Kabuki : a mirror of Japan : ten plays that offer a glimpse into evolving sensibilities / Matsui Kesako, translated by David Crandall.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Matsui, Kesako, 1953- author.

Contributor:

Crandall, David (Translator), translator.

Series:

Japan library (Shuppan Bunka Sangyō Shinkō Zaidan)

Japan library

Standardized Title:

Kabuki no naka no Nihon. English.

歌舞伎の中の日本. English.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Theater--Japan.

Theater.

Japan.

Japanese drama--History and criticism.

Japanese drama.

Kabuki.

Physical Description:

viii, 242 pages, 4 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Ten plays that offer a glimpse into evolving sensibilities

colophon title : (Eibunban) Kabuki no naka no Nihon

colophon title : (英文版) 歌舞伎の中の日本

Place of Publication:

Tokyo : Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture, 2016.

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, Matusui 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.

Contents:

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 Yuli 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.

ISBN:

9784916055583

4916055586

OCLC:

945946533