The Kabuki Dictionary (New Edition)

The Kabuki Dictionary: New Edition is a completely new work based on The Kabuki Dictionary: Revised and Expanded Edition published in 2000. As the most up-to-date dictionary of kabuki filled with new material, the New Edition is a comprehensive compilation of the latest research findings on kabuki, including information on its 400-year history, its always vivid contemporary stage and the rich transmission of art and unique culture of this specific community.
The New Edition includes simple descriptions and complete documentation of items including names of plays, persons and books. The items are selected with an emphasis on their significance in the history of performances and culture. Entries related to performing, including acting, direction, stage, dressing room and the entertainment industry, are selected and written so users can viscerally and systematically understand traditions, set-ups, organizations and their changes through time. An emphasis is placed on historical lexicon and vernacular. Commentaries on stagecraft, including sets, props, costumes and wigs, are made with reference to their actual use.
In addition to detailed comprehensive guides of kabuki in the Heisei period, supplemental resources include genealogies of acting families, directories of modern kabuki actors (*), study groups of kabuki actors (*), lists of books including daicho (kabuki scripts of dramas called kabuki-kyogen and dances called kabuki-buyo), and lists of reference works. These resources can be viewed as tables or PDF formats.