For kabuki actor Onoe Kikunosuke and silent film narrator Ichiro Kataoka, keeping old traditions alive and sharing them with as many local and foreign fans as possible remain their mission.

Kikunosuke, who performed in an onnagata female role in "Sagi Musume" ("Heron Maiden") in an event Thursday as part of this year's Tokyo International Film Festival, said he hopes people watching the traditional Japanese performing art for the first time will appreciate its beauty.

" 'Heron Maiden' is a dance piece that captures all of what is beautiful in the features of an onnagata," Kikunosuke told reporters in front of the Kabukiza Theatre in Tokyo prior to his performance at the venue.