What are three forms of literature and drama for japan?

Answer 1

Buddhist and Shintô influences and a generally higher level of wealth brought about the popularization of drama during Japan's middle ages (1300-1700). Like all drama, the first music and acting were ceremonies celebrating the divine, performed in the natural environment. As time passed, these dramas developed into sophisticated traditions and told stories ranging from the tragic to the comic, in tones ranging from religious to ribald. They are still widely performed today in Japan.

The forms that developed during the feudal period include:

Noh. This form started from the ancient Shintô ceremony. Later the stories of Noh plays developed Buddhist themes dealing with the great sadness of life, especially death of loved ones and lost hopes.

Kyôgen. These humorous plays were usually performed at intermissions of Noh plays. Most are about the "lesser" sadnesses of life, such as inequalities of wealth, beauty, and health. Resolution of these disparities rests on the fine line of individuality and universality of the human condition.

Kabuki. These plays were the most in tune with what was timely and in vogue during the Tokugawa period (1600-1868). Kabuki is tied to urban life. The plays deal with tales of merchants rising in the world, star-crossed lovers from different classes, or the flight and fancy of the entertainment world of old Edo.

Bunraku. Bunraku was originally called Jôruri. It is the oldest form of puppet theater in Japan. The name derives from Lady Jôruri, who had a brief affair with Minamoto Yoshitsune, a great general and hero of many dramas about the early samurai period. At the end of the sixteenth century, puppets, romantic tales, and samisen (Japanese banjo) music were combined to form a new popular theater, called bunraku. The same plays are often used in Kabuki and bunraku.