Takarazuka Revue's Metamorphosis: From a Local Stage Art Towards a Global Medium

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K17952
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cultural anthropology; Aesthetics and studies on art
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University (2018-2022); Nagasaki University (2017)
• Principal Investigator: GRAJDIAN Maria Mihaela 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(総), 准教授 (40732425)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 宝塚歌劇 / 後期近代日本 / 現象学的経験 / 参与観察 / 生公演 / ファンクアブ活動 / 解釈学的分析 / 大衆歌劇

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project has been analyzing Takarazuka Revue as a representative mass-media phenomenon in late-modern Japan. The approach transcends Takarazuka Revue's historical contextualization as this has been repeatedly addressed in previous research by numerous analysts and focuses on Takarazuka Revue's impact on present-day Japan so that future elements can be calculated or at least estimated. Phenomenological experience has allowed for the performances themselves to appear in the foreground, in parallel with participatory observation in fan clubs' activities, the collection of informative materials (partially from archives) in addition to the formation of a theoretical foundation for the analytical endeavor itself. The results of the current research project ill be summed up in two books in English and German to be published at international publishing houses during 2023 and a Japanese version in the next years.

Free Research Field

メディア学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

宝塚歌劇の関連性とインパクトは、歴史的視野を超越し、将来を構造する、本研究の最終的結論だ。つまり、解釈学的分析の結果は、後期近代の社会（日本）の４つ主な分野（文化、社会、経済、政治）と２つの二次的分野（テクノロジー、教育）を考慮しながら、宝塚歌劇の「社会の鏡」と「ロール・モデル」という二つの弁証法的役目を分析し、将来向き評価をし、そして、歴史の流れを計算しようとする、ということだ。また、宝塚歌劇団と観客の間に行う緊張関係は、歴史的に批判的に観察され、日本のエリートと一般的民衆の間にテンション・ポイントが明らかになる、本研究の目標だ。