DOCSLIB.ORG

Queer Potentiality in Postwar Japan and the Post-Method American Theatre

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Queer Potentiality in Postwar Japan and the Post-Method American Theatre UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE Proximal and Reminiscent Nostalgias: Queer Potentiality in Postwar Japan and the Post-Method American Theatre A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Drama and Theatre by Jonathan Charles Reimer Committee in charge: University of California San Diego Professor Emily Roxworthy, Chair Professor Julie Burelle Professor Marianne McDonald Professor Daisuke Miyao University of California Irvine Professor Anthony Kubiak 2020 Copyright Jonathan Charles Reimer, 2020 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Jonathan Charles Reimer is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Chair University of California San Diego University of California Irvine 2020 iii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my grandmothers, Dorothy Reimer and Betty Creyer, both of whom crossed over into the beyond during my time in this program. You are forever loved. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page .......................................................................................................................... iii Dedication .................................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ............................................................................................................................ vi Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. vii Vita ............................................................................................................................................ x Abstract of the Dissertation ....................................................................................................... xi Introduction: Nostalgia and the Past’s Relationship to Now ...................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Performative Trauma in Postwar Japan ................................................................... 32 Chapter 2: Yukio Mishima’s Body ........................................................................................... 72 Chapter 3: Shamanic Meisner ................................................................................................... 126 Chapter 4: Queer Time-Spaces .................................................................................................. 167 Conclusion: The Dawning of the Age of Nostalgias ................................................................. 203 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................ 214 v LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 1.1. Hasegawa, Tōhaku. Shōrin-zu byōbu .......................................................................... 42 Fig. 1.2. Rolls Press. War and Conflict World War Two. pic: September 1945 ...................... 42 Fig. 1.3. Reimer, Jon. A porcelain figurine of 18th-century aristocrats ................................... 53 Fig. 1.4. Reimer, Jon. The figure’s “Made in Occupied Japan” stamp ................................... 53 Fig. 2.1. Guido Reni’s “The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian,” circa 1616 ................................ 84 Fig. 2.2. Yukio Mishima as Saint Sebastian in photo by Kishin Shinoyama, circa 1966 ........ 84 Fig. 2.3. General Douglas MacArthur standing beside Japanese Emperor Hirohito ................. 98 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My journey to this point has been complicated, and the same can be said of my time in the doctoral program at UCSD and UCI. Through all of my teaching jobs, directing gigs, GSR assignments, and some steep learning curves, though, choosing to move to La Jolla to pursue this graduate experience continues to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. As such, there are a lot of people to thank for their love and support in helping me over the past six years. First and foremost, I would like to thank the faculty and staff of the UCSD Department of Theatre and Dance and the UCI Department of Drama. I am especially grateful to my chair, Emily Roxworthy, for her unwavering support, patience, and guidance. You continue to be a role model for my aspirations in academia as a professor, a mentor, an author, and an administrator, as well as in life as a parent, friend, and colleague. I hope to follow in your footsteps enough to make you proud someday. I am also indebted to Marianne McDonald for her dedicated mentorship since the dissertation’s inception. You are my kindred spirit, Marianne, who always understands the intricacies of my interculturalism and obsession with Mishima in ways that others rarely get or cared to. I am truly honored that mine is the final committee of your illustrious career. A special thank you to my other committee members Julie Burelle, Anthony Kubiak, and Daisuke Miyao for contributing to my growth as a scholar and being dedicated stewards towards the completion of this dissertation. You each have given me such profound inspiration and life- altering epiphanies over the years; I am honored to have had you on this journey with me. I would like to extend special thanks and sincerest gratitude to Marybeth Ward, the Graduate Coordinator of the Department of Theatre and Dance during my time at UC San Diego. vii I know I am not alone in saying that I do not think I would have made it through this doctoral program experience without her kind assistance, but it bears repeating: MamaBear, you are truly a one-of-a-kind, generous soul, and I have been so blessed to have you on my team. An entHusiastic thank you to Mark Maltby for being steadfast in his trust and respect toward me from the moment we met. We’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs in Promotions and this department, but you have always had my back. Thank you for being a great boss and an even better San Diego father figure. It cannot go unsaid how thoroughly satisfying this program has been for me, particularly with regards to the amazing tutelage from tremendous scholars and artists I have had the privilege of learning from at UC San Diego, including but not limited to Nadine George-Graves, Jim Carmody, Janet Smarr, Jade Power-Sotomayor, Gabor Tompa, Kim Rubinstein, and Jennifer Chang. Thank you all for providing me with guidance, opportunities, employment, and encouragement during my tenure here. I am better for knowing you and honored you know me. I am also grateful to my fellow PhD peers for their support, guidance, empathy, and friendship. We helped each other along the way, and your community helped me to push forward and see this through. Thank you to my PhD cohort – Tezeru Teshome, Ricardo Rocha, and Michael Dahan – who shared long car rides, long seminars, and long conversations on our journeys from Day One of this program until our one-by-one completions; I am honored to be counted among your ranks. Thank you also to the PhDs of UCSD and UCI who came before and after me, who mentored me as I navigated this process and offered encouragement, guidance, and comradery, especially Yi-Jen Yu, Maddie Williams, Heather Ramey, Matthieu Chapman, and Raimondo Genna. In particular, I must emphatically thank my writing partners and academic besties Alison Urban, Melissa Minniefee, and Kara Raphaeli, as well as Tonya Kneff-Chang of viii the University of Michigan, Jess MitcHell, Jennie Goldstone, and Bayan AbusneineH, who worked with me the most and encouraged me continuously. If it were not for your time and friendship, making it through to the end of this process would not have been nearly as pleasant, so I am forever grateful. At Muhlenberg College, there are also many people to acknowledge. I must start by thanking my mentors Beth Schachter, Jim Peck, and Charlie Richter for being the ones to first set me on this path and for continuing throughout the years to encourage and promote me along the way. Next, to my dear friends and colleagues Randall Smith, Jim VanValen, Kiyaana Cox-Jones, and Matt Moore: thank you for being my sounding boards and kindred spirits. Thanks also to Jess Bien, Curtis Dretsch, Karen Dearborn and everyone else in Theatre and Dance for your kindness, your faith in my abilities and potential, and for always cheering me on. A special life-long shoutout to my family, in particular my parents Clayton and Nancy Reimer, for always supporting me with every crazy endeavor I have chosen to pursue. Doing a PhD in Theatre is definitely one of the biggest ideas I have thrown at you, so thank you for always encouraging me to reach for my goals and live my dream. I love you. Last but not least, I must thank the wonderful Manuel Andres Perez Changanaqui, my beautiful husband. It was during my time in this program that we reconnected, began again, and eventually married. You remain my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. Thank you, Andy, for always being there for me, even when things get tough, especially now. This is for our future; the great work continues. ix VITA 2006 Bachelor of Arts, Muhlenberg College 2014-2020 Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Theatre and Dance University of California San Diego 2018-2019 Lecturer, Dept. of Theatre and Dance University of California San Diego 2018-2019 Lecturer, Dept. of Theatre and Dance Muhlenberg College 2020 Doctor of Philosophy, University of California
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Yukio Mishima, the Unambiguous, and Myself: Living Through a Writer’S Legacy*
    Advances in Literary Study 2013. Vol.1, No.4, 50-53 Published Online October 2013 in SciRes (http://www.scirp.org/journal/als) http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/als.2013.14012 Yukio Mishima, the Unambiguous, and Myself: Living through a Writer’s Legacy* Larry Johnson Department of English, Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC, USA Email: [email protected] Received July 21st, 2013; revised August 25th, 2013; accepted October 14th, 2013 Copyright © 2013 Larry Johnson. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attri- bution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The recent release by Criterion on DVD of Paul Schrader’s film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) and Mishima’s own film Patriotism (1965) has caused the author of this essay to reconsider his relation- ship with the late Japanese writers’ books and literary legacy. Believing that these fine films’ presence on DVD will stimulate much renewed discussion of Mishima both in the US and Japan, the author recalls his first discovery of Mishima’s existence shortly after his famous suicide in 1970, reading and responding to his literary output, and prodding famous authors such as Tennessee Williams and Cormac McCarthy for their thoughts on Mishima’s influence. The author’s two poems about Mishima are included to illustrate his changing inner perceptions of the internationally famous writer and the (now-fading) adverse reaction to his work in Japan caused by his politics and his virtually public suicide. Keywords: Mishima; Japanese Literature Many readers probably remember that Yukio Mishima (1925- girls (Piven, 2004: p.
    [Show full text]
  • Carol Raskin
    Carol Raskin Artistic Images Make-Up and Hair Artists, Inc. Miami – Office: (305) 216-4985 Miami - Cell: (305) 216-4985 Los Angeles - Office: (310) 597-1801 FILMS DATE FILM DIRECTOR PRODUCTION ROLE 2019 Fear of Rain Castille Landon Pinstripe Productions Department Head Hair (Kathrine Heigl, Madison Iseman, Israel Broussard, Harry Connick Jr.) 2018 Critical Thinking John Leguizamo Critical Thinking LLC Department Head Hair (John Leguizamo, Michael Williams, Corwin Tuggles, Zora Casebere, Ramses Jimenez, William Hochman) The Last Thing He Wanted Dee Rees Elena McMahon Productions Additional Hair (Miami) (Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Toby Jones, Rosie Perez) Waves Trey Edward Shults Ultralight Beam LLC Key Hair (Sterling K. Brown, Kevin Harrison, Jr., Alexa Demie, Renee Goldsberry) The One and Only Ivan Thea Sharrock Big Time Mall Productions/Headliner Additional Hair (Bryan Cranston, Ariana Greenblatt, Ramon Rodriguez) (U. S. unit) 2017 The Florida Project Sean Baker The Florida Project, Inc. Department Head Hair (Willem Dafoe, Bria Vinaite, Mela Murder, Brooklynn Prince) Untitled Detroit City Yann Demange Detroit City Productions, LLC Additional Hair (Miami) (Richie Merritt Jr., Matthew McConaughey, Taylour Paige, Eddie Marsan, Alan Bomar Jones) 2016 Baywatch Seth Gordon Paramount Worldwide Additional Hair (Florida) (Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, David Hasselhoff) Production, Inc. 2015 The Infiltrator Brad Furman Good Films Production Department Head Hair (Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt, Olympia
    [Show full text]
  • Read Book Runaway Horses Pdf Free Download
    RUNAWAY HORSES PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Yukio Mishima | 432 pages | 11 Mar 1999 | Vintage Publishing | 9780099282891 | English | London, United Kingdom Solve the Problem of a Runaway Horse - Horse&Rider Retrieved August 2, Archived from the original on October 12, Retrieved November 23, Chart Position". Retrieved Music Canada. Solo Exitos — Ano A Ano. IFPI Sweden. IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 8, Book Commons. Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. AOR , pop rock , adult contemporary. Heaven on Earth Runaway Horses Live Your Life Be Free Seidman Vidal. Kelly Sky Steinberg. Munday Stewart. Caffey Carlisle. Austrian Albums Chart [5]. Canadian Album Chart [6]. Dutch Albums Chart [5]. German Albums Chart [7]. In the decadent West people often get together and have all kinds of pointless, speculative conversations. The current political climate being what it is, one subject that frequently comes up, at least amongst my friends, is whether you would be prepared to die for a cause, or an ideal. During these debates my position is unequivocal; my answer is a firm no. Not under any circumstances. My vehemence can, in part, be explained by my cowardice. I am, I freely admit, a rum coward. Yet I do also have philosophical objections. Someone who dies for an ideal is, to me, just a dead idiot, because their ideal, which is necessarily subjective in character, dies with them.
    [Show full text]
  • The Relevance of Tennessee Williams for the 21St- Century Actress
    Ouachita Baptist University Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita Honors Theses Carl Goodson Honors Program 2009 Then & Now: The Relevance of Tennessee Williams for the 21st- Century Actress Marcie Danae Bealer Ouachita Baptist University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses Part of the American Film Studies Commons, and the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Recommended Citation Bealer, Marcie Danae, "Then & Now: The Relevance of Tennessee Williams for the 21st- Century Actress" (2009). Honors Theses. 24. https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses/24 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Carl Goodson Honors Program at Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Then & Now: The Relevance of Tennessee Williams for the 21st- Century Actress Marcie Danae Bealer Honors Thesis Ouachita Baptist University Spring 2009 Bealer 2 Finding a place to begin, discussing the role Tennessee Williams has played in the American Theatre is a daunting task. As a playwright Williams has "sustained dramatic power," which allow him to continue to be a large part of American Theatre, from small theatre groups to actor's workshops across the country. Williams holds a central location in the history of American Theatre (Roudane 1). Williams's impact is evidenced in that "there is no actress on earth who will not testify that Williams created the best women characters in the modem theatre" (Benedict, par 1). According to Gore Vidal, "it is widely believed that since Tennessee Williams liked to have sex with men (true), he hated women (untrue); as a result his women characters are thought to be malicious creatures, designed to subvert and destroy godly straightness" (Benedict, par.
    [Show full text]
  • Daily Bonds, Stocks, & Currency
    DAILY BONDS, STOCKS, & CURRENCY COMMENTARY Wednesday December 23, 2020 BONDS COMMENTARY 12/23/20 We expect rallies off scheduled data but doubt the gains will hold OVERNIGHT CHANGES THROUGH 3:16 AM (CT): BONDS -0 Overnight treasury prices extended yesterday's bounce but ultimately failed to hold the gains and have settled back into negative territory early today. We suspect the volatility in treasuries was the result of news that the President might reject the intensely negotiated stimulus deal because direct payments were not sufficient. While not a recent definitive impact on treasury prices, it would also appear as if yet another major junction looms from the exit negotiations with both sides the table committed to one last attempt to solve the divorce before it is forced upon the parties. While the markets are likely to view the US durable goods order as the primary release of the day, (early due to holiday) initial and ongoing claims data figures will add to the potential volatility in the 7:30 release window. On the other hand, traders should acknowledge yesterday's significant jump in quarterly PCE readings were the highest since the second quarter of 2011 and that could be an early warning sign that deflation is being replaced with reflation. Therefore, the monthly PCE index this morning might be very important measure to watch, especially with predictions for that reading only expected to post a fractional gain! Given the markets inability to rally off weak scheduled data recently, we would suggest traders wait for a rally to the vicinity of 174-00 to sell March bonds and or a rally to 138-07 to get short March Notes.
    [Show full text]
  • Important Facts for Prelims (2Nd April 2019)
    Important Facts For Prelims (2nd April 2019) drishtiias.com/printpdf/important-facts-for-prelims-2nd-april-2019 Thakurani Jatra Festival Recently, celebrations of the biennial Thakurani Jatra festival started in Berhampur, Odisha. During the festival, Goddess Budhi Thakurani is taken from the main temple at Thakurani Temple Street to her temporary abode at Desi Behera Street, where she stays till the festival ends. The first Thakurani Yatra was celebrated in April 1779. The festival goes on for 32 days. The goddess is considered to be a family member of Desibehera, the leader of the Dera community, the weaver clan that has made Berhampur famous as the silk city. Reiwa: Japan's New Era The Japanese government has announced that the reign of the next Japanese emperor will be known as the "Reiwa" era. The term for the new era is made up of the two characters Rei and Wa. Rei can mean "commands" or "order", as well as "auspicious" or "good". While, Wa often means "harmony", and is also used in the Japanese word for "peace" - "hei-wa". The name draws from the 7th century poetry collection “Manyoshu.” This is the first era name to have been inspired by a Japanese, rather than Chinese, work of classical literature. The new era takes effect on May 1, 2019 with the coronation of Crown Prince Naruhito (126th emperor of the Chrysanthemum Throne). Chrysanthemum Throne is a common name given to the Imperial throne of Japan. It is the oldest continuing monarchy in the world. Under the provisions of the current Constitution of Japan, the Emperor is a "symbol of the state and the unity of its people"; he has no real political power but is regarded as a ceremonial Head of State and constitutional 1/2 monarch.
    [Show full text]
  • Study Guide for DE Madameby Yukio Mishima SADE Translated from the Japanese by Donald Keene
    Study Guide for DE MADAMEBy Yukio Mishima SADE Translated from the Japanese by Donald Keene Written by Sophie Watkiss Edited by Rosie Dalling Rehearsal photography by Marc Brenner Production photography by Johan Persson Supported by The Bay Foundation, Noel Coward Foundation, 1 John Lyon’s Charity and Universal Consolidated Group Contents Section 1: Cast and Creative Team Section 2: An introduction to Yukio Mishima and Japanese theatre The work and life of Yukio Mishima Mishima and Shingeki theatre A chronology of Yukio Mishima’s key stage plays Section 3: MADAME DE SADE – history inspiring art The influence for Mishima’s play The historical figures of Madame de Sade and Madame de Montreuil. Renée’s marriage to the Marquis de Sade Renee’s life as Madame de Sade Easter day, 1768 The path to the destruction of the aristocracy and the French Revolution La Coste Women, power and sexuality in 18th Century France Section 4: MADAME DE SADE in production De Sade through women’s eyes The historical context of the play in performance Renée’s ‘volte-face’ The presence of the Marquis de Sade The duality of human nature Elements of design An interview with Fiona Button (Anne) Section 5: Primary sources, bibliography and endnotes 2 section 1 Cast and Creative Team Cast Frances Barber: Comtesse de Saint-Fond For the Donmar: Insignificance. Theatre includes: King Lear & The Seagull (RSC), Anthony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare’s Globe), Aladdin (Old Vic), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Edinburgh Festival & Gielgud). Film includes: Goal, Photographing Fairies, Prick Up Your Ears. Television includes: Hotel Babylon, Beautiful People, Hustle, The I.T.
    [Show full text]
  • Prints and Their Production; a List of Works in the New York Public Library
    N E UC-NRLF PRINTS AND THEIR PRODUCTION A LIST OF WORKS IN THE NEW YORK PUPUBLIC LIBRARY COMPILED BY FRANK WEITENKAMPF, L.H.D. CHIEF, ART AND PRINTS DIVISION NEW YORK PUBLIC LIB-RARY 19 l6 ^4^ NOTE to This list contains the titles of works relating owned the prints and their production, by Reference on Department of The New York Public Library in the Central Build- November 1, 1915. They are Street. ing, at Fifth Avenue and Forty-second Reprinted September 1916 FROM THE Bulletin of The New York Public Library November - December 1915 form p-02 [ix-20-lfl 25o] CONTENTS I. Prints as Art Products PAGE - - Bibliography 1 Individual Artists - - 2>7 - 2 General and Miscellaneous Works Special Processes - - _ . 79 Periodicals and Societies - - - 3 Etching - - - - - - 79 Processes: Line Engraving and Proc- Handbooks (Technical) - - 79 esses IN General - - - 4 History - 81 Regional - ----- 82 Handbooks for the Student and Col- (Subdivided lector ------ 6 by countries.) Stipple 84 Sales and Prices: General Works - 7 Mezzotint - 84 Extra-Illustration - - - - 8 Aquatint 86 Care of Prints ----- 8 Dotted Prints (Maniere Criblee; History (General) . - _ _ 9 Schrotblatter) - - - - 86 Nielli -_--__ H Wood Engraving - - - - 86 Paste Prints ("Teigdrucke") - - 12 Handbooks (Technical) - - 87 Reproductions of Prints - - - 12 History ------ 87 History (Regional) - - - - 13 Block-books ----- 89 (Subdivided by countries; includes History: Regional- - - - 90 Japanese prints.) (Subdivided by countries.) Dictionaries of Artists - - - 26 Lithography ----- 91 Exhibitions (General and Miscel- Handbooks (Technical) - - 91 laneous) 29 History ------ 94 Collections (Public) - - - - 31 Regional - 95 (Subdivided by countries.) (Subdivided by countries.) Collections (Private) - - - - 34 Color Prints ----- 96 II.
    [Show full text]
  • Kumazawa Agonistes: the Right of Conquest and the Rise of Democratic Ideology (Part One)
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE 【論文】 Kumazawa Agonistes: The Right of Conquest and the Rise of Democratic Ideology (Part One) Jason M. Morgan Introduction:TheKumazawaCase TO: General MacARTHUR. A very curious letter came across Douglas MacArthurʼs FROM: KUMAZAWA, Hiromichi (熊沢寛道) desk on August 11, 1947. It was hardly the only letter to arrive KYOTO To, SAKYO ku, TANAKA KITAHARUNA – 1. that day, to be sure. MacArthur was the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers—SCAP—and essentially the de facto DATE: (No date.) shogun of Japan. Since Japanʼs defeat in the Greater East Asia War, MacArthur had reigned as head of General Headquarters, The writer states that during the period when the Imperial GHQ, and, in effect, as the benevolent dictator of the entire throne was divided between the Northern and Southern archipelago. Dynasties, Emperor GOKOMATSU (後小松) of the The SCAP archives, housed in the National Diet Library Northern Dynasty killed Prince JITSUHITO (実仁), son in Nagatachō, contain boxes and boxes of microfiched letters and heir of Emperor GOKAMEYAMA (後亀山) of the to the power behind the Chrysanthemum Throne. Summarized Southern Dynasty, thus putting an end to the Southern and also mimeographed from the originals, the letters touch Dynasty. The Northern Dynasty then became sole on every conceivable subject, from complaints about the black claimant to the Imperial throne. market and concerns about building practices to denunciations of individuals and organizations for reasons both public- The writer has conducted extensive research throughout minded and personal, profound and petty. NARA, MIE, FUKUSHIMA, and AICHI prefectures But one letter stands out.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction the Making of Decadence in Japan 1
    Notes Introduction The Making of Decadence in Japan 1. Nakao Seigo, “Regendered Artistry: Tanizaki Junichiro and the Tradition of Decadence,” (Ph.D. Diss. New York U, 1992), p. 53. 2. Homi K. Bhabha, The Location of Culture. New York: Routledge, 1994, p. 122. 3. Ibid., p. 123. 4. Ibid., p. 130. 5. Kamishima Jirō, Kindai nihon no seishin kōzō [The Structure of the Modern Japanese Mind]. Tokyo: Iwanami, 1961, p. 183. Kamishima introduces the word “reiki” (encouraging reinforcement) to describe the acculturation pro- cess that appeared to further the social phenomenon of decadence in late Meiji Japan. He argues that individualism, the decay of conventional ethics, the corruption of public morals, and a collective neurosis, etc., were ubiqui- tous by the end of the Meiji period. According to Kamishima, these social fac- tors already existed in pre-Meiji Japan, but became more visible in the 1900s. These indigenous factors were not transplanted but simply “reinforced” through contact with the West. 6. In reality, Ariwara no Narihira lived in the ninth century (825–880). Ise Monogatari offers a fictional version of Narihira and places him in the context of the year 950 or thereabouts. Karaki traces Narihira’s decadent image not on the basis of biographical facts but via the fictional image created by the author of Ise Monogatari. See Karaki Junzō, Muyōsha no keifu. Tokyo: Chikuma, 1960, p. 10. 7. Fujiwara no Kusuko (?–810), a daughter of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu and the wife of Fujiwara no Tadanushi, was Emperor Heijō’s mistress. She and her brother, Fujiwara no Nakanari, vehemently opposed the Emperor’s decision to leave the throne.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tokyo Ballet “M” the 50Th Anniversary of Yukio Mishima's Death Saturday, November 21, 2020 15:00 (Doors Open at 14:00)
    The Tokyo Ballet “M” The 50th Anniversary of Yukio Mishima’s Death Saturday, November 21, 2020 15:00 (Doors open at 14:00) Kanagawa Kenmin Hall (Main Hall) Running Time: About 1 hour and 40 minutes without intermission. Choreography / Decor and Costume Concepts: Maurice Béjart Music : MAYUZUMI Toshiro, Claude Debussy, Johann Strauss II, Richard Wagner and others *There will be no intermission. Please make sure to arrive at the venue in good time, as latecomers will not be permitted to take their seats. *Accompaniment will consist of live piano performance by KIKUCHI Yoko and recorded music. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Even today, the writer MISHIMA Yukio is internationally acclaimed for his unique and striking ideas. When master choreographer Maurice Béjart was commissioned to create a ballet on the theme of "Japan" for the Tokyo Ballet in 1993, he chose Mishima as his subject. As indicated in Béjart's comment that he "created this piece for the love of a poet", this was a bold attempt to create a ballet that would not simply tell the story of Mishima's life and writings, but would incorporate the entirety of his life, literature, thought and aesthetics into a single ballet. The work begins with the sea, a motif that often appears in Mishima's works. A young boy, Mishima, appears amidst the sound of the waves, and embarks on a journey, which appears to follow the pilgrimage of his own soul. The boy has four alter egos, and the fourth one is revealed to be " Death". A dizzying array of images from Mishima's masterpieces including "Kyoko's House," "Forbidden Colors," "Rokumeikan," "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea," and "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion," as well as Saint Sebastian – a kind of aesthetic motif running through his various works – unfold one after another on the stage.
    [Show full text]
  • Faubion Bowers and Theatre Censor- Ship in Occupied Japan
    Books The Man Who Saved Kabuki: Faubion Bowers and Theatre Censor- ship in Occupied Japan. By Shiro Okamoto. Translated and adapted by Samuel L. Leiter. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2001; 210 pp. $40.00 cloth, $17.95 paper. A half-century has passed since the end of the American Occupation of Ja- pan. Although much has been written about that period, until recently schol- ars ignored (or were unaware of) hundreds, perhaps thousands, of file boxes stacked somewhere in the darkened corridors of Washington, DC. These doc- uments form a rich archive of information about theatre censorship during the Occupation. While we await the results of research being conducted by Japa- nese theatre scholar James Brandon and by Michael Cassidy, a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh writing his dissertation on “The Propaganda Picture Show: Kamishibai during the U.S. Occupation of Japan,” we can get a peek of what lies inside by reading Samuel L. Leiter’s translation and adap- tation of Shiro Okamoto’s remarkable The Man Who Saved Kabuki: Faubion Bowers and Theatre Censorship in Occupied Japan (originally published in 1998). Despite the title, the book is not so much a hagiography (though it is that, too) as a history of the complex interplay between the psychology of a defeated na- tion and its occupying conquerors. We are reminded of General Douglas Mac- Arthur’s absolute belief in his own infallibility and his draconian, paternalistic, often Orientalist ideas, such as his famous dictum that Japan was a nation of 12-year-olds. MacArthur’s goal—that is, the goal of the Occupation itself, for like Louis XIV, MacArthur and the State were one—was nothing less than a total reversal of 2,000 years of Japanese thinking, accomplished through the imposition of American-style “democracy.” Kabuki (all male, filled with de- votion to duty, vendettas, ritual suicide, prostitution, etc.) seemed to embody the feudalistic elements that the Occupation was determined to sweep away.
    [Show full text]