Ask John: What Are the Kabuki Sounds in Anime?

Question:
Okay, so I am watching Tenchi Muyo, and occasionally there is this sound in the background, like some guy going “Ooowoooh!” and then some weird bonk that sounds like a block of wood getting hit. What the heck is it supposed to mean?

Answer:
The sound you’re referring to comes from traditional Japanese kabuki theater. The “thump” sound, which is called “pon” in Japanese, is the reverberation of a small, hourglass shaped “ko-tsuzumi” drum, which is held on the player’s shoulder and struck with the fingers of an open palm. Different ko-tsuzumi beats have different Japanese names, but the “pon” sound has become a universal characteristic of traditional Japanese artistic culture.

The sharp clacking sound is made by the “okawa” drum held at the player’s waist. The okawa drum has a very sharp, high pitch that sounds like “hyoushigi,” a pair of wooden bars struck against each other to add punctuation, emphasis, or signify stage directions. Tsuzumi and okawa drums may be seen in noh performances (a form of Japanese stage play older than kabuki) in anime series including Gasaraki and Kurozuka. Hyoushigi are prominent in the Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto anime series.

The distinctive vocals associated with these drum beats may be either the traditional sound of kabuki singing or “kakegoe,” short vocal sounds performed by the drummers.

Article revised January 6, 2009