Adaptation (hon’an) and translation (hon’yaku) of Shakespeare’s plays in Japan in the age of Modernization (the Meiji and Taishō periods, 1868–1912 and 1912–26, respectively) both constitute complex objects of study. A careful analysis of this apparently ambiguous cultural entity offers a glimpse into the wide-ranging interests that the Meiji literati displayed in inheriting and interpreting Shakespeare’s cultural heritage. In their recent review of Shakespeare’s reception and performance in Asia, Kennedy and Young (2010) distinguish the kinds of reception that Shakespearean canon received in Asian countries by means of three main strategies whose cultural significance varies greatly depending on the social and cultural context. These are: nationalist appropriation (specifically referring to China), colonial instigation (India), and intercultural revision. The authors seem to imply that, of these three, intercultural revision – the most innovative, referring to productions that adapt the text to foreign modes of performance – is not associated with any specific geographical space. Using this theoretical framework, aim to demonstrate how the kind of performances originating from this intercultural adaptation, and often giving the most impressive results in terms of visual inventions as well, defy time as well as location, and, in the case of Japan, may be traced back to the time when Shakespeare’s canon was first introduced, i.e. the Meiji Era (1868–1912). This would help to understand the conceptual and cultural basis for the constant efforts of Japanese directors involved in recent production of Shakespeare’s plays in the theatre and as well as films, or other more pop-culture oriented media; efforts, in fact, increasingly appreciated worldwide. In the works of Shakespeare’s first Japanese translators and critics, there is a shift from adaptation of western dramas (including Shakespeare), which was the most popular mode of staging Shakespeare’s works from the 1880s, to verbatim translations of his plays, which had virtually substituted any other means of adaptation by the first two decades of the 20th century. This shift clearly reflects the increasing awareness of Japanese intellectuals of the need to acknowledge the greatness of Shakespeare as a playwright as well as the importance of creating a new concept of modern Japanese drama upon the premise of giving relevance to the text and the author in more general terms. Adapting or translating Shakespeare’s plays in Japanese in the 19th and 20th century is an occasion for Meiji intellectuals to rethink completely the theatrical genre, redefining its borders and the overall value. In this respect a closer examination of critical essays by the renowned translators of Shakespeare, such as Tsubouchi Shōyō (1859–1935) and Mori Ōgai (1862–1922) is a key strategy in order to assess Shakespeare’s pivotal role in the development of Japanese drama. We shall present, therefore, excerpts from diverse essays in order to tackle the fundamental question of the overall significance of Shakespeare’s reception in the cultural context of Modern Japan.

Adaptation (hon’an) and translation (hon’yaku) of Shakespeare’s plays in Japan in the age of Modernization (the Meiji and Taishō periods, 1868–1912 and 1912–26, respectively) both constitute complex objects of study. A careful analysis of this apparently ambiguous cultural entity offers a glimpse into the wide-ranging interests that the Meiji literati displayed in inheriting and interpreting Shakespeare’s cultural heritage. In their recent review of Shakespeare’s reception and performance in Asia, Kennedy and Young (2010) distinguish the kinds of reception that Shakespearean canon received in Asian countries by means of three main strategies whose cultural significance varies greatly depending on the social and cultural context. These are: nationalist appropriation (specifically referring to China), colonial instigation (India), and intercultural revision. The authors seem to imply that, of these three, intercultural revision – the most innovative, referring to productions that adapt the text to foreign modes of performance – is not associated with any specific geographical space. Using this theoretical framework, aim to demonstrate how the kind of performances originating from this intercultural adaptation, and often giving the most impressive results in terms of visual inventions as well, defy time as well as location, and, in the case of Japan, may be traced back to the time when Shakespeare’s canon was first introduced, i.e. the Meiji Era (1868–1912). This would help to understand the conceptual and cultural basis for the constant efforts of Japanese directors involved in recent production of Shakespeare’s plays in the theatre and as well as films, or other more pop-culture oriented media; efforts, in fact, increasingly appreciated worldwide. In the works of Shakespeare’s first Japanese translators and critics, there is a shift from adaptation of western dramas (including Shakespeare), which was the most popular mode of staging Shakespeare’s works from the 1880s, to verbatim translations of his plays, which had virtually substituted any other means of adaptation by the first two decades of the 20th century. This shift clearly reflects the increasing awareness of Japanese intellectuals of the need to acknowledge the greatness of Shakespeare as a playwright as well as the importance of creating a new concept of modern Japanese drama upon the premise of giving relevance to the text and the author in more general terms. Adapting or translating Shakespeare’s plays in Japanese in the 19th and 20th century is an occasion for Meiji intellectuals to rethink completely the theatrical genre, redefining its borders and the overall value. In this respect a closer examination of critical essays by the renowned translators of Shakespeare, such as Tsubouchi Shōyō (1859–1935) and Mori Ōgai (1862–1922) is a key strategy in order to assess Shakespeare’s pivotal role in the development of Japanese drama. We shall present, therefore, excerpts from diverse essays in order to tackle the fundamental question of the overall significance of Shakespeare’s reception in the cultural context of Modern Japan.