Four Major Plays of Chikamatsu

Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725) wrote some 130 plays, chiefly for the puppet theater, many of which are still performed today by puppet operators and Kabuki actors. The plays included in the volume—three of the most popular domestic dramas and one history play—provide a representative selection of Chikamatsu’s work for Western readers. In his introduction to the translations, Dr. Keene provides the reader with the background essential for an understanding of Chikamatsu’s work. He discusses customs and beliefs in Chikamatsu’s time, their reflection in the behavior ofhis characters, and the essential features of Japanese drama as they developed entirely independently of foreign influence. The four plays included in the book are:•“The Love Suicides at Sonezaki”•“The Battles of Coxinga”•“The Uprooted Pine”•“The Love Suicides at Amijima”