Anatomy of Mishima’s most Successful play “ROKUMEIKAN”: A Critical Analysis of Political Power, Love, and the Creation of Truth

“Anatomy of Mishima’s most Successful Play: Rokumeikan” introduces and critiques the most popular play written by one of Japan’s most creative novelists and playwrights, Yukio Mishima (1925-1970). The play is a romantic melodrama, taking place within the corridors of national power in Tokyo in the 1880s. The author’s critique focuses on notions of power and truth espoused by Michel Foucault, but the book also explains why “Rokumeikan” has been performed more often than any other post-war Japanese play. This book will be of value to scholars and students of Japanese literature and drama, and to general readers interested in the interface between romance, politics, and drama.