What is "jidaimono"

Jidaimono (時代物) are Japanese kabuki or jōruri plays that feature historical plots and characters, often famous samurai battles. These are in contrast to sewamono (世話物), contemporary plays, which generally focus on commoners and domestic issues. Jidaimono is usually translated as "period plays." Film and television productions in this mode are called jidaigeki (時代劇), and share many of the same features.