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Paper short abstract

This paper focuses on the incense ceremony of the Edo-period - a performative art characterized by the processes of viewing and showing. Within the performance a unique fragmentation of the roles of actor and spectator provides structure and frame for the otherwise tacit olfactory experience.

Paper long abstract

While the introduction of incense was linked to ceremonial purposes within Buddhist rituals, it was only in the medieval period when the celebration of incense woods itself developed into a complex ceremony. In the Edo-period various treatises describe the performance of olfactory appreciation. Within these sources it is not the sensory experience itself, however, which is the most detailed element but the depiction of materials and the performative structure of the events.

Fundamental for the context of the incense ceremony is the development of a theatrical setting. Although there is no conventional stage which separates spectators from actors, the arrangement of furniture and utensils as well as the participants emphasizes the significance of viewing. Additionally, the high level of detail and the strictness of the choreographies performed by the participants underlines the element of showing. These two processes, however, do not stand in opposition but are closely intertwined: within the strictly defined movements every participant performs in the role of an actor as well as a spectator.

This specific fragmentation of the theatrical setting will become the focus of this paper. By looking at a selection of treatises of the incense ceremony it will be shown how the specific structure of the gatherings creates a sphere of highlighted (sensory) experience. The different processes which in combination form this special kind of narrative and ultimately become the focus of the analysis can be found in (1) the play in front of a decorated setting; (2) the development and significance of the differing roles of the individuals, their presentation, and the representational handling of utensils and incense; and finally (3) the interaction between the participants.

Recognizing these different layers, it ultimately becomes clear how the highly individual perception of smell becomes a visually stimulated collective effort. The objectively perceivable metaphors of movements and decoration do not define, but provide a frame for the otherwise indescribable and tacit experience of scents.

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Based on content analysis and interviews with actresses, directors and fans of the three most popular plays staged by the Takarazuka Revue in which leading female characters tend to be enacted by male role players, this paper argues for the existence of a third, 'transgender' gender role.

Paper long abstract

What do Oscar Francois de Jarjayes, Scarlett O'Hara and Empress Elisabeth of Austria have in common? All of them are characters commonly played by 'women in drag' in one of Japan's most popular theatres. With over 100 years of history, Takarazuka Revue is a well-known theatrical company where all roles are performed by women. The actresses specialize in portraying one of two gender roles, becoming known as male (otokoyaku) or female role players (musumeyaku). However, since staging of 'The Rose of Versailles' in 1974, many of Takarazuka's most popular plays have included prominent female characters being performed by the otokoyaku. Although recent studies of the Revue explored the construction and appeal of otokoyaku's gender performance, the existence of a common practice in which female roles are enacted by actresses specializing in performing male roles has yet to be addressed. This paper examines the emergence of such 'transgender' roles and discusses the implications of their popularity among fans.

The study was conducted using three research methods. First, focusing on the contexts in which transgender roles emerge, I performed content analysis of three most popular plays staged by the Takarazuka Revue in which such roles are prominently visible, i.e. 'The Rose of Versailles', 'Gone with the Wind', and 'Elisabeth'. Second, focusing on written materials, I analyzed interviews with actresses who performed transgender roles and stage directors of the plays they appeared in. Finally, I conducted interviews with fans of the Takarazuka Revue and analyzed the reception of such roles by the audience.

The paper argues that the existence of a third, 'transgender' gender role is being acknowledged by fans and differentiated from the officially recognized otokoyaku and musumeyaku gender roles. The findings illustrate the complexity and variety of gender roles seen in the Takarazuka Revue, as well as signify the ways in which the roles are constantly developing based on and following the changes observed within the society as well as the current demands of the Revue fans.

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Paper short abstract

Revue is a stage show that combines multiple performance traditions and modern innovations. This paper interprets revue as a 'liminal' theatre genre by examining its characteristics since the Taisho period and revealing some of the key reasons for its ongoing popularity in Japan.

Paper long abstract

Revue is a modern visual spectacle consisting of vibrant dancing and singing, lavish costumes and mechanically advanced stage set. This theatre genre matured in Europe and America by the 1930s, and its popularity became an international trend. In Japan, the all-female Takarazuka Revue staged Mon Paris in 1927, commonly regarded as Japan's first revue. It was clearly the first European-style revue production which became a nation-wide hit, and the popularity of this form grew. With the success of a number of other minor productions, the foundation was laid for this style to thrive for a century in Japan, even while the genre nearly disappeared in some the European countries where it originated.

My approach regards revue as 'a composition of betweenness' built of seemingly opposing elements such as the classic and the modern, occidental and oriental, professional and amateur, feminine and masculine, analog and digital. This study seeks to redefine revue as an inter-national, inter-cultural, inter-medial form - a distinctively liminal genre.

With Japan in the process of westernisation, revue functioned as a symbol of modernity that would challenge preexisting socio-cultural norms and bring new concepts and criteria to the stage. This presentation will investigate two key ways in which revue established its prominent position in Japan. First, revue has always been a hybrid theatrical form which reflects a dynamic integration and assimilation of foreign culture in Japan. Secondly, revue can be seen as a progressive genre which has provided Japanese women with a springboard to perform in public and to be acknowledged as actresses. These two perspectives are used to reveal why revue is still a strong force in today's Japanese theatre industry, and to explore its social meaning in contemporary Japanese culture.