Japanese Plays and Playfellows

"Japanese Plays and Playfellows" by Oman Edwards is a compilation of essays and thoughts about Japanese theater and culture from the beginning of the 1900s. The book goes into traditional Japanese theater, especially Nō plays. It also provides cultural perspectives from the author's six-month visit to Japan. It thinks about the artistic, social, and political details of Japanese society and the influence of Western views on this unique culture. The book starts by talking about Japan as a show for foreign tourists, like watching a play. Edwards talks about the differences between how tourists see Japan, often charmed by its beauty, and the challenges that foreigners living there face, such as cultural walls and the difficulties of a changing society. The writer shows his goal to look closely at the fine points of Japanese theater and daily life through stories and thoughts, planning to give a better knowledge of the dramatic arts that is more than skin deep.