[Beginner's Guide] Kabuki Terminology Explanation 2: "Onnagata"

There are no actresses on the Kabuki stage.
All female characters are played by male actors.

A female role played by a man is called an "Onnagata".
(Incidentally, male roles are called "Tachiyaku".)

Kabuki is said to have originated from "Kabuki Odori" (Kabuki dance), which was started in Kyoto in 1603, the beginning of the Edo period, by a dancer named Izumo no Okuni. It seems Okuni's dance gained explosive popularity, and soon, courtesans and female entertainers began imitating her "Kabuki Odori." This "Onna Kabuki" (Women's Kabuki) performed by these women became a huge hit not only in Kyoto but all over the country, including Edo and regional areas!

However, perhaps because it became too popular, the Edo Shogunate banned Kabuki performed by women, claiming that "Onna Kabuki" contained elements that disturbed public morals! As a result, women were no longer allowed to stand on stage, which led to the birth of the Onnagata, where men play female roles.

Since men are playing women, various ingenuity is required to make them look feminine.
To explain the basic posture of an Onnagata a little...
First, to make the frame look smaller and rounded in a feminine way, the shoulder blades are lowered to intentionally create "sloping shoulders." The hips are lowered slightly into a semi-crouched position, and the knees are kept together without any gap, turning the toes inward.

This is said to be the basic posture, but it is quite a strenuous posture when you try it. To look beautiful, one must maintain this strenuous posture with a calm expression.

The fingertips are held straight and taut, and the movements are not linear but incorporate rounded, curved motions; the artistry polished by successive generations of Onnagata actors through their ingenuity has become the current form of the Onnagata.

In contrast to Kabuki, a performing art where women play male roles without men standing on stage is "Takarazuka Revue".
The male roles in Takarazuka pursue a masculine coolness and, in a sense, create an "ideal male image" that transcends reality. Similarly, the Kabuki Onnagata is not just imitating real women, but is an art form that is the result of pursuing the refined art, beauty, and femininity of the "Onnagata."