Galia Petkova
Eikei University of Hiroshima. Professor
Japanese Traditional Performing Arts: Digital Resources and Connectivity
Although traditional performing arts continue to be a vital part of Japanese culture, as in the rest of Asia, many genres are threatened by extinction due to the lack of successors and interest among the young generation. Specialists and practitioners have engaged in digitalizing textual and visual materials and creating databases, thus facilitating the research on the various forms and contributing to their popularization. There is a significant gap, however, between the systematic digitalization of the major genres, such as kabuki and noh, for example, and the myriad of local performing arts. The purpose of this presentation is two-fold. The first is to overview and compare main electronic resources for the classical theatre, focusing on kabuki – the Japanese-language databases maintained by The National Diet Library, The National Theatre (Japan Arts Council), The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum of Waseda University, and The Art Research Center of Ritsumeikan University, alongside some English-language resources. These databased are explored in terms of the information provided, design, and user friendliness. On the other hand, in addition to the well-known mainstream genres Japan boasts a rich culture of regional performing arts minzoku geinō or kyōdo geinō, staged at festivals. The majority of these, however, remain relatively unknown, both inside and outside of the country, and many are seriously endangered. The second goal of my presentation is to address the dearth of online resources for these kyōdo geinō, by overviewing the few available web sites, and to explore the possibility for creating a comprehensive interactive database of these forms, in Japanese and English. In order to assist their popularization and preservation, its function should be not only to provide detailed information about their history and features, but also to serve as a platform for digital connectivity between performers, local communities, researchers, tourists, and other potential stakeholders.
日本の伝統芸能：デジタル・リソースとコネクティビティー