C. Culture under the Tokugawa Shogunate

As Japanese cities grew, new forms of entertainment emerged in the form of literature, drama, and art. Townspeople read a new type of fiction, realistic stories about self-made merchants or the hardships of life. The people also read haiku, a 5-7-5 syllable, 3-line verse poem. This type of poetry represented images rather than ideas.

Townspeople also attended kabuki theatre. Actors in elaborate costumes, using music, dance, and mime, performed skits about modern life. Kabuki made extravagant use of masklike makeup, exaggerated postures, and extravagant postures. Although kabuki was created by a woman, all roles, both male and female, were performed by men. Kabuki plays are often about grand historical events or the life of people in Tokugawa Japan.

Japanese wood block print depicting a Kabuki threatre during the Tokugawa Shogunate

Photograph from a present-day Kabuki threatre performance in Japan. Female actors are permitted to perform in Kabuki theatre today.