Analyzing the ^|^lsquo;Popularization of Highbrow Culture^|^rsquo;

Abstract

Today kabuki is considered as highbrow. This paper clarifies how the highbrow image was constructed, and shows that the image was not created by the specialists of kabuki. Since the Meiji era, kabuki had been criticized as vulgar and non-artistic. The highbrow image has been created by non-specialists who are unaware of the modern history of kabuki as a lowbrow culture. Now kabuki's highbrow and artistic image has spread widely being propagated by non-specialists. It is said that ‘popularization of highbrow culture’ has occurred in Japan. Non-specialists who are in the majority in Japan have created the image of kabuki as highbrow culture, but they do not have a habit of seeing kabuki in their daily life. It is important for ‘popularization’ of kabuki that the authorization of kabuki rests on those who are not regular viewers of kabuki.