Japanese Political Theatre in the 18th Century: Bunraku Puppet Plays in Social Context by Akihiro Odanaka and Masami Iwai (review)

Abstract

This is indeed an achievement, especially as the number of contributions is relatively large, and the topics, however connected they may be, pertain to various disciplinary fields ranging from intellectual history to social microhistory. The index, which covers the whole volume, allows readers to navigate through the chapters and to take the measure of their interconnections. Specialists of early modern religion and thought will surely find themselves at home, and some introductory sections—on domain administration, shogunal policies, and ideological framework—may even seem too familiar but, being very clear and well-synthesized, should prove helpful to most readers, especially students. Although the book seems to be targeted mostly toward a scholarly audience, many of the chapters remain accessible and could definitely be given as reading assignments for intermediate to advanced students. If this reviewer were to utter a complaint, it would be about the editorial choice, unfortunately more and more common, to relegate all the notes to the end of the volume, which greatly reduces their relevance and ease of consultation. Nevertheless, this book confirms the importance of the series edited by Fabio Rambelli in the field of Japanese religious studies. With this sixth entry, the publisher offers a significant addition to our knowledge of the religious history of Edo Japan, which will be of great use to scholars and students alike.