Send message to Author

Paper short abstract

This research examines onnagata performances of the Buddhist goddess Benzaiten through pictorial sources and actor critiques, focusing on movement, pose, and costume to show how male actors embodied sacred femininity in early modern kabuki.

Paper long abstract

Kabuki emerged in early modern Japan as a popular urban performing art, profoundly shaped by earlier theatrical traditions, including noh, which maintained close ties to Buddhist ritual and embodiment practices. Kabuki performers developed techniques that vocally and physically imitate Buddhist deities. The well-known kabuki striking pose mie, for example, can be traced to the stylized imitation of Deva King statues. Meanwhile, kabuki only has male performers. Within the all-male system, onnagata actors, who specialized in female roles, played a central role, making their performances particularly significant for both theatre studies and gender analysis. This research focuses on the onnagata enactments of Benzaiten, a Buddhist goddess associated with music, martial prowess, and fertility, examining how male actors embodied a divine feminine figure on the kabuki stage.

Drawing on pictorial materials and actor critiques (yakusha hyōbanki), this study analyzes onnagata performances through two modes of imitation commonly applied to Buddhist deities: vocal expression and physical embodiment. While vocal imitation is frequently discussed in evaluations of male-role performances, onnagata acting was rarely assessed in vocal terms. As a result, this research foregrounds bodily movement, pose, gesture, and costume as primary sites of analysis. By examining how onnagata physically articulated Benzaiten’s divinity, this study reveals how Buddhist imagery, gendered performance, and theatrical aesthetics intersected in early modern kabuki. The performance of Benzaiten demonstrates that onnagata acting was not merely a representation of femininity, but a complex imitation of sacred presence negotiated through male bodies on the public stage.