ABSTRACT
GORO MINAMOTO By and large, the situation of Japanese contemporary theatre reflects the history
of theatre in Japan. Noh, Kabuki, classic and contemporary theatre, all of these
are separate genres with their own history. For example, in Japan it is almost
unthinkable for an actor who has played Hamlet to play Jimmy Porter in John
Osborne’s Look Back in Anger. Different genres are separated by a very deep
gulf. For a time, Osanai Kaoru, the man considered to be the father of
Japanese modern theatre, even argued vigorously that it was necessary to break
off completely from the traditional performing arts. Today, very occasionally,
actors from the classical genres appear in modern dramas. This is a important
form of experimentation, but from the standpoint of the theatre world as a
whole, such examples are rare exceptions to the rule. In this report, I will
concentrate on contemporary theatre where movement has been relatively
vigorous. With other genres, I wil l comment simply on outstanding
developments.
