What's in a Word?: Classifications and Conundrums in Japanese Folk Performing Arts

The study of Japanese folk performing arts in the latter half of the twentieth century was dominated by the figure of Honda Yasuji. Honda's immense contribution to Japanese folk performing arts studies was not only evident in his voluminous accounts but also in the classification system he devised, which attempted to organize the wide variety of performance forms. The classification still remains the predominant perspective today but has not been without its critics. This paper takes a critical look at Honda's classification and identifies problem areas that need to be understood when viewing Japanese folk performing arts.