Japanese Drama (Critical Survey of Drama, Second Revised Edition)
Introduction
The Japanese theater began as a combination of music, dance, and drama. Early accounts explaining the origin of these basic elements are to be found in ancient legends that tell of the native deities who played crucial roles in the birth of the various performing arts. For example, Kojiki (712; Records of Ancient Matters, 1882) relates the story of Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, a young goddess who performed a spectacular dance intended to entice Amaterasu Ōmikami (the sun goddess) from a cave where she had secluded herself. The plan succeeded, and sunlight...
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