Kuroko (黒子 "black child")or kurogo are stagehands in traditional Japanese theatre, who dress all in black. In kabuki, the kuroko serve many of the same purposes as running crew. They move scenery and props on stage, aiding in scene changes and costume changes. They will also often play the role of animals, will-o-the-wisps, or other roles which are played not by an actor in full costume, but by holding a prop. Kuroko wear all black, head to toe, in order to imply that they are invisible and not part of the action onstage. Kuroko are stagehands in traditional Japanese theatre, who dress all in black. ... A stagehand is a person who works backstage on a theatrical performance. ... Traditional Japanese theatre includes kabuki, noh and bunraku. ... The oldest Kabuki theatre in Japan: the Minamiza in Kyoto The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Running crew is the collective term for the entire group of persons required to operate a theatrical performance. ... Theatrical scenery is things that are used as setting for a theatrical production. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The convention of wearing black to imply that the wearer is invisible on stage is a central element in bunraku puppet theatre as well. Kuroko will wear white or blue in order to blend in with the background in a scene set, for example, in a snowstorm, or at sea, in which case they are referred to as "Yukiko" (雪子, snow child) or "Namiko" (波子, wave child) respectively. As this convention was extended to kabuki actors depicting stealthy ninja, it has been postulated that the stereotypical image of a ninja dressed all in black derived from kabuki.^[1] Real ninja, living prior to the advent of kabuki, would likely have almost never dressed in this way. Bunraku (Japanese: 文楽), also known as Ningyō jōruri (人形浄瑠璃), is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684. ... Jiraiya, ninja and title character of the Japanese folktale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari. ... Jiraiya, ninja and title character of the Japanese folktale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari. ...

In Noh theatre, a kōken, wearing black but no mask, serves much the same purpose. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Examples from popular culture

• Kuroko clothing and methods were used to comical (but quite effective) ends in the Internet meme Matrix Ping-Pong.
• The Scissor Sisters' video for She's My Man
• A Kuroko character appears in some of the Samurai Shodown video games.
• Pretty Polly staged a live Kuroko performance on the 30th October 2007 on a poster site on the M4 London.

The Hampster Dance [sic] is one of the first widely distributed Internet memes and illustrates the characteristic silliness of much of the genre. ... The Scissor Sisters are an American alternative band who formed in 2001. ... Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits in Japan) is the name of a versus fighting game series by SNK. It is considered to be the premier 2D weapons fighter, and is one of the best-known video games created by SNK. This series also started SNKs reputation for their unique style...

References

• Shōriya Aragorō (2006). www.kabuki21.com. Accessed 29 August 2006.

1. ^ Turnbull, Stephen (2003). "Ninja: AD 1460-1650." Oxford: Osprey Publishing. p17.