Relevant Figures at the Early Stage of the Modernization of Japanese Theatre

Abstract

Modern Japanese theatre started after the Meiji Restoration (1868), under the overall tendency of westernization in every field of Japanese culture. However, the modernizing of theatre was not a straight, but rather a zigzag, course. The present paper examines the significance of activities of relevant figures at the early stage of theatre modernization in Japan. They are Yoda Gakkai, Fukuchi Ochi, and Hanabusa Ryugai. Their activities have not been properly investigated or appreciated in the history of modern theatre. Certainly, they would not be called creators of modern drama—or shingeki—but they undoubtedly contributed something for the next generation to establish it. By examining their activities, one will come to realize how difficult and complex it was to create modern theatre in Japan, which had a long dramatic tradition of its own.