Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/53

Rh We may therefore turn for a moment from the present subject and give a short account of the kahuki shibai.

A priestess named O Kuni, of the great shrine at Kizuki in the province of Izumo, is said to have originated the kabuki shibai. O Kuni went to Kyōto with her lover Nagoya Sanzaburō about 1605, They soon erected a rough stage on the dry bed of the Kamo River, on which the expriestess with a few other girls danced. They sang simple songs composed by Sanzaburō, to the accompaniment of the primitive music of flutes, bells, and drums. They were enthusiastically received by the citizens; and their reputation rapidly spreading far and wide, many girls took to the profession in several provinces. In 1607, O Kuni went to Yedo where her performances were greatly admired. Then in Yedo, Ōsaka, and Kyōto, actresses increased in number and some of them attained great skill. Theatre-going became fashionable among the townsfolk, and as the actresses' theatre developed it exerted evil influences on public morals. Therefore, in 1629, actresses' performances were stopped by the authorities. Then actors' theatres, which had