Kabuki Talk

Kazui shared her obvious love of Kabuki with me over tea and mochi in the lovely garden cafe of Kabuki-za. I enjoyed the performance that much more for the background information she provided. I also got an English guide to the performance and performers. Kazui is friendly and organised. :)

Really liked this tour. The theatre is easy to find by yourself using the train to Ginza. Kazui broke down the acts of the show into simple terms with handouts and made it easier to understand the storylines. She also gives you a history of Kabuki theatre and directions on where your seat is, renting a translation device, and the best times to enjoy bento and taiyaki. I would definetely recommended this tour to all theatre lovers. Make sure you buy your tickets really early because the English site is a bit confusing and says the tickets are sold out even when there are still seats left or else you need a Japanese friend to call to reserve a seat for you like I did haha

This is the second time we have used the services of Kazui for a Kabuki talk. It was fun and educational and greatly helped us with our third Kabuki experience. Although we liked our first exposure to Kabuki without one of her talks, we found that using the service opened our eyes to so many aspects of Kabuki that it brought it to a whole different level of understanding and enjoyment. Kabuki is an amazing example of "deep" Japanese culture and the theater arts. It can incorporate dance, comedy, drama, and traditional music all within a framework that explains a great deal about Japanese history and culture. And it is not a stuffy or old-fashioned art form but is totally fun with beautiful costumes, make up, special effects, and scenery. The acting can be quite humorous or very moving emotionally and the content speaks to modern people in a universal language. Plus, the audience's response is amazing! Although it is easy to enjoy Kabuki for all of the above reasons, there is a sub-text of many details that will be missed by non-Japanese people who attend Kabuki. This is where Kazui's fantastic service comes into play. Enjoying Japanese tea and a delicious treat in a calm setting while Kazui explains Kabuki in general and about the specific plays you are about to see, greatly enhances a Westerner's understanding of the whole experience. You will receive summaries of the plays you are about to see and details about the production and actors, some of whom represent generations of performers from the same families. Kazui even provides advice about theater etiquette and where you should go for the best food items. Her excellent command of English is also greatly appreciated and helpful. My wife and I have traveled to Japan four times now and I must say that seeing Kabuki after attending Kazui's Kabuki Talk is one of our top five Japanese experiences.