The Japan Society Review 85
Book, Stage, Film, Arts and Events Review

Issue 85 Volume 15 Number 1 (February 2020)

Welcome to the first issue of The Japan Society Review in 2020.
We start our 15th year of publication with renewed energy andcommitment to advance the knowledge and understanding ofJapan. In this period of crisis and uncertainty due to COVID-19, we
hope all our readers and their families and friends keep healthy
and well and invite you to discover new aspects of Japaneseculture from the safety of your home. If you are intrigued bythese suggestions and would like to read the books, pleasecontact your local bookshop to check their delivery/online
options to support them during this difficult time.
In this issue we include six reviews which examine history
books, literary works and theatre performances. In the first place,
we look at the historical figure of the samurai in two publications
which approach it from different perspectives. Samurai: A
Concise History by Michael Wert offers an historical introduction
to the samurai class and its influence on Japan, including its
image in media and pop culture. Exploring the roles of thethe first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from
Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.
Also approaching Japanese culture from a foreign pointof view, Japanese Tales of Lafcadio Hearn offers a collection oftwenty-eight stories inspired by Japanese folk tales and written
by renowned Western expatriate Lafcadio Hearn (1850–1904).
Hearn’s work spans a variety of genres, from fantastical ghost tales
to love stories in which the beloved is not what she appears to
be and provide insights into Japan’s artistic and cultural heritage.
Matayoshi Naoki’s first novel Spark explores the world of
comedians in Japan focusing on the life and artistic struggles of
two manzai performers. This book has been hugely successful
in Japan since it was first published in 2016. It has won the
Akutagawa Prize and was adapted for film, stage and TV - thehit series is available on Netflix UK.
This issue finishes with reviews of two stage performances.
The first one is a combination of music, the comic intermissions

samurai in watershed events such as Japan’s invasions of Korea
at the close of the sixteenth century and the Satsuma Rebellionof 1877, this book provides a lively account of both famed andordinary samurai who shaped Japanese history. Yasuke: The
True Story of the Legendary African Samurai by Thomas Lockley
and Geoffrey Girard is a fictional work based on the life story ofof Noh theatre (kyogen), and A Christmas Carol. The second
performance expresses the global concern over climatechange through butoh dance. Both are ambitious and thoughtprovoking products of a fruitful period in artistic exchange
between Japan and the UK.
Alejandra Armendáriz-Hernández

Contents
1)

Samurai: A Concise History by Michael Wert

2)

Yasuke. The True Story of the Legendary African Samurai
by Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard

3)Japanese Tales of Lafcadio Hearn edited and introducedby Andrei Codrescu

4)

Spark by Matayoshi Naoki

5)

Music Kyogen Scrooge

6)

Tipping Point: Our World in Crisis

EditorAlejandra Armendáriz-Hernández
Reviewers
Alice Baldock, Laurence Green, Trevor Skingle and Azmina Sohail.
Image: detail of the cover of Spark by Matayoshi Naoki published by
Pushkin Press

Samurai: A Concise History
by Michael Wert
Oxford University Press (2019)
ISBN-13: 978-1912866496
Review by Trevor Skingle
From the Kabuki characters posing
on stage in a mie pose throughmanga and anime to the historical sword fighting
epics of Japanese cinema, the concept of the samurai
has pretty much always provoked a variety of images
in the mind. From the merciless assassin to thecompassionate yet doomed hero, from the wandering
masterless ronin to the philosophical kensei sword
saint of legendary skill. In this very handy sized andconcise book of just over one-hundred pages Professor
Michael Wert, an associate professor at Marquette
University, attempts to explain in easy to understandterms the origins and development of the samurai,that most archetypal of Japanese warriors.
The book is broken down into five chapters.
The first ‘Introduction: Becoming Those Who Served’
covers the development of the notion of samurai(literally ‘one who serves’). In the process Wert disdains
the use of the term samurai to describe early Japanesefighters in favour of the English word warrior. Wert’s
explanations cover the ever changing dynamics
and ambitions of militaristic groups and individuals,
between their parochial provincial-based interests andthe Court and Capital. The general range of multiple
occupations that people were otherwise engaged
in when not busy with military style functions is also
discussed. Finally Wert examines the rise of the early
military leaders Taira Masakado, Taira Kiyomori, andMinamoto Yoritomo; and the Gempei War (11801185) after which there emerged for the first time acentralised ruling warrior regime.
The second chapter ‘Early Warrior Authority’covers what for some, given the seeming preeminence of men in Japanese history, might be thesurprisingly pivotal role of women in the succession
and transference of power and property between andwithin court centred and local provincial factions. The
chapter also explores the establishment of the first
Shogunate at Kamakura in 1185 and the developmentof its bureaucratic structures and expertise under thesubsequent Hojo regency regime (1199-1333). It also
analyses the tightening of affiliations with and within
the nobility by warrior factions, and the progressive
step from the military’s previously subservient role to2

the Court to one of joint rule. The author then posessome interesting conjectures about the Mongol
incursions which interrupted these developments.
This, he asserts, enhanced Hojo jurisdiction whilst
counterintuitively marking the beginning of the end of
the Kamakura military rule, yet leaving behind an early
warrior legacy for subsequent regimes.
Chapter three ‘War and Culture’, the longest andmost in depth chapter in the book, initially deals with therise of the Muromachi Shogunate under the Ashikaga.
It sheds light on the behind-the-scenes manipulationof warrior cliques by the Court and the ascendancyof regional governors and warlords to the detrimentof and away from Kyoto-based Court rule. Contrary
to generally held misperceptions about the primacy
of individual declaiming sword wielding samurai inbattle, Wert then goes on to enlighten the reader bydiscussing the actual methods of combat and types ofarmour and weapons used, including firearms, alongwith the later development and typical architecture of
castles. Then, almost in contrast to earlier assertions inthis chapter about the individual behaviour of samurai
on the battlefield, the author looks at the acceptabilityof informal, respect based, samurai codes of ritualistic
conduct and combat used during conflicts. Because of
the chapter’s title and that it starts with the exampleof Oda Nobunaga’s interest in and practice of Noh,the reader might be mistaken for making an early
assumption that this chapter is about the civil culturalside of warrior’s way of life. The reader is fairly quickly
disabused of this notion when it becomes apparent
that the chapter, almost in its entirety, mainly covers
their conduct in combat. It might perhaps have been
more apt for the chapter to have been titled ‘The
Culture of War’ even though warrior incursions into
the civil artistic life of the nobility are briefly touched
upon at the end of the chapter. The chapter concludes
with the end of Ashikaga dominance, the first major
and extremely violent urban conflagration in Kyoto
during the Onin War (1467-1477), and the reassertionof the power of provincial warlords. This is followed in
the final part by the coverage of the first glimmeringsof national consolidation by the first two of thetriumvirate of national unification, Oda Nobunaga andToyotomi Hideyoshi.
The further consolidation and codification of
the authority, familial infrastructure and behaviour of
warrior elites under the Tokugawa dominated Edoera (1603-1868) is covered in chapter four ‘Warriors
in an Age of Peace’. Wert asserts that the stabilityof power relationships between the Tokugawa
Issue 85 Volume 15 Number 1 (February 2020)

administrative military authority and other primaryand subsidiary domains, in particular outside tozama
daimyo and vassal fudai lords, were not as rigorous
as is generally thought. The chapter also explains thefurther attempts at the consolidation and classificationof non-warrior groups beginning with Hideyoshi’ssword hunt to deprive the general population, for theforeseeable future, of swords. Though swords (andfirearms) were afterwards, supposedly, the exclusive
reserve of the warrior class, the author also affirmsthat this was subject to a variety of interpretations
dependant on the local situation and status of the
non-warrior commoner; what the author refers to as
the ‘Commoner-Samurai Grey Zone’.
The final chapter ‘Inventing the Samurai’
discusses the beginnings of what might be accepted
as the notion of idealised samurai, their categorisation
as a social group and the further cross fertilisationof their culture with that of commoners. Alongside
this, the author emphasizes, it came the increasing
importance of samurai genealogy, the publicationof etiquette manuals and warrior rosters. From abrief explanation of the ideal samurai as portrayedin Kabuki emerges a description of the Ako Incident(also known as the 47 Ronin) a historical event in
the 18th-century which became pivotal in samurai
history. The discussion attempts to demonstrate theimportant influence of the incident and associatedConfucianist and later Neo-Confucianist philosophy
on perceptions of samurai culture both then and ina post samurai world. It also links the incident to the

Yasuke. The True Storyof the Legendary African
Samuraiby Thomas Lockley andGeoffrey Girard
Sphere (2019)
ISBN-13: 978-0751571615
Review by Laurence Green
Yasuke loomed over them focused, undaunted.
Wrathful. One of the soldiers glanced at the sword in
his own trembling hand and his look revealed all: it
was not weapon enough to fell such a man... The threesoldiers remained spellbound, unable to move. Evenwords failed them. “Yasuke de gozaru,” the African
samurai challenged, stepping forward into attack
position. I am Yasuke.

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book of idealist samurai conduct Hagakure (Hidden
amongst the Leaves by Yamamoto Tsunetomo). Yet,contradictorily, Wert asserts that all of this high idealism
led to the satirical parodying and denigration of themodel of the idealised samurai, ironically by samurai
commentators themselves. The chapter is rounded off
with discussions about the fertilisation of commoner
culture by samurai tales, and the transference ofallegiance by the samurai from the Shogunate to the
Court as a result of incursions by Western powers
which, ironically, led to the Meiji restoration of Imperial
rule and the subsequent demise of the samurai. The
final section deals with post restoration legacy of thesamurai with some interesting hypotheses which,as in earlier sections, run counter to the generally
accepted received wisdom about samurai that tends
to permeate popular culture.
Overall this is a curious, thought provoking
and oftimes exciting romp through the history of
the samurai in Japan. There are quite a few ideas,interpretations and propositions that go against
the grain of what many readers may have thought
and accepted about samurai. If the intention was toprovoke as well as educate the book succeeds. It isinteresting that the author seems to try to limit theamount of terms usually rendered in the Japanese
language, instead preferring to use English equivalents.
This may be perhaps as the intention is for the book toeventually be published as part of Oxford University
Press’s Very Short Introduction series.§

Powerful anecdotes like this lie at the heart of Thomas
Lockley and Geoffrey Girard’s account of the life of
Yasuke, the African mercenary-turned-samurai who
found himself, against all odds, immersed in the very
heart of political and military power in 16th century
Japan, thousands of miles from his birthplace. The
two authors, bringing their expertise from academia
and ‘historical adventure’ non-fiction respectively,
combine forces to unleash a fast-moving narrativethat takes us from Yasuke’s arrival in Japan under theservice of Jesuit missionaries, through descriptionsof his physical prowess and aptitude at the Japanese
language, to his position serving famed daimyo Oda
Nobunaga. To this end, we are offered a uniquely
imagined ‘eye-witness’ viewpoint that not only tells us
what happens, but strives to let us feel it too.
3

The book purports to be both a biography
and military history, and that’s perhaps how best
to approach the style at play here. At times – as the
opening snapshot suggests – it may read like macho,mass market ‘lad lit’, but while these quasi-fictional
narrative embellishments add considerable flavour tothe telling of Yasuke’s story, it is important to recognisethat they are always in service to a wider historicalcontext. Yasuke is central to this tale, but he is by nomeans the only key player.
Indeed, one of the most engaging figures of thebook’s opening passages is Italian missionary Alessandro
Valignano, whose efforts to ingratiate himself to thepowers that be in Japan (and by extension, further theaims of the Christian church there) feels symptomaticof a crucial era in global history where, suddenly, evencomparatively isolated realms like Japan became partof a larger field of play. As the book puts it, ‘the world
had grown much smaller’.
Central to this idea of global flows is, of course,
Yasuke himself. As a black man, finding himself
as both a minority and curiosity in Japan, ample
space is given to unpacking the practical and moral
complexities of how he found himself to be there in
the first place, and how his ‘blackness’ was envisioned
once he was there. Chapter Five (entitled ‘The Termsof Employment’) in particular shares a fascinating
discourse on the nuances of indentured servitude,
as well as how race was viewed at the time. Namely,that modern concepts of skin colour stem from 18thand 19th century ‘scientific’ classifications, and thatto Europeans of the 16th century, darker skin simply
signified ‘non-Christian’. It is in chapters like thesethat the book’s core premise – essentially a story of apioneering figure, intriguing precisely because of his
exceptionality – feels both freshest and at its mostinteresting. The version of history offered is not strictly
revisionary, but it continually asks us to question what
we think we know of both Japan, and the people thatinteracted there, whatever their race or nation.
Elsewhere, we tread more familiar ground, andwhen, later on, we are told of Yasuke’s encounters
fending off attacking ninja, it can all feel a little too much
like wish-fulfillment ‘Who’d win? Ninja or Samurai?’
war-gaming, like a kid throwing all their favourite toys
down on the play mat and hoping for the best. In muchthe same manner, the book’s middle passages can feela little bloated at times, and a momentary diversion
into Yasuke’s former life serving as a mercenary inIndia is tonally at odds with the consistently Japanese
atmospherics that suffuse the rest of his story. There
4is also the larger question of how much this book is
ultimately Yasuke’s story specifically, and how much issimply another in a long line of dramatic rehashingsof this particularly tumultuous period in Japanese
history. We might ask – who exactly is the intended
audience here, and are those coming to this talespecifically for Yasuke interested in the immenselyrich backdrop of associated historical personages? It iseasy to imagine some, lured in by the book’s uniquepremise, becoming wearied by the seemingly endlessprocession of assorted feudal politicking.
That said, the book saves its masterstroke till latein the game – this comes in the form of a nail-bitingly
dramatic set-piece that sees Nobunaga’s last moments(and Yasuke’s pivotal role in them) unfolding in realtime as he makes his final stand against treacherous rival
factions. The sense of timing is palpable as, faced withinsurmountable odds, Nobanaga decides to commit
harakiri, bestowing Yasuke with the incredible owner ofbearing his severed head and sword to his son Nobutada.
Fleeing the scene with seconds to spare, dodging bullets
and arrows, to arrive breathless at Nobutada’s feet withthe fateful package, the authors’ movie-like commandof the narrative reaches its peak here with an actionpacked dynamism straight out of a thriller.
But there’s more – in some ways even morecompelling than this frenetic explosion of violence isthe book’s more reflective final chapter where we arepresented Yasuke’s legacy in an overview of materials
featuring him (and figures inspired by him) that takes
us right up to the likes of anime, manga and video
games in the present day. The long shadow cast by
Yasuke’s story is an impressive one, all the more sogiven we have just spent so many pages in his directcompany. His life, for hundreds of years lost to history,
was ultimately not in vain.
As one of the most readable histories to grace
the field of Japanese Studies in a while, Yasuke’s story
deserves as wide a readership as possible – not only
for its subject matter, but also the consummate skill bywhich its authors have blended history and dramatic
narrative in a manner that opens the tale up in a way
far drier academic tomes invariably fail. Some maysneer at the glossy, movie poster-esque cover art or thesimplicity of the language – but this is to both ignore
the clear scholarly input addressed in the ample endnotes, and to miss the point in the purpose of a booklike this: To above all else, tell an engaging tale. And
what a tale Yasuke’s is.§Issue 85 Volume 15 Number 1 (February 2020)

Japanese Tales of Lafcadio
Hearn
by Lafcadio Hearnedited and introduced by Andrei
Codrescu
Princeton University Press (2019)
ISBN-13: 978-0691167756
Review by Azmina Sohail

Japanese Tales of Lafcadio Hearn is a great exampleof how literature has evolved and should continue to
evolve in every sense of the word; in representation,
theme and language. In order to appreciate or evenunderstand this collection of folk tales, you must
detach yourself from your present reality and open
yourself up to a world not just of fantasy but of ancient
mythological history where Shinto traditions, mysticism
and anthropomorphism are very much alive.
Lafcadio Hearn, also known by his Japanese name
Koizumi Yakumo, was of Greek and Irish descent but
moved to Japan during the nineteenth century after
emigrating to the US and the West Indies where heworked as a newspaper reporter and a teacher. It was inJapan that he found a real sense of belonging and soon
married a Japanese woman, became a Buddhist andhad a family, spending the remainder of his life there.
Before embarking on this collection, it’s important
to note that Japan during the nineteenth century was
still considered an exotic and somewhat uncharteredplace for the Western traveller and subsequently
subject to voyeuristic observations by writers. Hearn
seems to play into this notion by writing in the genre offantasy, but upon further analysis it’s clear that, with hisamalgamation of Japanese language, ancient Shinto
traditions and folklore, his appreciation for Japan is anextension of his identity. The stories often centre on asingle traveller (usually a farmer, priest or samurai) andhis encounters with supernatural forces; nature thathas come to life, wondering sprites or the spirits ofdeceased and disturbed women. It is these supposed“good” people of the world that come into contact andoften succumb to the strange forces of evil. Women
play a significant role in these stories and it is thisrepresentation that I want to pay particular attention to.
In Western literature, feminist ideals were notknown until the late nineteenth century, until then
women were notably depicted as flat subjects admired
for their sensitivity and physicality. Despite embracing
an Eastern lifestyle, Hearn’s descriptions remain similar
to these Western narratives. In ‘The Screen-Maiden’ ayoung scholar falls madly in love with a painting of aLatest reviews: www.japansociety.org.uk/resources/reviews/

young girl who he describes as ‘so delicious a creature’
who he would gladly give his life to. In ‘The Corpse-Rider,’a deceased woman who died from grief after a divorce‘would have been useless to bury... because the last
undying wish of a dying person for vengeance can burst
asunder any tomb.’ Instead the husband is instructedto ‘astride her’, grabbing her hair and twisting it until
morning in order to save himself from her vengeance.
In another story, women are described as ‘mysticalgods who serve the lusts of men only to withdraw at
the last minute’ and save them from the ‘perils of theirillusion.’ It seems writing within the fantasy genre has
given Hearn leeway for representing women in sucha manner. Instead of submissive governesses, wivesof farmers or clueless daughters, he presents womenfrom the perspective of the “flaneur” in that that they
become dangerous, seductive and fantastical beings. It
is this idea that begs the need for evolution.
As the stories progress, they become evidently
darker and more disturbing, preparing readers for theunexpected. But amid all the fantasy, time travel andillusion, there are flashes of morality carefully wovenin. In one tale, Hearn states that ‘by drinking too deeplyof life we do not become young.’ A noted universal
truth in that no matter how much we engage inworldly pleasure, we cannot fulfil our true desires; aclear intimation of Hearn’s interest in the afterlife.
Buddhism is a constant theme in each tale. The
fundamentals of Buddha’s teaching is the practice ofmorality in order to escape rebirth and the attainmentof Nirvana. Hearn writes in a way that serves as areminder to not only respect these beliefs but consider
them as a part of reality. The fact that his characters are
everyday people, who are on a quest for happiness inthe physical world but find meaning in the supernatural,suggests that true Japanese culture is rooted inreligion; a noble message for contemporary society.
Japan’s increasing fascination with technology, wealthand fast-living is worldly pleasure. The publicationof these tales has possibly come at a good time. It
suggests that in order to achieve true happiness wemust look to the old ways and the teachings of thepast. It suggests that the current life we are living ispossibly an illusion designed for mankind. By seeking
knowledge and achieving true morality we can control
our future and what may lay in store for us after death.
As a writer, Lafcadio Hearn uses language
beautifully in both his characters and imagery whilst
paralleling nineteenth century Western themes.
His eloquence surpasses these themes and allows
us to reflect on the language and representation
5

contemporary writers use today. This collection of
fantasy tales is essentially a snapshot of a time passed,
but a strong reminder of how the world and literature

is changing in sometimes wonderful and sometimes
strange ways.§

Spark

the novel puts narrative drive aside and simply leanson this central relationship between the two men to
propel it forward, a dynamic completely and utterly
defined by the Japanese senpai (senior) / kohai (junior)bond. For all his faults, Tokunaga looks up to thecrazed genius-like Kamiya, seeking his guidance andknowledge as the pair look to make their way throughthe fickle world of comedy.
This is a very ‘talky’ book, whether it be theconstant, rapid-fire back-and-forths between the twomain characters, or the more reflective introspective
monologues, giving a window into Tokunaga’s moroseview of the world. This is both a blessing and a curse, on
one hand, this perfectly encapsulates the feel of manzai
comedy (and this is, after all, a book fundamentally
about comedy as a concept) but there is also a
lingering notion that not all the jokes hit home as hardas they’d like. Readers with a sufficient knowledge ofJapanese culture and language will have a clear senseof how certain passages would sound in Japanese, andthat sometimes, they just don’t connect in quite thesame way rephrased into English. Still, for the most partthe translation by Alison Watts is of excellent quality
and tonally, fits well with the other Japanese output
published over the last few years by Pushkin Press.
So, while readers with less of an intimate
knowledge of Japan might struggle a little, thoseprimed with some cultural background will findplenty to love here, especially in the book’s detailed
description of its primary setting, Tokyo’s trendy
suburb Kichijoji. Against a backdrop of this eclectic
hipster paradise, the book does a good job at
visualising the intangible essence of comedy onto thepage – it’s worth noting here though that the bookhas already been turned into a televised adaptation
available on Netflix (something the front cover is also
keen to advertise). One of the best jokes hangs on thesimple but ridiculous wordplay inherent in the factthat to eat a hotpot could be taken as meaning either
the foodstuff, or the pot itself. Humour like this thrives
in the fabric of the humdrum actions and habits thatform our lives, the moments that seen out of context,
seem utterly banal. Spark excels as a comedy of theabsurd, but it is an absurdity shot through with theconstant struggle against melancholic everyday
tedium. A Japanese Withnail & I, perhaps?

by Matayoshi Naoki
translated by Alison Watts
Pushkin Press (2020)
ISBN-13: 978-1782275909
Review by Laurence Green
When the cover of a book quite literally bursts out
at you in vivid, fluorescent orange – glistening friedeggs spewing out from the centre – it’s hard not to
pay attention, even more so when said book is therecipient of Japan’s prestigious Akutagawa prize. Spark(in Japanese, hibana) proclaims itself the ‘cult Japanese
phenomenon’, but truth be told, having sold morethan three million copies in Japan, one could quibble
about where to draw the line between cult success andbonafide blockbuster mega-hit. Either way, the sales
figures are remarkable, and make for envious readingfor UK booklovers for who such dizzying heights arealmost never scaled here. Is this the sign of a Japanesereading public head-over heels with high-brow, prizewinning literature?
The answer lies in the book’s origins: comedianturned author Matayoshi Naoki. Famous as part of the
comedy duo Peace (alongside partner Yuji Ayabe),
he is also known for hisnumerous TV appearances,where he has a history of playing historical figures
such as Natsume Soseki and Tokugawa Iesada. One
might scoff at Matayoshi’s seemingly easy transition
from comedy to books – it’s easy to draw parallels withsimilar celebrity successes here in the UK – but what is
immediately apparent on sitting down with a copy of
Spark is that this is no hastily bashed out cash-cow, but
a serious bit of quality literature.
Akutagawa Prize winners of late have had atendency to revel in oddball characters – think Murata
Sayaka ’s acclaimed Convenience Store Woman – andMatayoshi’s Spark is no exception. Very much a kindof autobiographical work, the story focuses on manzai
comedian Tokunaga and his elder partner Kamiya,following the duo as they rise to success, whilst
simultaneously portraying the nuances of the two
men’s relationship with each-other. Neither is initiallyan attractive figure; they drink a lot, swear a lot, andin general act like a couple of guys up to no good.
What fascinates most about Spark is how so much of
6

Issue 85 Volume 15 Number 1 (February 2020)

While so many books fall victim to ‘strong start,
weak finish’ syndrome, Spark is immensely satisfying inthat it grows into its strengths. By throwing us in at the
deep end, we are forced to acclimatise slowly to the
foibles of its characters, the world of Japanese comedy
and the way our two leads co-exist with it. Because ofthis, when the book hits its stride in an exhilarating
final third that sees one of their most impassioned
performances play out in real time, it is all the more
propulsive. Somehow, the exercise of transitioning
the power of a stand-up routine onto the printed
page works, and the punchy, breathless energy of thesequence works wonders.
And then there’s the stunning, and quite literal,revelation that comes in the book’s closing passages.
To say any more would be to spoil the surprise, but
it is a moment that once encountered, cannot be
unread, and arguably transforms the reader’s entire
relationship with Spark and its two main characters.
Both emphasising and complicating a potentiallyhomo-erotic reading of their relationship, one canquestion whether the sheer dominance this moment
has over the rest of the book potentially cheapens

it, or is simply the tour-de-force in a sequence ofprogressively more outlandish stunts the book pulls
as part of its comedic arsenal. Suffice to say, said
‘reveal’ is what will stick in the minds of most readers
first and foremost. As a remarkable punchline to an
already strong final third, Spark reminds us here thatsometimes it really is the most brazen comedy thatcan be the most effective at hammering home a point.
It all feels like a fine companion to 2018’s
Pulitzer-winning Less by Andrew Sean Greer, anothercompact novel that was not only unafraid to portraythe more emotional, fragile side of masculinity, butalso to pair sharp humour with a kind of begrudging
world-weariness. These narratives thrill because they
feel so distinct from the kind of chiselled Hollywood
heroes we are used to seeing on screen. In the pagesof a book, these men are given room to ruminate in
the depths of their thoughts, and it is testament to
Matayoshi’s satirical skill that Spark feels like a ripe
skewing of contemporary Japanese culture. Peel backthe prim, pristine exterior, and there is a whole lot of
messiness beneath.§

Music Kyogen Scrooge

many people know, making the less-familiar elements
easier to make sense of. Meanwhile, the story of themiser Scrooge confronting a number of ghosts, canbe stripped back to involve only two Kyogen. They are
Zenchiku Juro and his son, Zenchiku Dajiro. Zenchiku
Juro is the grandson of the first Kyogen actor and a
Living National Treasure. He plays Scrooge (Sukuruji), and his son embodies that various ghosts: Marley,
and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.
Zenchiku Daijiro is part of a group of young actorsthat are trying to revitalise and continue the art form,
making it relevant and accessible in the 21st century
world.
Having only two actors makes it simpler to apply
the structure of Kyogen to the story. Meanwhile, it
has a curious effect on how audiences interact withthe scenes in the story. In other versions, ghosts bring
Scrooge face-to-face with painful moments from his
life, or moments where he has caused harm to others.
In Sukuru-ji Ongaku-Kyogen, the audience can see
none of this. They are blinder than Sukuru-ji, only taking
his reactions as a sign that he can see something else,
something that isn’t in the performance space. Is it,
perhaps, a reminder that everything Sukuru-ji sees is an
illusion, but that illusion has the capacity to transform
his world-view. This makes the audience work harder,

with Kyogen masters Zenchiku Juro and Zenchiku
DaijiroOxford Playhouse (27 November 2019)
Review by Alice Baldock
A story so established it has become almost archetypal,
Dicken’s A Christmas Carol once again swept acrossEurope this November. It is the tale of the supposedlytransformational power of a season, the forced
introspection of one man which causes him to movefrom a mean old money-pincher to a cheerful andcharitable friend. Audiences in Europe are all-too
familiar with this story, having read it or seen it innumerous screen and stage productions. There is evenan animated Disney version. However, the version thatdropped by cities such as Vienna, Geneva, and Oxford
last month was very different. It was called Music Kyogen
Scrooge (Sukuru-ji Ongaku-Kyogen), a combination ofmusic (ongaku), the comic intermissions of Noh theatre(kyogen), and A Christmas Carol.
The idea seems faintly ridiculous; how can we
combine these three things in a way that makes sense,
let alone be entertaining? And yet, the three concepts
combine surprisingly well. The original story is one that
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7which is perhaps not what they are expecting; we areused to having whole, imaginary worlds put in front of
us. Nonetheless, the lack of prop and character brings
our attention closer to Sukuru-ji’s reactions – sadness,pain, and joy. Some parts were incredibly funny,
yet others were more sombre, bringing a different
dynamic to what one might expect of Kyogen, which
are usually overwhelmingly comical.
The music was composed by Walther Giger, andperformed by Kawamura Noriko, Ota Tomomi, andShirato Fumio, It is very powerful, and is the aspectthat makes Ongaku-Kyogen unique. It is not justacting or music; it is both. The music did contribute
greatly to creating atmosphere in the room, but ona few occasions did jar a little with the story. This isbecause audiences had to both watch the actors,
picture what they were seeing, read the subtitles, andlisten to the music. In key scenes, this became a little
overwhelming. Despite this, the whole production has
a wonderfully festive feel. Even though it is not being
quite-December, audiences cheerfully wish each othera ‘Merry Christmas’ as they leave the Holywell Music
Room, Oxford.§

Tipping Point: Our World in Crisis

There are many moments that the groupintended to be shocking. In ‘Gaia’, Fabrizia Verrecchia,
playing Gaia, is stripped of a beautiful, trailing cloak
by three business-suited, animal-masked villains. They
rip at her clothes, tear black material – reminiscent ofcoal – from her, and take away her basket. Haunting
sounds from musicians Jill Elliott and Maggie Nicols
accompany this looting, making it a piece not for the
faint-hearted.

by Café Reason Butoh Dance Theatre
Al Jaber Auditorium, Oxford (11 & 12 January 2020)
Review by Alice Baldock

Butoh, an avant-garde artform that tiptoes along
the precipice between performance art, dance, andabsurdity, began in post-war Japan. It was a way offinding new means of expression, and it was also aform of protest. Café Reason interprets it as a way to‘uncover the dance that already exists in the body’.
Since the 1950s, what butoh is has both expanded
and contracted in meaning. Those who foundedit did not want butoh to become something withcharacteristics, yet, elements like painting the whole
body, creating grotesque facial expressions, andmoving with slow, grounded steps, have somehow
become ‘butoh’. However, the reach of butoh has
expanded to envelop the whole world, with groups
still strong and active in Brazil, the US and the UK.
Café Reason is the only UK butoh group outside ofLondon. Their latest piece, Tipping Point, uses a dashof these butoh ‘characteristics’ alongside many otherinteresting ways of moving. More importantly, thesedancers use butoh to protest, much like their distantJapanese predecessors. In this piece, however, theprotest is about a concern that is both urgent andglobal: our climate emergency.
The completely sold-out piece, conceptualised
and choreographed by Cath Blackfeather, Ayala
Kingsley, and Karen Goonewardene, has been a year inthe-making. They join the other dancers in performance,
costume-making, and even videography to createa piece that is varied, fractured, and continuously
unravelling before the audience’s eyes. The piece issplit into seven parts, exploring the environmental
impact of human life upon aspects of the non-humanworld, such as migration and ocean environments.

Another shocking moment is when thesevillainous creatures return to the stage with three blacksacks, larger than a person. They upend them all overthe stage, and all over Gaia, and out of them, tumble
empty plastic containers, drink bottles, yoghurt cups, CD
covers. The dancers try desperately to build something
useful from them, sandcastles of plastic, to no avail. They
end the piece as a group, looking out on the audience,
daring them to do something about habits, habits all ofus keep, that are leading to this mess.
The dancers obviously put a great deal of thought
behind harmonising concept with costume, music,
and lighting. Each element of the performance worked
seamlessly to bring about the pressing message of thepiece. Some sections, perhaps, went on a little longfor some audience members. However, the overall
performance was already only 75 minutes long, andjust as one piece began to teeter towards the repetitive,the entire setting of the dance changed, relieving thatfeeling. From dancers imitating migrating birds, tobeing wrapped in cling film, to rolling through a sea
of packaging, the performance was both diverse andthought-provoking.§