From the end of the Sengoku period (period of warring states) (Japan) to the Azuchi-Momoyama period, waki (supporting actors), which had until then been played by the secondary actor in the troupe and had not been differentiated from shite-kata (main roles) (usually, this was called as 'waki no shite' or 'waki no toryo' to be distinguished from the later waki-kata), was gradually differentiated from shite-kata as own official duties.
戦国時代(日本)末期から安土桃山時代にかけては、それまで座の第二位の役者が担当し、特にシテ方と区別されることのなかったワキの役（通常これを後世のワキ方と区別して「脇のシテ」「脇の棟梁」などと呼ぶ）が、徐々に独自の職掌としてシテ方から区分されるようになってきていた時期であった。