Onnagata (female role)

Japanese: 女方(女形) - おんながた

A type of Kabuki role. It is a general term for female roles in Kabuki, and also refers to actors who play female roles. It is also called "oyama." In 1629 (Kan'ei 6), the Tokugawa Shogunate banned actresses from appearing in Kabuki, so men continued to play female roles according to the tradition that had existed since Noh, and this continues to this day. The theatrical foundations of onnagata were established by the early Yoshizawa Ayame and Segawa Kikunojo. Both of them lived their daily lives like women, and this remained the custom for onnagata until the end of the Edo period. Ayame wrote "Ayamegusa," and Kikunojo wrote "Kokin Yakusha Rongo Sakigō," and the lessons of these two masters of onnagata long served as the model for onnagata.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

歌舞伎の役柄の一つ。歌舞伎の女性の役の総称，および女性の役をつとめる俳優をいう。〈おやま〉ともいう。1629年(寛永6)に徳川幕府が歌舞伎に女優が出演することを禁じたため，能以来の伝統によって男性が女の役をつとめ，現在に至る。女方の演劇的基礎は初期の芳沢あやめ，瀬川菊之丞によって作られた。2人とも日常生活を女性のように暮らし，これが幕末まで女方の習慣となった。あやめには《あやめぐさ》，菊之丞には《古今役者論語魁》所収の芸談があり，2人の名女方の教訓は，長く女方の規範となった。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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