Report on the Activities of the Joint Research Teams
Fiscal 2017
In 2017, the joint research teams compiled their findings and made their presentations. The following section introduces some of their activities.
Principal Research 1
Basic research survey of materials relating to Shoyo Tsubouchi and Shiko Tsubouchi
An event was held to report the findings of the examinations and research carried out by the collaborative research team on the unreleased materials about Shoyo Tsubouchi and Shiko Tsubouchi. A presentation by Kaho Mizuta, “Shiko Tsubouchi and Shingeki: On Takarazuka Popular Theater (Takarazuka Kokumin-za)” follows the activities of Shiko, who was of the new school of Japanese drama (Shingeki) based in Osaka during the Taisho era, and discusses the history of performance in Takarazuka Popular Theater (1926 to 1930, Taisho 15 to Showa 5). A presentation by Kazuko Yanagisawa, “Letters to Shoyo from Yakumo Koizumi” contrasts five English letters written by Yakumo to Shoyo, some of which will be shown for the first time, with letters written to Yakumo by Shoyo, through an analysis of “Shoyo’s Diary,” and recreates the close relationship between Shoyo and Yakumo that spanned roughly half a year. A presentation by Kaoru Matsuyama, “Shoyo’s relationship with painters through letters,” introduces yet-to-be-released letters addressed to Shoyo by painters who had been involved in his publications and performances: Kiyokata Kaburaki, Eisaku Wada, and Junichiro Yagi. It brings to light the relationship that Shoyo had with each of these people and discusses the role the paintings played in Shoyo’s achievements. A presentation by Tomoaki Kojima, “Goryo Bunrakuza’s Shoyo: Taisho 11 Chikamatsu Bicentennial Anniversary Osaka,” follows the movements of Shoyo during his visits to Osaka through “Shoyo’s Diary,” Engyo Mitamura’s Diary, and newspaper articles and discusses Shoyo’s involvement with Bunraku and Gidayu-bushi by introducing existing unreleased bibliographic records of Shoyo’s theater stories. After the presentations, the Waseda University Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum Vice-Director Ryuichi Kodama commented on each of the presentations and discussed the topic further.
Left: Flyer, Right: Presentation by Kazuko Yanagisawa
Selected Research 1
Research on Movie Theater and Music during the Silent Era Based on Musical Score Materials
In 2017, this research team held several events with remarkable outcomes. Events held include a symposium, “Film Music and Computer Technology” (April 19, Tokyo University of the Arts), a presentation, “Cinema Musicians and Musical Scores in the 1920s,” at a Young Researchers Forum (July 15, Toy Film Museum), a public meeting called “An Analysis of Movie Narrator Recordings” (September 11, based in the conference room), a symposium, “Wayo-gasso (Syncretic Ensemble Using Japanese and Western Instruments) During the Silent Film Era: Musical Score Materials ‘Hirano Collection’ and SP Records” (January 13, Ono Memorial Hall).
The January public event consisted of a symposium and a reference screening of Chuji tabi nikki (A Diary of Chuji’s Travels) with wayo-gasso. In the first part of the event, Kotaro Shibata presented “The Syncretism in Musical Accompaniment of Jidaigeki Films,” Fumito Shirai presented “Musical Topoi with Traditional Japanese Musical Instruments in the Hirano Collection,” and Makiko Kamiya presented “Benshi narrations and Music about the ‘Sentan (Avant-garde)’ of Japanese Film and Cinemas in the Silent Era.” Next, the katsudo-shashin benshi (live narrator for silent film) Ichiro Kataoka introduced several movie narrator sound recordings from Chuji tabi nikki, and Kisayo Katada provided commentary on the Japanese classical music practices that were recorded on the sound source. Finally, Professor Aaron Gerow provided comments on each of the presentations and the entire first part of the event was reviewed. In the reference screening during part 2, a wayo-gasso incorporating Japanese classical music practices based on the SP record analysis introduced in the first part was presented. Starting in 2014, this research team carried out a study on the “Hirano Collection,” musical score materials for silent films owned by the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum; each year this musical score is performed and shown, but with the inclusion of narimono (Japanese drums and sound effects); this year’s wayo-gasso was the biggest yet.
Left: Flyer, Right: Shirai, Shibata, Kamiya, Kataoka, Katada, and Gerow
Selected Research 2
A Linked Data Catalog of Movie Theater and Exhibition Materials Owned by the Theatre Museum
On Sunday November 12, 2017, a symposium called “The Current State and Future of Cinema Research: How to Talk about Cinemas in the Past” was held at the Kobe Planet Film Archive. First, research representative Manabu Ueda spoke of the symposium’s objectives and gave an outline of the collaborative research. Next, in part one, “Historical Cinema Research Methods” was presided by Ueda, and research member Chie Niita presented “Modernity in Tokyo Cinemas: From the Great Kanto Earthquake to the Opening of Nichigeki,” and Kazuto Kondo, a member, presented “‘Warring Cinema’: The Film Screening Environment of Japan During Wartime,” exhibiting detailed research on the cinema industry. Furthermore, in part two, Kobe cinema was discussed, with “The Current State of Kobe Cinema Research” presided by research member Fumiaki Itakura, “The Development Status of and Challenges to the ‘Kobe Cinema Map’” presented by Shinpei Tanaka, and “Cinema Labor and Disputes Concerning Kobe Shinkaichi During the Transition Period to Talking Pictures” presented by Daishi Yoshihara. Finally, the symposium ended with the panel discussion “What is Cinema in Film Studies?” which included, in addition to the speakers, research members Susanne Schermann and Roland Domenig, and research collaborator Chung Chonghwa, with questions and comments from the audience.
Left: Flyer, Right: Presentation by Manabu Ueda
Selected Research 4
To Reconsider the Magic Lantern in the History of Visual Culture
On December 17, 2017, the international symposium “Reconsidering Japanese Screen Practice: Utsushi-e and nishiki kage-e, and Magic Lantern culture in the History of Visual Culture” was jointly held with the School of Culture, Studies of Media, Body, and Image at Waseda University. The first half began with an explanation of the symposium’s objectives, which was followed by reports from Ryo Okubo, Eriko Kogo, Miyuki Endo, and Manabu Ueda on the results and future direction of the research based on the magic lantern material owned by the Theatre Museum. This was followed by a keynote address presented by Machiko Kusahara, “Reconsidering Japanese Magic Lantern Culture,” which brings together various materials and goes into depth about magic lanterns and various other facets of visual culture from the same era, as well as its relationship with transmedia. In the final keynote “Screenology: Toward a Media Archaeology of Projected Image,”presenter Erkki Huhtamo offered a commentary on the proposed concept of “screenology” and gave a report on the future of its vision. The latter half of the symposium consisted of a commentary by Fumio Ymagata from Gekidan Minwaza and utsushi-e performances “Daruma Yobanashi” and “Kuzunoha,” a commentary by Mitsue Ikeda, and a performance of “Karinsha” by Nishiki Kage-e Ikeda-Gumi. The symposium ended with a panel discussion, “Japanese Screen Practice” conducted by four members, Machiko Kusahara, Erkki Huhtamo, Fumio Yamagata, and Mitsue Ikeda. The panel discussed the features of utsushi-e and nishiki kage-e as compared with screen image culture in the west, the significance of reflecting upon the vanished past of screen image culture today, and the possibilities of screenology and media-archaeological perspectives, with a lively Q&A session with the audience members.
Left: Flyer, Right: Yamagata, Ikeda, Huhtamo, and Kusahara
Selected Research 5
A Study of Traditional Chinese Opera Theaters and Genres of Plays
This research project was carried out carefully even in its short one-year research period. At the 14th Modern Chinese Theater Kenkyukai, research representative Naoko Suzuki introduced the Republic of China-era program materials owned by the museum and spoke about entertainment venues in Tianjin. The large posters owned by the museum were also introduced, and there was an exchange of views on their uses and production purposes, demonstrating that such materials would not be accessible in this way in any other organization. In the discussions, advice was offered on how cooperation with other institutions was easily achieved when the programs were catalogued.
Flyer