Dispossessed Melodies. Recordings of the Kawakami Theater Troupe

T n HE Kawakami Troupe, a Japanese theatrical group that toured the United States and Europe during the first few years of this century, was nothing if not sensational. On two back-to-back European tours the troupe sought and captured the public eye, fundamentally because of the exotic appeal of their Japaneseness, their language, music, costumes, and acting style. But there was more to their exoticism than their being Japanese in an occidental context. The troupe's impresario, Kawakami Otojiro JIl EL'H = (1864-1911), and his actress wife, ex-geisha Sadayakko 0,Y (1871-1945), were aggressive and shrewd promoters who took every available opportunity to satisfy their audiences' demands for a vision of Japan that conformed to orientalist expectations. The troupe promoted a curiously twisted version of Japan that altered as they moved from place to place. The troupe's efforts paid off in more than just applause. The attention it garnered abroad not only brought the troupe notoriety at home and eventual financial gain, but also led to an unexpected boon for Japanologists today: the remarkable preservation of visual and aural elements of the troupe's exotic performances

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