Perform, Act

Interesting Fact

When Kabuki emerged in early 17th-century Japan, women originally performed in it. 🎭 But performances became associated with prostitution and public disorder, so the Tokugawa government banned women from performing Kabuki in 1629. Young boys later took their place, but authorities eventually banned them too in 1652. Adult men then became the performers, with some specializing in playing female characters. That's why onnagata—male actors performing women's roles—became such an important part of Kabuki.