It could be a scene from a surreal dream — the animated virtual idol Hatsune Miku swaying her aqua pigtails on stage next to the renowned kabuki actor Nakamura Shido II. Since 2016, the unlikely duo have joined forces multiple times, and now they’re back again — this time at the Osaka Expo, on May 24 and 25.

The show is called “Cho Kabuki,” literally “super kabuki,” and it represents a growing movement within Japan’s traditional performing arts to bring high culture to the general populace — with a helping hand from technology.

Kabuki used to be entertainment for the masses and at times was even associated with prostitution and rowdy audiences. It’s thought to have originated in the early 1600s from a female dance troupe that put on casual performances in Kyoto, though it subsequently became an all-male art form after women were banned from the practice. Major kabuki actors were celebrities who could set fashion trends, and their names were used to sell products ranging from kimono patterns to sake and food. It was only during the Meiji Era (1868-1912) that the image of kabuki began to transform, with its reputation as traditional high art and cultural heritage cementing in the early 20th century.