Urgent Theme Research
Fiscal 2020
List of Joint Research: Fiscal 2020
- Survey Study of the Impact of the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic on Japanese Theater（Ryuki Goto）
- Performing Arts in the Age of COVID-19 ―― in Europe and the US（Masaru Ito）
- Survey of COVID-19 Preventative Measures at Museums, Art Museums, and Libraries（Yuki Sato,Nozomi Kuri）
Selected Research
- Foundational Research on the Ernie Pyle Theater Based on the Senda Collection: A Record of Michio Ito’s Dance Practice and Genre-crossing Performances from 1946 to 1948（Kiyomi Kushida）
- Research on Musicians and Musical Bands through Kurihara’s Musical Score Collection: Music for Stage and Cinema during the Early Showa Era（Masaaki Nakano）
- The Basic Research of Silent Film Screenings Using Promotional Movie Materials（Hidenori Okada）
- A Comprehensive Study of Actor Picture Books（Hiroyuki Kuwahara）
- The Basic Research of Tokiwazu-bushi Woodblock Printings Formerly Owned by Sakagawaya（Yuuichi Takeuchi）
Urgent Theme Research 1
Survey Study on the Impact of the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic on Japanese Theater
Principal Researcher
Ryuki Goto (Assistant Professor, Theatre Museum, Waseda University)
Collaborative Researchers
Hiroshi Takahagi (Vice Director, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre)
Yoichi Uchida (Arts Journalist)
Takayuki Ako (Curator, Informatics Systems Management Curatorial Planning Dept., Tokyo National Museum)
Yusuke Hashizume (Chief Editor, Bijutsutecho Online, Bijutsu Shuppan-sha Co., Ltd)
Misa Umetada (Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Ochanomizu University)
Summary of Research
Beginning in late February 2020, Japanese performing arts
were rocked by the rapid spread of novel coronavirus infections
(hereafter, “coronavirus crisis”), and many performances
were forced to cancel or be postponed. The April 7 State of
Emergency Declaration stemming from the Special Measures Act
hit especially hard, resulting in a variety of cultural industries
ceasing to function. It was subsequently extended piecemeal
and finally lifted on May 25. Although there has been a gradual
movement towards reopening in the performing arts with careful
measures taken following government guidelines, performances
feel as if they are treading on thin ice, with infections occurring
among industry professionals and overall case numbers rising in
Japanese society.
This study involved information-gathering and the
collection of material on the cancelation and postponement
of performances due to the coronavirus crisis primarily
through a fact-finding survey. It was intended to historicize
the impact of the coronavirus crisis on “the present” from the
perspective of theater. Furthermore, it consider unrealized 2020
performances not as merely an insider “memory” of those in the
performing arts but as a matter of public “record” to be passed
on to future generations. Specifically, in addition to building
lists of canceled or postponed performances and creating a
chronological table, we exhibited some results of our research in
an online exhibition, “Lost in the Pandemic: Archiving Theatrical
Memories and Records of 2020” (https://www.waseda.jp/prjushinawareta/),
which opened on October 7, six months after
the emergency declaration.
At first, there were 63 images of flyers and posters that
had been released. However, as of January 5, 2021, this
number has risen to 150 (in actuality, more than 620
artifacts have been provided, including flyers). Comments by
performing arts professionals are also included with the aim
of archiving memories using the words of those impacted by
the pandemic. Additionally, many have communicated about
how the coronavirus crisis has impacted not only individual
performances but also the entire performing arts worlds.
According to a survey conducted by the museum, more than
800 performances (counted by titles, not by the number of
staging) have been canceled or postponed since late February.
However, we were unable to request material from all of them,
and so, many performances were not included in the survey.
We intend to continue our fact-finding survey of canceled and
postponed performances, collect materials in cooperation with
relevant organizations, and update the online exhibition as needed.
In addition, for the 2021 Spring Exhibition, we plan to display
the actual items using information, findings, and resources
obtained from this study. We hope to highlight this era of the
coronavirus crisis through the performing arts. Regarding online
exhibitions and item displays, we will explore plans and make
preparations by consulting the co-researchers of this study, all
of whom are specialists in their fields.
Urgent Theme Research 2
Performing Arts in the Age of COVID-19: in Europe and the US
Principal Researcher
Masaru Ito（Senior Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Letters, Meiji University）
Collaborative Researchers
Ken Hagiwara (Professor, School of Global Japanese Studies, Meiji University)
Shintaro Fujii (Professor, Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Waseda University)
Yoichi Tajiri (Professor Emeritus, Kansai Gaidai University)
Yoko Totani（Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University)
Sayano Osaki (Italian Theatre Researcher)
Sahoko Tsuji (Assistant Professor (without tenure）Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Waseda University)
Rina Tanaka (Assistant Professor, School of Global Japanese Studies, Meiji University)
Summary of Research
This research project surveyed culture-related policies and
the current status of performing arts in countries in Europe
and the US (France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, the UK, the
US, and Russia) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since there is
a wide variety of culture-related policies and diverse range of
circumstances under which the performing arts in each country
operates, each participant specialized in surveying the major
urban areas of their own language region, and monthly seminarshave been held online since September 2020. The report on
the current status of the performing arts outside Japan will be
available to readers in Japan through a variety of media. The
objective of this themed research project is to ascertain the
current status of the performing arts around the world over
the mid- and long-term, with a focus on culture-related policies
as viewed from the perspective of their broad relationship to
society as a whole.
In the European/US regions, the first wave of the COVID-19
pandemic began in mid-March. Since that time, policies designed
to aid cultural activities were swiftly implemented, and the
governments of countries around the world have taken the
lead in protecting cultural activities. For example, France and
Germany each announced large-scale emergency assistant
policies on March 18 and March 23, respectively. However,
the situation cannot simplistically be described as one in which
these cultural policies have provided “generous support.”
Moreover, it has been pointed out that, in contrast to France
and Germany, Russia seems not to have implemented any clear
assistance policies. Moreover, in comparison to Germany, where
local and regional governments are in charge of cultural policies,
in Austria, the federal government is in control of its cultural
policies. This demonstrates that even within each country there
are vast differences between individual cultural policies. With no
end to the pandemic in sight, this themed research project can
only be implemented on a limited basis, but by making a record
of what is understood as “culture” and how it is being addressed
during the pandemic in countries around the world, we hope
that we can leave data that can be used in future studies, and
thereby, make our own contribution to society. The results of
this themed research project are scheduled to be publicized on
the website of the Collaborative Research Center for Theatre
and Film Arts and will be made available at the 2021 Spring
Exhibition.
Urgent Theme Research 3
Survey of COVID-19 Preventative Measures at Museums, Art Museums, and Libraries
Principal Researcher
Yuki Sato (Conservation Staff, Theatre Museum, Waseda University)
Nozomi Kuri (Conservation Staff, Theatre Museum, Waseda University)
Summary of Research
As the COVID-19 pandemic became increasingly widespread, the Theatre Museum was forced to close its doors over the long-term. The conservation staffs of the Museum took the opportunity provided by the closing of the Museum to survey policies that the Museum would have to implement once it reopened, as well as anti-infection policies related to the handling of materials. They collected data regarding measures designed to allow museums and similar institutions to reopen, mainly from the websites of groups related to museums, art museums, and libraries. The survey used May 14 as a cutoff date as this was the date by which basic anti-infection policies were publicly released by the Japanese Association of Museums and the Japan Library Association. The results of the survey were immediately released on May 19 in the “Report on the survey of COVID-19 preventative measures as museums, art museums, and libraries,” which was publicized on the website of the Collaborative Research Center for Theatre and Film Arts. In addition to a “survey list” of COVID-19 preventative measures publicized by groups related to museums, art museums, and libraries both in Japan and overseas as of mid-May, the report also includes a description of trends identified in the preventative measures, and, in an effort to facilitate the sharing of information among institutions, it also functions as a record of this period of trial-and-error for future use. In addition to a summary of the report, the Museum’s annual report, Enpaku Book, includes information – based on trends identified following the release of the report – on the isolation and disinfection of materials as yet another infection prevention measure.