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

UKIYO E ART DEFINITION Ukiyo-e art which translates to English as “pictures from the floating world,” often focuses on the hedonistic aspect of Japanese life during the Edo period, and the beauty of the country's natural landscapes.

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.

All-male casts became the norm after 1629, when women were banned from appearing in kabuki due to the prevalent prostitution of actresses and violent quarrels among patrons for the actresses' favors. This ban failed to stop the problems, since the young male (wakashū) actors were also fervently pursued by patrons.