Places to visit in Hyogo 8: 宝塚 (たからづか - Takarazuka)

宝塚 is a suburban city located a short distance north of 神戸 (こうべ - Kobe) and 大阪 (おおさか - Osaka), on the eastern side of Hyogo. Its name, amusingly, means "treasure pile" and there are certainly shiny trinkets to be found there, thanks in part to a politician and businessman determined to make 宝塚 more than a sleepy commuter town. After several attempts, he finally struck gold with the creation of a musical theatre group now known as the 宝塚歌劇団 (たからづかかげきだん - takarazuka kagekidan - "Takarazuka Revue"). As a counterpoint to 歌舞伎 (かぶき - Kabuki), the 歌劇団 features an all-female cast and its flashy shows are still the city's most famous drawcard after nearly 100 years. I think that's our cue.

歌舞伎 (かぶき) - Kabuki

歌舞伎 is arguably Japan's most famous form of theatre, instantly recognisable by its all-male cast, elaborate makeup, over-the-top costumes and stylised drama. The word "歌舞伎" is made up of the three 漢字 (かんじ - kanji) for "sing", "dance" and "technique", which is a pretty good summary of what's involved. Modern 歌舞伎 often features comprehensive guides and headsets to help follow along with all the dramatic plot twists, but apart from that it's much as it was hundreds of years ago. With tragic stories of love, betrayal and death delivered with some of the most outrageous acting I've ever seen, I think we might have discovered Japan's first soap opera.