"There are several forms of theatre in Japanese culture (Kabuki, Kyogen, Shimpa or Noh). One of these, the Noh theatre is similar to the place Shakespearian drama has in the West in that the dramas and their stories are well known. The Noh stories were composed several hundred years ago in the archaic language of that time. The dramas were performed only by male actors until recently. Surviving because of the allegorical illumination they cast on the timeless concerns of the human condition, the drama presents customs, dress, habits, and language of the past and are based on older myths and popular legends." For more info click here.