FLOURISHING JAPANESE THEATER FROM EDO TO THE MODERN ERA

In the world of the Japanese theater, Nohgaku (Noh and Kyogen), Kabuki, and Bunraku have each been recognized by UNESCO as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage. To discover how these beloved forms of Japanese theater originated and rose to fame during the Edo period, WAttention met with Professor Ryuichi Kodama of the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences at Waseda University and Vice Director of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum. Professor Kodama is an expert in the fields of Theater Studies and History of Performing Arts, with extensive knowledge of Kabuki theater. This article is based on our conversation.