Download or read book An Introduction to Japanese Folk Performing Arts written by Terence Lancashire and published by Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2011 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Japanese folk performing arts incorporate a body of entertainments that range from the ritual to the secular. They may be the ritual dances at Shinto shrines performed to summon and entertain deities; group dances to drive away disease-bearing spirits; or theatrical mime to portray the tenets of Buddhist teachings. Terence Lancashire provides a valuable introductory guide to the major performance types as understood by Japanese scholars.