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Different Japanese Arts : THEATER The five major genres of Japanese traditional theater are buguku, Noh, kyogen, bunraku and kabuki. These styles are different in content and style but they are all derived from a confluence of sources both inside and outside Japan. There is in fact an integral relationship between dance, music and lyrical narrative in Japan. These three elements were held to be an extension of the poetic art in classical Sanskrit treatises on dance and drama, which strongly influenced traditional stage practices throughout Asia. Among the five Japanese genres, bugaku stands apart as a ceremonial dance associated only with court ritual, in which the theatrical element is minimal and music predominates. Noh, kyogen, Bunraku and kabuki by contrast are indigenous forms representing successive periods of political and social change in Japan. All forms of Japanese theater strive to induce a mood, to create an immediate aesthetic experience drawing an instantaneous response from the spectator. All emphasize symbolism and allusive imagery. Bugaku incorporates aesthetic and structural principles current in the 8th century, which are a mix of Central Asian, Indian and Korean elements assimilated by China and adapted by Japan during a period of cultural borrowing. Kyogen, the comic interludes that are an integral part of Noh performance, poke fun at human frailties as did the traditional Asian storytellers, jesting at social pretensions, marital discord, quackery and so forth. Through stylized vocal forms, pantomime and spatial control, kyogen preserves some of the formal elegance of Noh. Bunraku, or Puppet Theater is unique in being accepted in Japan as the equal of orthodox drama. Indeed, it is impossible to speak of Bunraku without mentioning kabuki, since a sizable part of the latter's repertoire consists of plays originally written for puppet drama, which has also greatly influenced the style of kabuki acting. In turn Bunraku has taken much from the sophisticated technical presentation of kabuki and has incorporated some of its popular dance dramas into its own repertoire. Bunraku puppets bear a family resemblance to puppets once common in Southern China, although they are more technically complex and are characterized by a degree of realism not found elsewhere in Asia. The artistry involved in the unique Bunraku practice of using three puppeteers to manipulate a single character in coordination with a sung narrative and shamisen music produces a theatrical experience of considerable emotional intensity. Kabuki carries even further the deployment of speech, sound, movement and space as equal contributory forces. Theatrical synthesis reaches a powerful degree of instantaneous communication by using visual and aural techniques cumulatively to assail the playgoers senses and emotions. Stylization conditions every level of performance. Narrative musical forms are used constantly to convey mood, emphasize emotional tensions and provide exposition.
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