Reviews

"A major contribution to the fields of ritual studies, history of religions, theater, and the anthropology of modern Japanese society. The author writes in a lively, captivating style without sacrificing scholarly rigor. The 'transcendent' quality of this work stems from Jane Marie Law's synthesis of sound historiography and ethnographic fieldwork."—Avron Boretz, Hobart and William Smith Colleges

"This is a sophisticated, post-modern, cross-disciplinary study. It breaks new ground in its examination of non-ecclesiastical religious experience and the role of ritual specialist/popular entertainers and serves as an example of how to address the issue of the meaning and creation of 'traditions.' Jane Marie Law has asked, and answered splendidly, all the right, most interesting questions about tradition formation, reformation, and revival."—Susan Matisoff, Stanford University