Japan Times: UNESCO names kabuki intangible heritage of humanity

UNESCO said Friday it has designated kabuki as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity...along with 42 other global "masterpieces of cultural heritage." Other Japanese art forms UNESCO has named as intangible heritage are noh drama, designated in 2001, and Joruri Bunraku puppet theater, designated in 2003...more...

Miami Herald: U.N. adds to list of cultural treasures

The U.N. cultural body added dozens of regional traditions Friday to its list of intangible heritage treasures, including Brazil's samba, Turkey's whirling dervishes and a "cultural space" in a 17th-century walled Colombian village...The list was the third issued by the U.N. organization, and "will probably be the last," a UNESCO statement said...more...

(Taro's pic from the "Random Nihonjin" Thread)

Reuters: Japan's kabuki theater seeks to revive former glory
The actor, face painted white highlighted with black swirls, sits waiting to be dressed in his elaborate wig and kimono, frowning at the Game Boy in his hands. He is 8 years old but some say youngsters like him offer the best hopes of restoring Japan's kabuki theater to the status it once had as popular entertainment for the masses. Far from being from a famous kabuki family, Shunsuke Watanabe is an ordinary school student who wants to try his hand at the 400-year-old dramatic art that is seen as too far removed from the lives of people to survive as more than a museum piece...more...