Most of all Kabuki plays were written during 17th-18th century, so the language is hard to understand, even for Japanese people. There are about 300 plays in the conventional kabuki repertoire. In the Kabuki-za theater, you can buy English programs or rent earphones with which you can listen to the explanations of shows in English.

Kabuki performances are usually very long and consist of many acts. If you are new to Kabuki, or don't have much time, you can view one act from the 4th floor. This area is available for people who can't stay through the whole performance, so they can leave during the break between acts without disturbing other people. The tickets for one act are called Makumi. These tickets are not sold in advance, but are available 20 min before each act.

Shamisen player

Music is an integral part of the art of kabuki. While several kinds of instruments arc used in kabuki, both to accompany chanting and independently, the principal one is a three-stringed, called shamisen. Hence, the whole body of music associated with kabuki has been referred to as shamisen music. In a historical or domestic play, as the curtain opens upon a scene, the music starts, stirring to life the otherwise inanimate atmosphere of the stage. The musicians are hidden from view in the left corner of the stage. The music serves as a leitmotif of the play; it gives the cue for the actor's entrance; and to its accompaniment, the actor conducts his dialogue and performance.

Taiko drumming

An other instrument played an important part in the Kabuki performances:
the taiko. A dozen or more different kinds of taiko were used to accompany the colorful dramas. They were also played regularly in folk music and at festivals throughout the country. Some were large and some were small, but they were all called taiko.

In the case of a dance-drama, the musicians are in full view of the audience, and the music assumes a much more dominant part. Kabuki music is classified into about a dozen categories, according to different schools. Among these, the most frequently used today are nagauta, tokiwazu, kiyomoto, and gidayu, the latter always being used in a drama adapted from the puppet theater. Besides music proper, there are numerous kind of audio-effects employed in a kabuki performance. The most unique among them is the sounding of wooden clappers signaling the opening and the closing of a kabuki play. It is repeated in rhythmical, staccato measures. The wooden clappers are also used as one of the musical percussion instruments in the course of the performance.