The all-female Takarazuka Revue is world-famous today for its rococo musical productions, including gender-bending love stories, This text explores how the Revu

Japan boasts one of the world's oldest, most vibrant and most influential performance traditions. This accessible and complete history provides a comprehensive

"The artifice of gender performance - sometimes playful, mostly conscientious - has for ninety-four years enthralled and entertained fans of the Takarazuka Revu

Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this book provides an in-depth analysis of Takarazuka's history, educational traditions and theatrical ethos viewed from t