The Folk Performing Arts: Traditional Culture in Contemporary Japan

Addresses issues concerning the survival and preservation of traditional culture by examining Japan's folk performing arts and the public policies that affect them.

Table of Contents:
Illustrations Acknowledgments A Note Regarding Names and Dates Introduction 1. Overview Seeing the Folk Performing Arts Today The Categories Other Classification Systems Puppets on Strings, Actors on Floats Community and Performance: The Beginnings 2. A History of Scholarship in the Folk Performing Arts First Steps Cultural Assets New Directions 3. The Cultural Properties Protection Law Prior to the Law Under the Law Administering the Folk Performing Arts The Folk Performing Arts as Cultural Properties 4. The Festival Law Background The Folk Performing Arts Promotion Center The Scholarly Community Weighs In 5. The Folk Perfoming Arts on Center Stage Conventions Summits and Festivals Museum as Stage The National Theatre Shows for Tourists Travel Abroad Study and Performance Groups Video 6. Communities and Their Folk Performing Arts Today Awaji Ningyo-joruri Itabashi no Taasobi Mibu Kyogen Kurokawa No Hayachine Kagura 7. A Model for a National Folk Performing Arts Theater: The Saitama Prefectual Folk Culture Center The Folk Performing Arts of Saitama Prefecture The Activities of the Center A National Folk Performing Arts Theater: Pros and Cons 8. The Folk Performing Arts in Literature Shimazaki Toson: Village Kabuki Tanizaki Jun'ichiro: Kagura and Chaban Tanizaki and Uno Chiyo: The Puppet Arts of Awaji and Awa Inoue Yasushi: Lion Dances 9. Toward the Future Appendix: Nationally Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Barbara E. Thornbury is Associate Professor of Japanese at Temple University.

Review :
"This is a book that will remain as an invaluable reference for Japan's folk performing arts. It is well researched, clearly written, and full of important information which is not available in any existing book in English or other Western language." - Benito Ortolani, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York "The availability of the book will bring an important aspect of contemporary Japanese culture and its historical origins to the attention of readers. In short, it fills a gap in our knowledge of a significant aspect of current and historical Japan, as well as pointing out the relevance this has to readers in many other specialized areas." - Frank Hoff, University of Toronto