**"The stage where madness dances - from the early Showa era to the postwar period" ***

**"The stage where madness dances - from the early Showa era to the postwar period" ***

Mansaku Itami's theory of "Kyôi" vividly illuminates the transformation of the Japanese performing arts from the early Showa period to the postwar period. At the time, Japan's performing arts were reeling under the wave of modernization, and classical performing arts and emerging popular culture were at war with each other. While Noh, Kyogen, and Kabuki emphasized formal beauty in their "dance" and "dance," "Kyoi" deviated from the mold and was considered to have the power to shake the audience with its improvisation and passion. Noh's kyôjômono, kabuki's aragoto, and god-like dances at festivals are typical examples. Itami described the power of these breaking tones as the core of the performing arts that moves the audience and is etched in their memories. In prewar sumo, too, there was a dramatic "madness" that transcended victory and defeat, and went beyond mere competition to send the audience into a frenzy. After the war, this spirit was carried over to rock music, av
ant-garde theater, and professional wrestling; the extreme live performances of the 1960s, the underground theater of Shuji Terayama and others, and professional wrestling with its emphasis on showmanship are all part of the "madness" genealogy. Thus, "Kyoi" has become a driving force in the history of the Japanese performing arts, connecting the classical and the contemporary, and transcending the expressions of each era.