Author: Edward Seidensticker
Publisher: Stanford, Calif. : Stanford University Press
ISBN:
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description

Author: Keiko I. McDonald
Publisher: M.E. Sharpe
ISBN: 9780765603883
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
This study explores the connections between Japan's modern literary tradition and its national cinema. The first part offers a historical and cultural overview of the working relationship that developed between pure literature and film. The second analyzes 12 literary works and their adaptions.

Author: Kafū Nagai
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 023114119X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 182

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Book Description
Komayo is a former geisha who, upon the death of her husband, returns to the "world of flower and willow" to escape poverty. A chance encounter with an old patron, Yoshioka, leads to a potentially profitable relationship: Yoshioka believes Komayo can restore his lost innocence; Komayo uses Yoshioka's patronage to compete in elaborate music and dance performances. As Komayo considers Yoshioka's offer, she falls in love with Segawa, a young actor who promises to turn the talented geisha into the finest dancer in the Shimbashi quarter. Komayo is eager to become the lead performer among her peers. Her ambition even tempts her to assume a third patron known as the "Sea Monster," a repellent but wealthy antiques dealer. As she grows to realize a glittering career, Komayo becomes the target of her three lovers' bitter rivalry, which leaves her both thrilled and exhausted, brutalized and redeemed. Nagai Kafu's captivating tale moves from the intimate corners of the geisha house to the back rooms of assignation, from the dressing areas of the great kabuki theaters to the lonely country villa of a theater critic and connoisseur of Shimbashi women, detailing one woman's absorbing quest to find fame, affection, and financial security.

Author: Stephen Snyder
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 9780824822361
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
Stephen Snyder examines Kafu's fiction in terms of narrative strategy, placing him squarely within some of the most important currents of literary modernism--at the nexus of Naturalism and the largely antithetical development of the modernist reflexive novel.

Author: Kafu Nagai
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462900755
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
Geisha in Rivalry, first published as Udekurabe in 1918, has a secure place among Kafu Nagai's masterpieces. Set against the backdrop of Tokyo's Shimbashi geisha district, a company of vivid characters play out their drama of illicit love, shady intrigue, and unrelenting rivalry. In the forefront are the geisha: some powerful and spiteful like the imperious Rikiji, some crude and obvious like the gaudy Kikuchiyo, some naive and pathetic like the heroine Komayo, and all engaged in finding a place for themselves in a world that offers no easy route of escape from their profession. Here, too, are the patrons of the geisha: the playboys, the actors, the successful businessmen, and the "upstart gentlemen" of late Meiji society. And here, again, are those who make the machinery of this world function: the geisha house proprietors, the teahouse mistresses, the actors' retainers, the servants. And, finally, here are the parasites of the demimonde, who live off its other denizens through guile and deceit. Through this often sordid but fascinating pageant move the figures of the geisha Komayo, her lovers, and the women who conspire to steal them from her.

Author: Ann Sherif
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 9780824821814
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Ann Sherif discusses the life and work of Kòda in light of changes in critical horizons, readerly communities, and especially constructions of gender and the family in the latter half of the twentieth century. Excellent translations of some of Kòda's most provocative short works are included.

Author: Lesley Downer
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0767909720
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
From critically acclaimed author and Japanese scholar Lesley Downer, an enchanting portrait of the mysterious world of the geisha. Ever since Westerners arrived in Japan, they have been intrigued by Japanese womanhood and, above all, by geisha. This fascination has spawned a wealth of extraordinary fictional creations, from Puccini's Madama Butterfly to Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. The reality of the geisha's existence, though, whether today or in history, has rarely been addressed. Contrary to popular opinion, geisha are not prostitutes but, literally, "arts people." Their accomplishments include singing, dancing, playing a musical instruments; but above all, they are masters of the art of conversation, soothing the worries and stroking the egos of the wealthy businessmen who can afford their attentions. It is this which imbues the geisha with such power—and which makes absolute secrecy such a crucial aspect of their work. As denizens of a world defined by silence and mystery, geisha are notoriously difficult to meet and even to find. Lesley Downer, an award- winning writer, Japanese scholar, and consummate storyteller, gained more access into this world than almost any other Westerner ever has and spent several months living among them. In Women of the Pleasure Quarters, she weaves together intimate portraits of modern geisha with the romantic legends and colorful historical tales of geisha of the past. From Sadda Yakko, who dined with American presidents and had her portrait painted by Picasso, to Koito, a modern-day geisha who maintains her own website, geisha throughout history step out of the pages of Women of the Pleasure Quarters to become living, breathing creatures. Looking into such traditions as mizuage, the ritual deflowering which was once a rite of passage for all geisha, and providing colorful depictions of the geisha's dress, training, and homes, Downer, with grace, elegance, and respect, transforms their reality in a captivating narrative that both informs and entertains. At once a symbol of a bygone age and an institution more quintessentially Japanese than any other, geisha are a society at a crossroads, struggling to reinvent their place in the new millennium while honoring the traditions of the past. Both instructive and evocative, Women of the Pleasure Quarters is an enthralling portrait of a world unlike any other.

Author: Insight Guides
Publisher: Apa Publications (UK) Limited
ISBN: 1839052309
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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Book Description
Insight Guides City Guide Tokyo Travel made easy. Ask local experts. Explore one of the most exciting cities in the world with this inspirational travel guide. Get Olympic ready with this inspirational full-colour city guide book to Tokyo. It's all a traveller needs to explore Tokyo in-depth during their 2020 Olympic adventure. From deciding when to go, to choosing what to see when you arrive, this guide to Tokyo is all you need to plan your trip and experience the best this city has to offer, with insider information on must-see, top attractions like Senso-ji, Roppongi and the Imperial Palace, together with cultural experiences like enjoying a soothing soak in an onsen with some locals, picnicking in the blossom-strewn Yogogi Park and soaking up the atmosphere in the city's famous Cat's House. Features of this travel guide to Tokyo: - Inspirational colour photography: discover the best destinations, sights and excursions, and be inspired by stunning imagery - Historical and cultural insights: immerse yourself in Tokyo's rich history and culture, and learn all about its people, art and traditions - Practical full-colour maps: with every major sight and listing highlighted, the full-colour maps make on-the-ground navigation easy - Editor's Choice: uncover the best of Tokyo with our pick of the city's top destinations - Key tips and essential information: packed full of important travel information, from transport and tipping to etiquette and hours of operation - Covers: Imperial Palace; Marunouchi; Nihombashi; Yurakucho; Ginza; Shiodome; Ikebukuro; Shinjuku; Aoyama and Omotesando; Harajuku and Shibuya; Roppongi; Shinagawa; Ueno; Yanesen and Hongo; Asakusa; Suidobashi; Ochanomizu; Kanda; Akihabara; Sumida River and Bayside Looking for a comprehensive guide to Japan? Check out Insight Guide Japan for a detailed and entertaining look at all the country has to offer. About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

Author: Insight Guides
Publisher: Apa Publications (UK) Limited
ISBN: 1780057008
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 549

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Book Description
Tokyo is one of the most fastest-paced cities in Asia. Keep up to speed with City Guide Tokyo - a comprehensive guide to getting the most out of this extraordinary city. Experience the mega-wattage of neon lights in Shibuya, take a soothing dip at Odaiba's Oedo Onsen and marvel at the resplendent Senso-ji temple with a guide that explores all these sights and more using detailed, narrative text, easy-to-use maps and stunning full-colour photography. City Guide Tokyo fully explores the history, people and culture of the city, so you can discover everything you need to know to appreciate kabuki theatre, learn the difference between sushi and sashimi and delve into the world of manga and anime. In-depth chapters cover all of Tokyo's wards and suggest excursions to surrounding regions; fashionistas should head for stylish Harajuku, night owls can make a beeline for bustling Roppongi, history and architecture buffs will adore the Old Tokyo of Asakusa, whilst those seeking fresh air and gorgeous scenery will want to explore Mount Fuji. The Best Of section helps you to prioritise what to see and the Travel Tips offer selective listings of where to stay and eat out, plus essential advice on what you need to know before you go and how to get around the city once you are there.

Author: Donald H. Shively
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400869013
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 711

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Book Description
Essays on the Iwakura Embassy, the realistic painter Takahashi Yuichi, the educational system, and music, show how the Japanese went about borrowing from the West in the first decades after the Restoration: the formulation of strategies for modernizing and the adaptation of Western models to Meiji culture. In the second half of the volume, the darker side, the pathology of modernization, is seen. The adjustment of the individual and the effects of progressive modernization on culture in an increasingly complex, twentieth-century society are recurring themes. They are illustrated with particular intensity in the experience of such writers as Natsume Soseki and Kobayashi Hideo, in the thought of Nishida Kitaro, and in the millenarian aspects of the new religions. Originally published in 1971. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.