"Osaka Library Opens Folk Dance Archive to Public"

(A scene from Miwasaki no Aya Odori, a dance from Shingu, Wakayama prefecture, in 1958. Photo courtesy of Ikedabunko Library, published along with the story in The Daily Yomiuri, April 11, 2008, p. 3)

More than 7,000 audiovisual and written accounts of folk performances recorded by the Takarazuka Revue Company, an all-women's theater troupe, have been made available to the public by the Ikedabunko Library in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture...

The material covers many types of performing arts that are no longer practiced, making it an invaluable resource for researchers.

The archive includes 670 DVDs, each with a running time of about 20 minutes, 1,650 audiotapes, with a running time of 20 to 40 minutes, and written reports.

Read the whole story:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/culture/20080411TDY03101.htm

This could be a good resource for visual anthropologists dealing with performance. Below is some information about the Ikedabunko Library.

Ikedabunko Library is well known for holding a famous drama collection that includes Kabuki, Takarazuka - Review and Ukiyoe scenarios, script paintings, programmes and other ephemera of the dramatic arts. As a collection of the dramatic arts, Ikeda's collection is only rivaled by that at Waseda University in Tokyo. A lot of the material is delicate and is rarely exhibited, but books, programmes etc are available for viewing.(Close:Monday, National Holiday, first Wednesday)(from Ikeda City Tourism Association website)

Link to Ikedabunk Library website (in Japanese):
http://www.ikedabunko.or.jp/

Some of my students have blogged about Takarazuka. Read their posts here and here.

Link to information in English on Takarazuka:
http://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/