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Japanese performing arts - Tokugawa period

What are wagoto and aragoto acting styles in Kabuki?

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bugaku performance — Japanese performing arts Bugaku, a court dance adapted to Japanese tastes from the dance and music of 8th-century China and Korea.

During the Genroku period (1688–1704), two distinct acting styles emerged in Kabuki that defined the performance traditions of different regions:

Wagoto: Developed in Kyoto by the actor Sakata Tōjūrō, this is a relatively realistic and gentle style of acting. It is primarily associated with erotic love stories and portrays characters with a softer, more nuanced approach.1
Aragoto: Created in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) by the actor Ichikawa Danjūrō I, this is a stylized, bravura style of acting. It is characterized by its bombastic and powerful delivery, specifically designed for intense fighting plays.1

These two styles were famously blended in the 1713 play Sukeroku yukari no Edo zakura (Sukeroku: Flower of Edo), which features a swaggering hero performed in the aragoto style alongside a meek, comic foil performed in the wagoto style.1