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 is thought to have originated in the early Edo period, when the art's founder, Izumo no Okuni, formed a female dance troupe that performed dances and light sketches in Kyoto. The art form later developed into its present all-male theatrical form after women were banned from performing in kabuki theatre in 1629.

A central aspect of kabuki acting is the display of stylized gestures and forms (kata). These include dance-like stylized fighting moves (tate) and the special movements used during entrances (tanzen) and exits (roppo) made via the hanamichi. Arguably the most important kata of kabuki is the mie (striking an attitude).