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Introduction to Projects
Comparative Theatre Studies between Japan
and Europe
Comparative Theatre Studies between Japan and
Asia
Traditional Japanese Theatre Studies-text and
image-
Research on modernization of Japanese theatre
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to Projects 2006 |
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> Introduction
to Projects and Activities in 2006
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Comparative Theatre Studies between Japan and
Europe
| Project |
Activities |
Theatre Museum Research
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What is the role of theatre museum today? How
can the theatre museum function as a crossroad of theatre research?
In a short and long range the theatre museum should find new
needs, be open more effectively to the public, and construct
interactive relationships with researchers, other institutes
and the theatre industry on various levels.
Because of the increasing diversity of performing arts, the
change of research methodology, innovation of technology and
the specificity of the field, there are many difficulties in
developing the activities of the theatre museum more dynamically.
But these difficulties can become also possibilities.
In this context, this project refers to the activities of theatre
museums (and their libraries) in Japan and abroad and tries
to build a network , and studies the role of theatre museums
today. |
| Reception of Opera in Japan
– The Edo, Meiji and Taishô Periods |
During the first half of the last year, our
research focused on the Taishô era, especially on Chikao
Kobayashi (a translator of librettos at the Imperial Theater)
and the reception of works by Offenbach and Suppé at
the Imperial Theater. Research results were presented regularly
during meetings. The need for further research of the origins
of the genre of operetta became obvious; in the second half
of the term we therefore began to do research on this genre,
especially Viennese operetta. This year we intend to continue
this line of work. We will be looking into a very unique way
in which opera and operetta were performed and enjoyed during
the Meiji, Taishô, and the early Shôwa eras. We
will also investigate the relations between these genres and
Japanese popular culture, as epitomized by the Asakusa Opera.
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| Fundamental Research into
Theatre Administration |
The objective for this year will be a cooperation
between the fields of theatre and researchers. We aim to find
a common ground between theoretical research and practical research,
and to find new ways for doing research that will integrate
both of them with balance. In the future, this research will
include cooperative projects with National Public Theatres.
This research should be considered as preparation for future
research – The studies of Cultural Environment for Theatre
– for the 21st Century COE program. |
| Comparative studies of film
acting between America, Europe, and Japan |
This year, I will focus my research on American
and European films. I will first analyze the art of film acting
in Alfred Hitchcock’s films. I will then compare Hitchcock’s
works with the French new wave films from the point of view
of filmed performances.
In Hitchcock’s works, the performers’ actions include
several devices that are peculiar to film. These devices are
relatively invisible, but they serve to intensify suspense and
attract the audience’s attention to what is going on in
the future scenario.
Since the French new wave directors have been deeply influenced
by Hitchcock, they also examine the ways of filming performances
in their own works. Compared to Hitchcock, however, they tend
to make all the devices much more visible and problematize the
connection between actors, roles, and audiences (cf. J. L. Godard).
By drawing a comparison between Hitchcock and the French new
wave from the viewpoint of their different methods of directing
performers, I will demonstrate the precise meaning of the transition
from classical to modern in the history of cinema. |
Comparative Theatre Studies between Japan and
Asia
| Project |
Activities |
Research on Wenmingxi: Early
Chinese spoken drama
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1. To analyse the process of the emergence of
Chinese spoken drama from the traditional Chinese drama (Xiqu),
and its development into the modern Chinese performances (Spoken
drama, Huaju).
The study will focus on the relation of Wenmingxi and Japanese
drama, and Chunliushe, an organisation founded in Japan.
2. To closely examine the three periods of Wenmingxi : the period
of prosperity during the 1910s, the period of decline in the
1920s, and the revival of Wenmingxi as popular or dialect spoken
drama in the 50s and the 60s.
3. To identify the influence of Wenmingxi on traditional Chinese
drama and on Chinese films. |
| A Sudy of Folk Performing
Arts in Rural China |
We investigate folk performing arts in China,
and collect photos and related documents to use of them for
drama studies. In addition, we exchange opinions with research
members on issues of field methodology in modern China. We have
already conducted some international joint study projects with
some Chinese research organizations. We will arrange many documents
which we already collected as useful data for the study. This
year we will confirm the distribution of yingxi "Chinese
Shadow Puppet Theatre" in Heilongjiang, Liaoning Hubei,
Hunan provinces and construct a network between researchers
in China. |
| Research Group for Performing
Arts in the Modern Era |
In order to collect and preserve digitalized
visual material and performers’ material of Kabuki, we
promote our task of collecting, digitalizing and picture-taking
of these resources. We will continue to study research methods
of better utilization of visualized material. |
| Preserving Performances-Comparative
Studies of Methodologies |
Strictly speaking, different from other arts,
a theatre performance is one time event. One production changes
from one day to the next with different audiences. Therefore
it is nearly impossible to preserve a theatre performance. But
on the other side, theatre history can be seen as an accumulation
of preserved performances. This project is concerned with the
way of recording performances and its cultural and regional
differences. The majors interests of the former and present
research associates of the Theatre Museum who participate in
this project are different, and the exchange of the information
among the participants should be the advantage of this project.
From this year on the project adds one more different angle
and also pursues performing in movies. |
Traditional Japanese Theatre Studies-text and image-
| Project |
Activities |
| General Research Project into
Noh |
The primary objectives for this year will be
to establish the search database of the Kawasaki Kue-en (1873-1961,
professional Noh performer) collection. We will also investigate
the Yoshida-Bunko library in Niigata, and will make a library
catalog of the Tôgô Yoshida (1864-1918, professor
of Waseda university) collection. For the study of Noh scripts,
we will continue preparatory work to publish “Shinpen-Yôkyoku-Taikan”(the
New corpse of Noh scripts). |
| Research of Kabuki Play Scripts |
The roots of the present Kabuki can be found
in the Gidayu Kyogen and the play scripts of Kabuki, performed
in Osaka at the end of 18th century and the early 19th century
. Our research focused on Kabuki play scripts of this period
and on analyzing their contents.
This year we are planning to do research on materials on Gidayu
Kabuki which can be found at the Department for Japanese Language
at the Faculty of Letters of the University of Tokyo, in the
Ikeda Archive in Osaka, the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library,
the University of Kyoto and at Kansai Shochiku. |
| General Research of Theatrical
Paintings and Prints |
The goal of this project is to verify and expand
the basic data included in the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum’s
online “Ukiyoe Image Database.” The results of our
research are constantly being uploaded onto this public database,
which has garnered an increasing amount of positive attention
worldwide. As we continue to accumulate data, we also work to
better understand the meaning and value of using actor prints
in theater studies, and to address methodological issues. We
also publish articles on our research and develop new research
tools. This year, as last year, we plan to continue surveying
materials in affiliated institutions (we will be focusing on
institutions in Kyoto), to present and then write up the results
of our research, and accept requests for analysis of actor prints
in the collections of non-affiliated institutions. We will continue
to hold regular meetings to work through the collection of ukiyoe
at the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, and keep updating
the information in the online database. In 2006-2007, we will
begin focusing in particular on prints by Kunisada I, in addition
to those of Toyokuni I, who has been the main focus of our research
for the past decade. The incorporation of Kunisada into our
research will finally allow us to gain an understanding of the
genre of actor prints in the Bunsei-Bunka and Tempo periods. |
| The Gidayubushi Shôhon
Association |
The Gidayubushi Shôhon Association aims
to edit for the first time the comprehensive works of Gidayubushi
Jôruri. The Association intends to provide high-quality
reprints of them with the help of, not only literature, drama,
Japanese language researchers, but also artists and Gidayu enthusiasts
and to contribute largely for Japanese culture. Since the establishment
of the Association, we have been engaged for eight years in
researching a selection of original books and other textual
materials. In this year, the Association is scheduled to publish
six books as the outcomes of our research, from the First Volume
‘Shusseyakko osana-monogatari‘ to the Sixth Volume
‘Seiwa-genji jûgo-dan’, the First period the
Twelfth volumes of The Collection of the Unreprinted Gidayu
Jôruri Works by the Tamagawa University Press (The First,
Second and Third volumes were already published in May). We
are going to prepare for the publishing and to research and
reprint Jôruri original texts with the aim of publishing
the Second period volumes. |
| Basic Research into the Corpus
of Kabuki Playbills |
Kabuki playbills issued for productions during
the Tokugawa period can be classified into several different
types, including opening-of-the-season playbills (kaomise banzuke),
street playbills (tsuji banzuke), cast playbills (yakuwari banzuke),
and picture book playbills (ehon banzuke). Alternate versions
of each of these different types of playbills would be printed
for each production, and the complexity of the relations between
them makes it difficult to create a chronological chart of when
all the playbills appeared. The Theater Museum at Waseda University
has a large collection, but this is still only the tip of the
iceberg. The first step toward opening up the field of playbill
studies is to gather and compare the various playbills scattered
in different locations. This is the goal of our project. |
| Research Group for Performing
Arts in the Modern Era |
In order to collect and preserve digitalized
visual material and performers’ material of Kabuki, we
promote our task of collecting, digitalizing and picture-taking
of these resources. We will continue to study research methods
of better utilization of visualized material. |
| Research on the Folk Performing
Arts in the vicinity of Honjo City |
The intention of this project is to do research
on the folk performing arts in the vicinity of Honjo City. |
Research on modernization of Japanese theatre
| Project |
Activities |
| Modernization of Traditional
Theatre |
The Modernization of Japanese traditional theatre,
especially Noh and Kabuki, influenced by Western theatre right
after the Meiji Restoration. Through rotational workshops each
researcher will introduce some of the aspects of this research.
The workshops are as follows:
* Research about the modernization of Kabuki
Tsutsumi Harue : presenting results of her recently submitted
dissertation
Petol Holy : Kabuki plays written by Tsuruya Namboku
Ri Mo : The moderization of Chinese theatre in the light of
Chinese and Japanese comparative theatre studies
* Research of Modernization of Noh
Takemoto Mikio Tamura, Yoko Matrai, Titanilla
The consideration of Western theatre influence on Japanese theatre
may be the basis of research for similar case studies in the
European area. |
| Transformation in Dramatic
Criticism of Works by Shoyo Tsubouchi |
The project will continue to focus on “Kiri-hitoha”
by Tsubouchi Shôyô. Each researcher will strive
to gather information in his specialized field so as to throw
light on various aspects of “Kiri-hitoha“. |
| Studies of Chikusei Mimura's
Diary |
This research group was founded in 1990 with
the purpose of translating Chikusei Mimura’s Diary Fushusôdô
Nichireki(Written between the end of Meiji period and the 20’s
of the Shôwa Period)in order to study his other works,
and introduce him to public. Chikusei Mimura (1876-1950) was
a master of writing, seal engraving, classical literature, liberal
arts, topography, and folklore. Being of noble birth, he also
had the chance of meeting many important historical researchers
of his time personally. The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum
holds 145 volumes of his diary (Meiji 43- Shôwa 28). This
diary is of great value since it displays people’s behaviors
during these times. We will continue to work on exhibitions
and publications of Chikusei’s diary. |
| Engyo Mitamura Posthumous
manuscript: Study of "Meiji·Taisho Jinbutsu-gettan" |
Engyo Mitamura’s (1870-1952) research
on Edo is based on the extensive collection of information and
the inquiry to people that surrounded him. In his late years
(around Shôwa 23, 24) Engyo wrote down his memories, impressions,
and criticism of people with whom he had contacts in his life.
The number of these pages is estimated at around 360, and records
on 95 persons, including politicians, celebrities, and artists
can be found. Engyo’s critique is unique because he describes
people from different angles using his ability as an excellent
observant and a variation of writing styles such as long and
short sentences.
360 pages of Mitamura’s posthumous manuscript “Meiji,
Taishô Jinbutsu-gettan” were translated and stored
in electronic files. Therefore, the purpose of this year’s
research is to study these manuscripts and to develop a lively
picture of these periods and phenomena as well as of the people
mentioned in the diary. |
| Research of Engyo Mitamura’s
Manuscripts |
Creating an index and a database for Engyo’s
"Ganpo" |
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