ABSTRACT

Visitors from Europe and America, upon arriving in Japan, will invariably find that their programme contains a visit to the Kabuki Theatre. 1-'hose ,vhose special interests are in the artistic features of Japanese life will receive an invitation to the stage dance which the Japanese call odori or nzai, to the performances of Japanese music with the native instruments of koto or samisen, and to the old Japanese ~oh dance or drama. Those who are accordcd treattllcnt as national guests \vill surely enjoy the privilege of \vitncssing the ancient court dance, kno\vn as Bugaku. If it should be in the springtime they \vill probably be able to see in Kyoto the age-old dance, kno,vn as Miyako ()dori, better knO\Vll among tourists froln abroad as the C:herry Dance. If they leave the city and go out into the countr:)' they tnay have opportunity to see some of the n1an)l religious dances cOInmonly performed at the village Sinto shrines or Buddhist temples. They may see the lion-mask dances in the towns or villages, the Bon dances during the 111id-:year festival of the dead, or other siolilar [ornls of individual or group dancing. To speak of the Japanese dance in general ,vould be to include these and other fornls that are to be found \\'idely throughout the f:mpire.