Research for Establishing Butoh Dance as a Category of Art through Field Investigation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00156
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01050:Aesthetics and art studies-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: KOSUGE Hayato 慶應義塾大学, 理工学部(日吉), 教授 (40248993)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 暗黒舞踏 / 土方巽 / 北方舞踏派 / 鈴蘭党 / 大野一雄 / ビショップ山田 / 前衛芸術 / BUTOH

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Japanese avant-garde art Ankoku-Butoh has started by two pioneers, Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno, and their friends and disciples. Their artistic values, however, remain relatively unrecognized in Japan in contrast with their international renown and fervent popularity abroad. This study aims to establish research resources as a genetic archive engine by conducting direct dialogues with the pioneering Butoh artists, most of whom are now in their seventies or older.
Original dialogues with Butoh artists making their records publicly available are to construct new Butoh resources. Moreover, the study endeavors to foster a research community through research screenings, Butoh performances, and workshops. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, these objectives were largely achieved.

Free Research Field

芸術学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

1950年代から活躍し始めた舞踏家達が次々と亡くなっている中で，舞踏家達の直接的な証言は，これからの舞踏研究にとって一次資料となるはずである．それは単なる記録であるだけではなく，舞踏家達の肉声と人となりを伝える目的も持っており，それが，舞踏の本質的な部分にあることを新たに主張したことに学術的オリジナリティがあったと考える．
さらに，日本が，能，文楽，歌舞伎などのいわゆる伝統芸能だけではなく，前衛芸術においても1950年代から世界最先端の表現を発信し続け，それが現在においても継続していることを，社会に訴えることにおいて社会的意義があったと考える．