaburo was also said to be Okuni's lover, though they did not marry. After his death she continued without him, continuing to merge the drama with the music and dance. Eventually, her fame and that of her kabuki troupe spread throughout Japan, possibly making her one of the earliest examples of a Japanese idol.

Later years

Okuni retired around 1610, and by that time, there were many imitators of kabuki theatre. In particular, brothels offered such shows to amuse wealthy clients, as well as to gain prostitutes who had acting and singing skills. Eventually, due to public outcry of morals, after her death three years later, the shogun of the time, Tokugawa Ieyasu, forbid women from performing in kabuki, a standing practice until the late 20th century.

In 2003 a statue was erected in her honor, located at the side of the Kamo river in the Pontochō district of Kyoto.

Cultural impact

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In addition to her founding of kabuki, Okuni in particular contributed to Japanese theatre in general. She introduced the forerunner of the hanamichi (path of flowers), a runway leading from the rear of the theatre and crossing between the audience to the stage. This has been incorporated in several Japanese theatre arts beyond that of kabuki.

Okuni in fiction

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Unlike her role in history, Okuni's appearances in fiction often portray her as a betsushikime, a capable fighter skilled with weapons and magic.

• She is a playable character in the Koei videogame Samurai Warriors. She fights with a parasol. During the course of the game's plot, she has ongoing romances with Ishikawa Goemon and Maeda Keiji. Her English voice actor is Monica Rial.
• In the manga and anime Samurai Deeper Kyo, she is initially a foil for the main character, Mibu Kyoshiro, but later becomes a spy for Oda Nobunaga.

Okuni also appears as a character in the NHK drama Musashi; however, in this series she appears in her traditional context.

See also

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• Kabuki
• Pontochō

External links

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• "Viva Kabuki!: Izumono no Okuni", Insite-Tokyo, February 1999
• "Izumo no Okuni", at Distinguished Women
• Izumo no Okuni, Japanese Art and Architecture Net Users System

Japanese entertainers | History of theater | Japanese dramatists and playwrights | Shinto | Influential pre-modern women

Okuni | 이즈모노 오쿠니 | იძუმო ნო ოკუნი | 出雲阿国