ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the formative period of Shchiku musical theatre in terms of 1920s modernity and Dtonbori, the birthplace of the Shchiku Revue. It analyses how did the largest company in the entertainment world take Kobayashis creative idea of an all-female troupe and make it its own, and in pursuing Takarazuka technique, how did Shchiku distinguish itself. The chapter addresses that the establishment of an all-female revue that differed from Takarazuka. It also discusses that the broader issues concerning metropolitan mass culture of the time and audience appeal of a recognisably Japanese style. The chapter also analyses Sakura saku kuni, Shchiku troupes signature anthem, and also argue the case for a post-Great Kant Earthquake Dtonbori jazz that cohabited with Shchiku in milieu of Osakas principal entertainment district, and which differed in important respects from Tokyo jazz. The Haru-no-odori was, as it were, a modern form of these seasonal dances, and, as a young girls Dtonbori version, it was well received.
