Izumo no Okuni: History and Key Facts

Izumo no Okuni (出雲 阿国) was a Japanese entertainer and miko (shrine maiden) who is believed to have invented the theatrical art form of kabuki. She is thought to have begun performing her new art style of kabuki (lit. 'by kanji spelling, the art of singing and dancing') theatre in the dry riverbed of the Kamo River in Kyoto. Okuni's troupe quickly gained immense popularity, and were known for their performers, who were often lower-class women Okuni had recruited to act in her all-female theatre group.

Few concrete details are known about her life; born near Izumo Province, Okuni worked as a miko for several years at the Izumo Grand Shrine until gaining popularity for her dramatised dance performances, which onlookers gave the name of kabuki. Okuni continued to perform kabuki with her theatrical troupe until her retirement and disappearance sometime around 1610. She is believed to have died sometime around 1613.

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