Kabuki, a Mirror of Japan

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.”

MATSUI Kesako
Matsui Kesako was born in Kyoto in 1953. After completing her master’s degree in theatre and film arts at Waseda University, she joined the production company Shochiku, where she was responsible for the planning and production of kabuki plays. Later as a freelancer, she pursued scriptwriting, directing, and critical writing under the mentorship of stage and film director Takechi Tetsuji. In 1997 Matsui published her first novel, Tōshū Sharaku-sashi (Sharaku Goes to Edo). That same year she won the Kodansha Award for Historical Fiction for her novel Nakazō Kyōran (Nakazō’s Frenzy). In 2007 her Yoshiwara Tebikigusa (Revenge in Yoshiwara) won the Naoki Prize. Other major works include Bakumatsu Adoresan (Farewell to Edo); Ichinotomi: Namiki Hyōshirō Tanetorichō (The Adventures of Namiki Hyōshirō); Nisemon (The Imposter); Sorosoro Tabi Ni (About Time for Travel); Hoshi to Kagayaki Hana to Saki (Shine like a Star, Bloom like a Flower); Ginza Kaika Omokage Sōshi (Portrait of Ginza Enlightenment); Michi Taezuba, Mata (See You at Road’s End); Kochū no Kairō (The Coward’s Corridor); Enchō no Onna (Enchō’s Women); Shifu no Yuigon (The Master’s Last Testament); and Manga Kabuki Nyūmon (Manga Introduction to Kabuki).

*information as of time of publication

Japan Library series
Culture

Publisher:
Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture

Hardcover
¥3,640 + tax
ISBN 9784916055583
220 mm x 148 mm / 256 pp. / March 2016

Softcover
¥2,800 + tax
ISBN 9784866581446
220 mm x 148 mm / 256 pp. / November 2019

eBook
ISBN 9784916055705 (ePub)
ISBN 9784916055651 (PDF)

Preface to the English Edition / Introduction / 1. Shibaraku: A Hero in the Nick of Time / 2. Kuruwa Bunshō: Descendents of Hikaru Genji, the Shining Prince / 3. Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami: Plays of Substitute Sacrifice / 4. Yoshitsune Senbonzakura: Humans Seen through Animal Fantasies / 5. Kanadehon Chūshingura: More than Just a Tale of Feudal Loyalty / 6. Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami: The Birth of Chivalry / 7. Sanmon Gosan no Kiri: A Montage of Stage Effects / 8. Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Seki no To: A Sophisticated Fairy-Tale Dance / 9. Tōkaidō Yotsuya Kaidan: Queen of Japanese Horror / 10. Sannin Kichisa Kuruwa no Hatsugai: Bonnie and Clyde, Japanese Style / Notes

"Many foreigners and younger Japanese viewers have been baffled by the art of kabuki. One of Japan’s foremost traditional theater styles, kabuki is full of archaic language, over-the-top costumes, men playing female roles which would seemingly be better served by professional actresses, and slow-moving stories steeped in philosophical metaphor. However, with an introductory piece of literature, like Kesako Matsui’s excellent Kabuki A Mirror of Japan, the mystifying becomes the intriguing."

David McElhinney
Japan Objects

歌舞伎とはどんな芸能で、どう鑑賞すればよいのか？「忠臣蔵」など主要な10の演目を取り上げ、成立した時代背景や見どころを現代風にわかりやすく紹介する。歌舞伎研究、台本作りにも携わる著者による格好の入門書。

松井今朝子
1953年京都生まれ。早稲田大学大学院文学研究科演劇学修士課程修了。松竹株式会社に入社し、歌舞伎の企画・制作に携わる。退社後フリーとなり、故・武智鉄二に師事して歌舞伎の脚色・演出・評論などを手がける。97年『東州しゃらくさし』（PHP研究所）で小説家としてデビュー。同年『仲蔵狂乱』（講談社）で第8回時代小説大賞を受賞。2007年『吉原手引草』（幻冬舎）で第137回直木賞受賞。主な著書に『幕末あどれさん』（PHP研究所）、『一の富　並木拍子郎種取帳』（角川春樹事務所）、『似せ者』（講談社）、『そろそろ旅に』（講談社）、『星と輝き花と咲き』（講談社）、『銀座開化おもかげ草紙』（新潮社）、『道絶えずば、また』（集英社）、『壺中の回廊』（集英社）、『円朝の女』（文藝春秋）、『師父の遺言』（NHK出版）、マンガ歌舞伎入門（平凡社）など多数。

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