Genji-bushi Onna-shibai, a women’s theatre and dance show accompanied by narrative music Genji-bushi is one of the most popular entertainments created in the late 19th century. It was initially widely performed in Nagoya, and then its popularity spread all over Japan during 1890-1910. However, because of the extremely sexual nature of the show, the performances were prohibited and were soon unheard of. As a result, it has been labelled as a vulgar show in modern times.

In this presentation, I focus on the fact that Genji-bushi Onna-shibai gained popularity due to its dance and music style. I will elaborate on the characteristics of these two aspects that consisted of both premodern and newer styles, which are different from the traditional forms. I will also discuss the reasons for the popularity of Genji-bushi Onna-shibai around the 1900s.

Two of the aspects discussed in this respect are as follows: First, the performance style and the content of the program were quite similar to that of other traditional women’s plays such as Musume-Gidayu, Onna-shibai, and Geigi-shibai. Second, the dance style using popular songs indicates the affinity with modern culture such as the Asakusa and Takarazuka revue. Considering these aspects by going through some of the performances saved on SP records (78rpm records) and the performers’ discourses, I will elucidate that the performance style of Genji-bushi Onna-shibai included the representative form of performing arts seen in popular entertainment at that time and that this was the primary reason of its explosive popularity.