"Kanadehon Chūshingura" in Kabuki Theater – A Universal Reflection of Japanese Uniqueness
"Kanadehon Chūshingura" in Kabuki Theater – A Universal Reflection of Japanese Uniqueness

Author(s): Iga Rutkowska
Subject(s): Cultural history, Studies of Literature, Other Language Literature, Philology
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Kanadehon chūshingura; kabuki; Kuromori Kabuki; Chūshinkan juzō; Maurice Béjart; Sada Yakko; Tōkaidō Yotsuya kaidan; suicide; Ichikawa Danjūrō II
Summary/Abstract: Kabuki, one of the most important classical Japanese and world traditional theaters for almost three and a half centuries (from the beginning of the seventeenth century until the end of the Pacific War) was a very popular mass phenomenon in Japan. This contemporary theater, which represented the life of the entire society – people’s dreams, wishes, and problems – has always been strictly connected to politics and social changes, as well as to Japan’s reception in the West. The form has changed (and is still changing) together with politics, times, and culture. This article discusses issues related to the uniqueness of Japanese culture and its universal reflection in kabuki theater based on the example of "Kanadehon chūshingura" ["The Treasury of Loyal Retainers"] drama, a hit of all times.

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