During the month of November, the Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo is offering its annual kaomise program in two parts.
Kaomise means literally "face-showing," and was the most important kabuki event of the year during the 18th and 19th centuries. In autumn every year, each kabuki theater in Edo, Kyoto and Osaka would hire a new group of actors for the coming year and introduce them to audiences in a kaomise presentation. In Edo the kaomise was held in November, and in the Kansai in December.
The kaomise ceased to be held in Edo during the 1860s, but was revived by the Kabukiza in 1957 for its November performance.
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