Title
Kabuki : a mirror of Japan : ten plays that offer a glimpse into evolving sensibilities / Matsui Kesako, translated by David Crandall.
Uniform Title
Kabuki no naka no Nihon. English
Variant Title
colophon title : (Eibun-ban) Kabuki no naka no Nihon
Edition
First edition.
ISBN
9784916055583 (hardcover)
4916055586 (hardcover)
Published
Tokyo : Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture, 2016.
Language
English
Language Note
Text in English translated from the Japanese.
Description
viii, 242 pages, 4 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm.
Call Number
PN2924.5.K3 M2913 2016
Dewey Decimal Classification
D792
Summary
"In this delightfully engaging look at Japan's traditional dance-drama, Matsui Kesako approaches kabuki in the same way a paleontologist might examine geological layers, with each play revealing a fascinating story about the time and place in which it was created and performed. Starting with Danjūrō I's Shibaraku, which dates to the late seventeenth century, Matsui artfully traces the origins and evolution of many of kabuki's defining characteristics while linking them to larger patterns of cultural development in Japanese society. As a novelist and former writer for the kabuki stage herself, she offers a unique perspective on 10 of the most famous and beloved plays in the traditional repertory, ending her survey with Mokuami's Sannin Kichisa, which premiered in 1860--just prior to the start of Japan's modernization. Her keen insights, encyclopedic knowledge, and easy writing style bring this centuries-old theatrical tradition to life, rendering it readily accessible to those who may have no prior knowledge of the subject. Originally intended for Japanese readers, this groundbreaking work is now available in English, offering the international community glimpses into why kabuki can truly be called a 'mirror of Japan"--Back cover.
Note
"Originally published in the Japanese language as Kabuki no Naka no Nihon by NHK Publishing, Inc., in 2010." -- Verso title page
Series
Japan library (Shuppan Bunka Sangyō Shinkō Zaidan)
Shibaraku : A Hero in the Nick of Time
Kuruwa Bunshō : Descendents of Hikaru Genhi, the Shining Prince
Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami : Plays of Substitute Sacrifice
Yoshitsune Senbonzakura : Humans Seen Through Animal Fantasies
Kanadehon Chūshingura : More Than Just a Tale of Feudal Loyalty
Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami : The Birth of Chivalry
Sanmon Gosan no Kiri : A Montage of Stage Effects
Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Seki no To : A Sophisticated Fairy-Tale Dance
Tōkaidō Yotsuya Kaidan : Queen of Japanese Horror
Sannin Kichisa Kuruwa no Hatsugai : Bonnie and Clyde, Japanese Style.
