In 1893, at age 78, the great playwright Kawatake Mokuami died. Since he left no protege, his death also ended the tradition of classical Kabuki writing. Mokuami, who, during the 19th century wrote more than 360 plays over his long career, became the last of the professional writers to work exclusively for Kabuki theaters in the old capital of Edo.

Instead, during the last decade of the 19th century, other writers, such as novelists, dramatists and critics, began to create their versions of kabuki drama. One of the pioneers of such plays was Tsubouchi Shoyo (1859-1935), whose "Kiri Hitoha" ("A Paulownia Leaf"), written a year after Mokuami's death in 1894 and staged at the Tokyo Theater 10 years later, became known as a classic shin kabuki — "new" historical kabuki play.

Shoyo was followed by many other shin-kabuki playwrights, all of whom wrote historical plays based on traditional kabuki acting and staging but influenced by modern dramaturgy introduced from the West. Okamoto Kido (1872-1939) was the first to stage such plays, with his 1911 "Shuzenji Monogatori" ("The Tale of Shuzenji Temple"), written for Ichikawa Sadanji II, who went on to perform many title roles in shin-kabuki plays. Other eminent kabuki actors, such as Onoe Kikugoro VI and Nakamura Kichiemon I also collaborated in shin-kabuki productions from around 1890 to 1940.