Women break into Japan's 'masculine' Noh theatre

Unlike kabuki, another type of classical Japanese theatre, or sumo wrestling - both steadfastly male - Noh has been open to performers of both genders for over a century. But women are still a rarity in the traditional Noh world, where fathers often pass the vocation to their sons. Photo: AFP

Kimono-clad Mayuko Kashiwazaki delivers her lines in guttural tones and transforms into an evil snake in the lead role of a Japanese Noh play where, unusually, most of the cast are women.

Noh, with its elaborate layered costumes and hand-crafted masks, is one of the most ancient surviving forms of theatre, with origins dating back to the eighth century.