Kabuki Performance at Asian Games Opening Ceremony Sparks Mixed Reactions Online

The opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games delivered a striking showcase of Japanese culture on Saturday, with traditionalKabuki theatertaking center stage in one of the evening's most visually distinctive performances.

While the ceremony was designed to highlight Japan's cultural heritage and the region's history, the appearance of Kabuki performers quickly became a talking point on Chinese-language social media. Some viewers described the performers' exaggerated makeup, facial expressions and movements as unsettling, with comments including words that can be translated as “creepy” or “unnerving.”

The reactions, however, represented individual online responses rather than a universal view of the performance.

Kabuki Takes the Stage in Nagoya

The 20th Asian Games officially opened on September 19 at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya.

The ceremony, themed“Harmonic Heart Beat,”combined Japanese cultural traditions with modern technology and visual effects. At least 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions are taking part in the Games, which feature 43 sports.

One of the cultural highlights was a Kabuki performance featuring Japanese actors, includingNakamura Kankuro VI.

The performance included the traditional Kabuki danceRenjishi, accompanied by a dramatic stage presentation in which a large representation of Nagoya Castle appeared above the stage.

The segment was intended to connect the Asian Games with the cultural identity of Aichi and Nagoya.

Why Did Some Viewers Find It Unsettling?

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese performing art known for highly stylized acting, elaborate costumes, dramatic poses and distinctive makeup.

For audiences unfamiliar with the form, those visual elements can appear unusual compared with contemporary theater or television performances.

Some Chinese-speaking internet users watching clips from the ceremony focused particularly on the performers' heavily painted faces, exaggerated expressions and sudden movements.

Comments describing the appearance as “creepy” or “scary” circulated online, generating discussion about the differences in how traditional performance styles are perceived by audiences from different cultural backgrounds.

At the same time, other viewers regarded the performance as a distinctive representation of Japanese traditional culture and praised the ceremony for incorporating historical elements rather than relying entirely on modern visual effects.

A Blend of Tradition and Technology

Kabuki was only one part of a much broader cultural presentation.

The opening ceremony began relatively quietly, featuring classical music and dance on a heart-shaped stage before expanding into a larger production involving performers, technology, lighting and fireworks.

A giant Nagoya Castle appeared as part of the cultural segment, while Kabuki performers presented traditional dance.

An AI-generated singer was also incorporated into the production, creating a contrast between centuries-old Japanese performing arts and contemporary digital technology.

Later portions of the ceremony highlighted Aichi's reputation as a manufacturing center, with dancers in business attire and futuristic mobility vehicles appearing on stage.

The combination reflected the organizers' effort to present Nagoya as a city where tradition and modern industry coexist.

More Than a “Scary” Performance

The online debate also illustrates how traditional cultural performances can be interpreted very differently by international audiences.

Kabuki's exaggerated gestures and makeup are not intended to resemble everyday human behavior. They are part of a highly stylized theatrical tradition that has developed over centuries.

For audiences familiar with Kabuki, the visual language is recognizable and carries established theatrical meanings.

For viewers encountering it for the first time through a short video clip on social media, however, the same movements and facial expressions may produce a very different impression.

That difference helped turn a relatively short performance into one of the more widely discussed moments from the opening ceremony online.

Nagoya Puts Its Culture on Display

The opening ceremony was ultimately designed to introduce Aichi and Nagoya to an international audience.

The region's cultural heritage appeared alongside its reputation for manufacturing and technological innovation, while the Games themselves were presented as a platform for Asian solidarity.

Olympic Council of Asia officials emphasized the role of sport in bringing people together across cultural and national boundaries.

Against that backdrop, the Kabuki performance served a clear purpose: to introduce an important part of Japanese traditional culture to thousands of athletes, officials and spectators from across Asia.

The fact that some viewers found the performance unsettling while others saw it as a fascinating cultural display is, in itself, a reminder of how differently artistic traditions can be experienced across cultures.

For the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the unusual Kabuki performance achieved one thing immediately:it got people talking.

And beyond the online debate over whether the performers looked frightening or fascinating, the performance placed one of Japan's most distinctive traditional art forms directly in the international spotlight.