Kuromori Kabuki – Yamagata Prefecture’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. A performance with a lecture

On October 20 at 4:00 p.m., we invite you to thePJAIT for a unique encounter with traditional Japanese theater! During this performance combined with a lecture, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the nearly 300-year history of Kuromori Kabuki—an extraordinary theatrical tradition cherished by the local community in northern Japan.

Kuromori Kabuki is an amateur theater group from the city of Sakata in Yamagata Prefecture. Its history dates back nearly three centuries, and it is one of the oldest surviving examples of the hōnō kabuki tradition—sacrificial performances dedicated to a local guardian deity, staged during the annual New Year’s celebrations.

Kabuki, one of the four classical forms of Japanese theater, gained immense popularity as early as the 18th century. Its spectacular nature inspired local communities to form their own theater troupes, which enriched traditional festivals with spectacular performances. The actors of Kuromori Kabuki, like other artists of jishibai —amateur Kabuki theaters—draw inspiration from professional stages in major cities, while at the same time giving their performances a unique, regional character.

In 2019, the entire Kuromori Kabuki troupe visited Poland, presenting performances that went down in history as a unique event in the history of Japanese theater in our country.