The sun., 1915-10-17
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Dra mas Of old Jan n.

collected I'm Tales from Old japanese
Dramas Putnams). by AsArARo MIYA-
M0Ri. professor Of English in Keio
University, Toxic. there is material
for a clearer notion OF how the Japa-
nese authors have dealt with the COM
mon stun Of human nature than
might be given by ten volumes OF
learned critical disquisition. Tho mo-
tives Of love. trcachery. courage. re-
vcngc and loyalty to the code of the
samurai are used characteristically.
In introducing his compatriot play
.grights the author sketches with
--ncfseness G.,o mc,6ity the history
OF the Japanese drama. As work
OF art. distinguished from the first
popular farces, IL began with the
joruri or epicai dramas. composed in
Attenuation of seven syllable and five
syllable phrases, and marked by dra-
matte situations interviewer In "a well
constructed hut not elaborate plot.
Tho joruri were at first chanted or
rccited To the accompaniment Of
tapping fan; later the samiscn. three
stringed guitar. came into usc for
this purpose. Chanting became II pro-
fession. Marionettes were introduced
in the era of Keicho. 1596-1615; grew
rapidly in popular favor and gained
for the theatre the patronage OF dai-
mios and other noblemen.
In 1886 one Takemoto Gidayu cstab-
lished in Osaka "a marionette theatre,
the Takemoto Ia. His playwright was
Chikamatsu Monzayemon, called. not
very sensibly, "the Shakespeare OF
Nrh
place has been in dispute. Hagi. In
Choshu, being the earlier belief. Is by
modern scholars supposed to have
been born samurai OF kioto, IN 1903.
His name. Chikamatsu. seems to he
used as "A synonym for "dramatist,"
adopted as School title by his
followers. Chikamatsu Monzayemon
taught Chikamatsu HanJi. ana HanJi
was tutor to Chikamatsu Tokuzo
l753-lSlO.
IL was l.. 1886 that Monzayemon
presented his first epical drama. The
Successful Career OF kagekiyo.' which
was followed by "a hundred others.
with such titles as THE Womans
Harakiri at Long Street His de-
scriptions OF suicide were so 'beauti-
fui' that they caused an alarming IN
crease In the number OF voluntary
deaths. When the Takemoto Theatre
was on the edge OF bankruptcy Mon
nyemon's "kokusenya kassen, para
phrased in this volume as The Bat
ties Of Kokusenya. was presented
and met with so enthusiastic a recep-
ton in run OF seventeen months
that the playhouse was saved!
The popularity and prosperity OF the
Takemoto Theatre invited competition
and in 1902 Toyotake Wakatayu. an
ambitious pupil OF Takemoto, estap-
lished a theatre called the ToyotaKe
IA. The playwright of this theatre who
competed with Monzayemon was XII
no-Kaion, born in 1868. son Of con-
fectioner who wrote verse. Kaion had
been a doctor. and was scholar. In
his competition with Monzayemon he
kept close to the elder dramatist in
choice of theme thus when Monza-
yemon presented "Sonezaki Shinju,'
'The Love Suicide at Sonezaki.' kaior
offered "Yaoya O-Sh!shi.' or "O-Shishi.
the Green Grocers Daughter" similar
in topic. OF 1-aion's plays Mr.. Miya-
mort considers THE Love Of Komachi
the Poetess" the greatest. and "far
more interesting to European readers"
than the others.
Takeda Izumo. l69l-1756. was the
successor to Monzayemon in the Take
moto Theatre and became proprietor
Of IL when Gidayu died. in l705. He
wrote thirty-two excellent pieces
His "Chusingura." which has been
translated into English both by Mr.. f.
v Dickins and by Mr.. Jukichi Inouye,
els such n favorite with the Japanese
%b,t any theatre whose audiences are
remarkably falling off can regain its
popularity by performing one or two
scts of this drama" Imagine that
beinr said OF an American play. Is
a, ,h. authors the stage or the au-
Ai.rces ,b,, make the differencep
,,bikamatsu Uanii next great ex-
,o,en, of the Nonzayemon school.
.,r,,. 6,tv-four p,eces some in COL
,.haro,,nr for ,b., T,kemo,o Theatre
rs.n,,, h,. ..sh,mnar ~, Zoimon one
- ,';. ,as, nlnys tho author ,d,nts
az go an, IUs,matsu" which he
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