Japanese performing arts

日本の伝統芸能

Japanese performing arts, the varied and technically complex dance and theatre arts of Japan. Among the most important of these are nô theatre, kabuki, and bunraku. Although kagura dance has been influenced by later more sophisticated dance forms, it is still performed much as it was 1,500 years ago, to religious chants accompanied by drums, brass gongs, and flutes. A massive influx into Japan of Chinese and Korean arts and culture occurred between the 6th and the 10th centuries. A Korean performer is credited with having brought the Buddhist gigaku processional dance play to the Japanese court in 612.