One of the earliest collections of original drama for child performance.
Nakagawa thought sword dance and Noh farce (kyôgen) are important activities for boys. The dramatic style of Tarô Kaja is in the style of kyôgen. As they were intended not for mere reading but for actual performance, Nakagawa included many practical notes for production.
Many of the plays in this book are not classical pieces, but original
plays about a student or about an episode in the lives of famous people,
which can be more interesting and familiar to readers. They are not only
humorous but also didactic, including a satire on a bad student, for example.
Another drama in kyôgen style that appeared in the magazine Shô-Kokumin [Little Japanese], was supposedly written by Nakagawa, although the author's name is not given. Iwaya Sazanami also published a drama in kyôgen style one year later. However, very few of this kind can be found at a later time. |
