To-ji and Kabuki

We got up early this morning to go to the To-ji (ji means temple) flea market. The flea market happens on the 21st of each month, and vendors sell new stuff, old stuff, traditional stuff, and modern stuff. I bought a vintage kimono (Japanese don't usually buy used clothing) for a great price. There were dried fruits, kitchen utensils, scarves, street food, etc. Many people were there to worhip in the temple, and the saffron-clad monks paraded past us and knelt in the temple to pray. Incense filled the air and people were sitting under a tent writing special prayers on wooden cards...... Next we took the subway to the river where many theatres began hundreds of years ago because that land was untaxed. We walked the river bank (where Okuni danced) and saw part of the geisha district. We went to a performance at the Minami-za that had a demonstration beforehand and then did an hour and a half performance of 2 scenes from a play by Chikamatsu. There are different forms of Kabuki male roles: Arogato is the macho man style. Wagoto is gentler, a little comic, a little effeminate. The Wagoto often ends up getting the courtesan for his girlfriend. The wagoto in this play was hard to empathize with at first. He flopped around and whined. I liked the character better in the 2nd act - he seemed more controlled and mature. Later I discovered that it was 2 different actors, which leads me to believe that there may be more individual interpretation in the Kabuki than in other theatre forms.