The Ballad-Drama of Medieval Japan

The Ballad-Drama of Medieval Japan delves into the kowaka, a ballad-drama genre that flourished during Japan’s tumultuous Medieval Era, a period shaped by samurai culture and the heroic values of loyalty and chivalry. Emerging in the 16th century, kowaka captured the martial exploits and epic struggles of the early Medieval Era, including the famed Genji-Heike conflict. Despite its initial popularity among samurai, the kowaka faded into obscurity during the Edo Period, only to be rediscovered in modern times. This study aims to reconstruct the history, artistry, and literary significance of kowaka, drawing on Japanese scholarship, field observations in Kyushu’s Oe Village (where the tradition endures), and textual analysis.

The book is divided into two parts. The first examines kowaka as a performing art, detailing its historical development, influences, and stylistic elements while highlighting the author’s original fieldwork and critiques of prior research. The second part focuses on the literary aspects of kowaka with a comprehensive analysis of its texts and translations. Through this exploration, the author strives to bridge gaps in understanding the kowaka’s aesthetic and cultural legacy while acknowledging the limitations of available research and resources. The study serves as both a detailed introduction and a foundation for future inquiries into this unique art form.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1964.

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