Oyama (Japanese:女形), sometimes called Onnagata or wakashu are male actors which impersonate women in the theatre, namely Kabuki. This practice started in 1629, when women were banned from appearing on stage due to prevalent prostitution of actresses. This practice failed to stop the prostitution, however, since the actors were just as graceful and attractive in their makeup as their female counterparts. In 1652, young (underage) men were banned from appearing on stage as women.
When film was introduced in Japan in the late 1800s, the oyama continued to portray females in movies until the early 20s. At that time, however, using real female actresses was coming into fashion with the introduction of realist shingeki films. The oyama staged a protest at Nikkatsu in 1922 in backlash against the lack of work because of this.
Oyama continue to appear in Kabuki today.
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