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Ukiyo-eUkiyo-e refers to the work of a school of Japanese artists that emerged in the early 17th century and established a popular market for their works. These works were primarily woodblock prints, but also included paintings. Ukiyo-e flourished for three centuries with its best known prints coming from the Edo Period which dates from the 1680s to the 1850s. Popular subjects for ukiyo-e prints were the actors and plays of the Japanese theater known as kabuki.KabukiKabuki theater, like ukiyo-e prints, has its origins in the early 17th century. It began as light entertainment involving music and dance. The form evolved throughout 1600s, and in the 1690s, the actor Ichikawa Danjuro drastically changed the performance style. He popularized the exaggerated posturing and scowling style of performing known as aragoto that became the trademark of kabuki performances.The literary form of kabuki theater is established in its sekai (literal meaning is the "world") or frame of reference. The sekai places the characters and plot in a context that is readily understood by the audience. Popular settings include a historical period, classical tale, sensational scandal, or a scenario involving revenge. The plots are very intricate and seemingly unrelated events lead to the final resolution of the play. The logic model that propels the progress of a play is heavily influenced by Confucian and Buddhist traditions. Personal concepts of honor and duty that drive a character in a play may be traced to Confucian thought, while the belief in universal laws like justice that assure that the villain is punished or that happiness is restored to the long-suffering victim is derived from Buddhist doctrines. Kanadehon chushingura or The Treasury of Loyal Retainers.One of the most popular kabuki plays is kanadehon chushingura or The Treasury of Loyal Retainers. It dates to 1748 and is based on a celebrated incident from earlier in the century. However, the play removes the action to the 14th century. The play tells how a villain named Ko no Moronao humiliated Enya Hangan. Seized by anger Hangan drew his sword in the shogunal palace of Kamakura and was then obligated as a matter of honor to commit suicide. His loyal retainers avenge his death by killing Moronao with the same sword that their master used to take his own life. They behead the villain and present the head at their slain master's grave as an offering. Bound by the Warrior's Code of the Bushido, which values honor over life, the 47 retainers commit suicide together after righting the wrong inflicted upon Hangan.This eleven act play was often illustrated in ukiyo-e prints. The online exhibition, Two Views of Kabuki, features selected scenes from the acts executed by two different artists, Utagawa Kuniaki and Utagawa Fusatane. While these two series were published only ten years apart, they provide two distinct points of view. Kuniaki concentrates on the celebrated actors of kabuki while Fusatane provides a panoramic view of the stage. Together, their works provide insight into the world of kabuki theater and into Japanese society in general. Now visit the virtual exhibition, Two Views of Kabuki. 
Produced by the Office of Statewide Partnerships Division of Education and Outreach Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Copyright © 2000 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. All rights reserved. Commercial use or publication of text and graphic images is prohibited.
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