: traditional Japanese popular drama performed with highly stylized singing and dancing.

Important characteristics of Kabuki theatre include its particular music, costumes, stage devices and props as well as specific plays, language and acting styles, such as the mie, in which the actor holds a characteristic pose to establish his character.

Kabuki literally means “sing, dance, skill.” A shrine dancer named Okuni is credited with giving birth to Kabuki by performing a series of dances in a dry riverbed in Kyoto. Early Kabuki (Onna Kabuki) consisted mainly of dance performances done by women.

These masks are used to exaggerate the expressions and emotions of the actors during their performance, making. the audience identifies their characters. The masks were also used to conceal the actors' identities, as Kabuki actors were often of low social status and not considered suitable for public appearances.