Building a Japanese Play Collection: A Collector's Guide to Finding Scripts

Introduction

For anyone with a serious interest in Japanese theater, building a collection of play scripts is one of the most rewarding pursuits imaginable. Japanese plays in printed form offer a depth of engagement that no single performance can match -- the opportunity to study a playwright's language at your own pace, to trace the development of theatrical ideas across a body of work, and to discover texts that may rarely or never be performed in your lifetime.

Yet building a Japanese play collection presents unique challenges, particularly for collectors based outside Japan. The publishing landscape for Japanese plays is different from that of English-language drama, the distribution networks are less global, and the lack of English translations for the vast majority of Japanese plays means that many collectors must develop at least a reading knowledge of Japanese to fully engage with their collections. This guide aims to provide practical advice for navigating these challenges, whether you are a seasoned collector looking to deepen your holdings or a newcomer just beginning to explore the world of Japanese dramatic literature.

The Major Publishers

Understanding the Japanese publishing landscape for plays is the first step toward building a meaningful collection. Several publishers have played particularly important roles in making Japanese dramatic writing available in printed form.

Hakusuisha (白水社) is perhaps the most important publisher of plays in Japan. Founded in 1915, Hakusuisha has a long and distinguished history of publishing dramatic literature, including both Japanese original works and translations of Western drama. The publisher's catalog includes the definitive collected editions of many major Japanese playwrights, and its name on a book's spine is generally a guarantee of editorial quality.

Hakusuisha publishes the annual Kishida Kunio Gikyoku Sho Sakuhin-shu (Kishida Prize Collection), which gathers the winning and nominated plays from each year's Kishida Prize competition. These annual volumes are essential for any collector interested in the development of contemporary Japanese playwriting. They provide a year-by-year record of the most significant new dramatic writing in Japan and are often the most accessible way to read plays that might not otherwise be available in standalone editions.

Hayakawa Shobo (早川書房), best known for its mystery and science fiction publications, also publishes plays, particularly translations of Western drama. Their editions of classic Western plays in Japanese translation are widely used in the Japanese theater world.

Shinchosha (新潮社), one of Japan's major literary publishers, publishes plays by authors who are also known as novelists or literary figures. Works by Yukio Mishima, Kobo Abe, and other literary playwrights are often available in Shinchosha editions.

Ronsosha (論創社) has published collected editions of several significant playwrights, particularly from the shogekijo (small theater) movement. Their volumes are often essential for collectors interested in the work of playwrights who may be well-known in the theater world but less visible in mainstream literary publishing.

Types of Publications

Japanese plays are published in several formats, each with its own advantages and considerations for collectors.

Tankobon (単行本) -- standalone volumes collecting one or more plays by a single author. These are the most common format for plays by established playwrights and are typically published in a standard paperback format. Some tankobon are published as special editions with critical essays, photographs, and other supplementary material.

Bunkobon (文庫本) -- pocket-sized paperback editions, typically published as part of a publisher's bunko (library) series. Bunko editions are smaller and cheaper than tankobon and are often the most affordable way to acquire classic plays. Major bunko series that include plays are the Shincho Bunko (新潮文庫), Iwanami Bunko (岩波文庫), and Hakusuisha's own editions.

Zasshi (雑誌) -- theater magazines. Some plays, particularly new works by emerging playwrights, are first published in theater magazines before appearing in book form. The most important theater magazine for play publication is Higeki Kigeki (悲劇喜劇, literally "Tragedy Comedy"), published by Hayakawa Shobo, which regularly prints full play texts alongside critical essays and reviews. Back issues of theater magazines can be valuable sources for plays that were never subsequently published in book form.

Jōen Daihon (上演台本) -- performance scripts. These are the scripts used in actual productions, sometimes differing from published versions due to cuts, revisions, and additions made during rehearsal. Performance scripts are sometimes available for purchase at theater venues during a production's run, and they can be fascinating documents for collectors interested in the relationship between the written text and its staged realization.

Where to Buy

In Japan

For collectors who can visit Japan or who have contacts there, the options for acquiring plays are extensive.

Major bookstores such as Kinokuniya (紀伊國屋書店), Maruzen (丸善), and Junkudo (ジュンク堂) typically have sections dedicated to drama and theater. The Shinjuku main store of Kinokuniya is particularly well-stocked and is a destination for theater enthusiasts from across Japan.

Used bookstores (furuhon-ya, 古本屋) are an essential resource for collectors. Japan has a rich culture of used book dealing, and many used bookstores specialize in specific genres or periods. The Jimbocho district in Tokyo, which is home to dozens of used bookstores, is the single best destination for hunting for out-of-print plays. Several Jimbocho shops specialize in performing arts materials and maintain extensive inventories of plays, theater programs, and related ephemera.

Online used book platforms have made it possible to search the inventories of used bookstores across Japan without leaving home. Amazon.co.jp has a robust marketplace for used books, and Nihon no Furuhon-ya (日本の古本屋, kosho.or.jp) is a dedicated platform for the Japanese antiquarian book trade that allows searches across hundreds of dealers. These platforms are particularly useful for finding out-of-print editions and rare publications.

Theater venues themselves are sometimes the best places to buy plays. Many theaters sell scripts and related publications in their lobbies, and some companies sell their published scripts through their websites or at post-performance merchandise tables.

Outside Japan

Collectors based outside Japan have several options:

Kinokuniya Books operates stores in several major cities outside Japan, including New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, and several cities in Southeast Asia. These stores carry selections of Japanese-language books including plays.

Online retailers such as Amazon.co.jp ship internationally, though shipping costs can be significant. CDJapan and other export-focused retailers also carry books and can handle international orders.

University libraries with Japanese studies programs often have substantial collections of Japanese plays and may offer interlibrary loan services. Familiarizing yourself with the holdings of nearby university libraries can save you money and introduce you to texts you might not have discovered on your own.

Translations into English

While the vast majority of Japanese plays remain untranslated, the body of English-language translations has grown significantly in recent decades. Key resources include:

Half a Century of Japanese Theater series, edited by the Japan Playwrights Association, which collects English translations of significant plays from each decade since the 1960s. These multi-volume anthologies are essential for English-language readers and provide an excellent overview of the development of contemporary Japanese playwriting.

Individual translator volumes: Translators such as M. Cody Poulton, John K. Gillespie, David Goodman, and others have published important collections of translated Japanese plays. These volumes often include substantial introductions and notes that provide context for the plays they contain.

Academic journals such as Asian Theatre Journal regularly publish translations of individual plays alongside critical essays. Back issues of this journal are a valuable resource for collectors of translated Japanese drama.

Digital resources: Some translations are available through digital platforms and academic databases. Project Muse, JSTOR, and other academic databases provide access to translated plays published in journals and anthologies.

Building a Collection Strategy

For collectors, it helps to have a strategy. Here are some approaches:

By playwright: Choose a playwright whose work you admire and aim to collect everything they have published. Starting with Kishida Prize winners is a natural approach, as their work is generally well-documented and relatively accessible.

By period: Focus on a specific period of Japanese theater history -- the postwar shingeki era, the angura movement, the shogekijo boom of the 1980s and 1990s, or the contemporary scene -- and aim to collect representative works from that period.

By prize: Collect the Kishida Prize annual anthologies, which provide a comprehensive year-by-year record of the most significant new Japanese playwriting. A complete set of these anthologies would constitute an extraordinary reference library for the study of contemporary Japanese drama.

By genre or theme: Focus on a specific genre (absurdist plays, documentary theater, comedy) or theme (war, family, urban life) and collect works that represent different approaches to that category.

Care and Preservation

Japanese paperbacks are generally printed on high-quality paper and hold up well if stored properly. Keep books out of direct sunlight to prevent fading, and store them in a cool, dry environment to prevent mold and foxing (brown spots caused by moisture). If you are collecting older or rare editions, consider investing in protective covers or archival-quality storage materials.

For collectors interested in digital preservation, scanning or photographing the title pages, colophons, and other bibliographic details of your books can be helpful for insurance purposes, catalog management, and sharing information with other collectors.

Conclusion

Building a collection of Japanese play scripts is a journey that can last a lifetime and deepen continually. Each new acquisition opens doors to new playwrights, new theatrical worlds, and new ways of understanding the extraordinary richness of Japanese dramatic literature.

To discover more about Japanese plays and start exploring the vast world of Japanese theater writing, visit our script library where you can search for works by playwright, cast size, and other criteria.