The Tokyo Army College (also known as the Tokyo Army Educational Center) was established by the

Eighth U.S. Army The Eighth Army is a U.S. field army which is the commanding formation of all United States Army forces in South Korea. It commands U.S. and South Korean units and is headquartered at the Camp Humphreys,Occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...

and became a center of educational and cultural activities for members of the occupational forces and Japanese citizens alike. From 1947 to 1948, the Tokyo Army College was led by Captain Charles T. McDowell, whose staff included Chisaburo Yamada, the well known Japanese art expert, author, and future director of the National Museum of Western Art, and

Faubion Bowers Faubion Bowers (January 29, 1917 – November 17, 1999) was an American academic and writer in the area of Asian Studies, especially Japanese theatre. He also wrote the first full-length biography of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. During t ...

, who also served as General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...

's personal interpreter and aide-de-camp during the

occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

and later became a respected authority on Oriental art and culture. Bowers is known in Japan as "the man who saved ''

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

''" because he advocated successfully for the preservation of this form of art when General MacArthur held the view that it should be banned due to its portrayal of feudal values.

Theatrical Productions

During the occupation of Japan, the Tokyo Army College produced numerous plays, many of which belonged to the Kabuki tradition, performed by some of the most famous Kabuki actors in Japan. Playbills for these productions are considered collectors' items and are available through certain rare books dealers. * July 2, 1946 - Two

Kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

Dramas, including Benten Musume Meo no Shiranami and Kanjinchō (both starring Onoe Kikugoro, Nakamura Kichiemon, and

Matsumoto Kōshirō VII was a Japanese actor. He was one of the leading '' tachiyaku'' Kabuki actors of Japan's Meiji period (1868–1912) through the late 1940s. Names Like most Kabuki actors, Kōshirō took various stage names ('' gō'') over the course of his care ...

). * May 28, 1947 - Two Kabuki Dramas, including "Imparting of the Secret Art of Calligraphy" from the historical play Sugawara Denju (starring

, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Kichiemon,

Nakamura Tokizo Nakamura may refer to: Places *Nakamura, Kōchi, a former city in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan *Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, a ward in Nagoya city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan People *Nakamura (surname), a list of people with the surname Other uses *Nakamura s ...

, Nakamura Kichinojo, and

Ichikawa Somegoro may refer to: Places *Ichikawa, Chiba, a city in Chiba, Japan **Ichikawa Gakuen (Ichikawa Junior and Senior High School), a large private boys and girls school in Moto-kita-kata, Ichikawa, Chiba * Ichikawa, Hyogo, a town in Hyōgo, Japan *Ichikawa ...

) and the Kabuki comedy Migawari Zazen (starring Onoe Kikugoro,

Bandō Mitsugorō VIII (19 October 1906 – 16 January 1975) was one of Japan's most revered kabuki actors from the 1930s until his death. He was a renowned and , specializing in particular in the style. He was officially designated as a " Living National Treasure ...

, and

Ichikawa Omezo may refer to: Places * Ichikawa, Chiba, a city in Chiba, Japan **Ichikawa Gakuen is a large (2500 students) private school in Moto-kita-kata (本北方), Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan. The school is sometimes mistaken for a public school due to its na ...

). * June 11, 1947 - A

Noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

play at the Somei Noh Theater * October 1, 1947 - Two Bunraku performances, including Chikagoro Kawara no Tatehiki and

Michiyuki Hatsunetabi is the term for a journey scene in Japanese theatre, which shows the characters dancing or conversing while travelling. The term , in its generic sense of ''michi wo yuku'' "to go on a road", is used in lyrical descriptions of journeys from t ...

, performed at the Tokyo Gekyo Theatre.

Musical Productions

* June 1, 1947 - Piano Concert by Tatsue Tanaka * June 11, 1947 - Vocal Concert "Hugo Wolf Evening" by

Teiichi Nakayama Teiichi (written: 貞一) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese sprinter *, Japanese composer *, Japanese general *, Japanese general Fictional characters *, protagonist of th ...

* June 15, 1947 - Piano Concert by

Koji Taku Koji, Kōji, Kohji or Kouji may refer to: * Kōji (given name), a masculine Japanese given name * Kōji (Heian period) (康治), Japanese era, 1142–1144 * Kōji (Muromachi period) (弘治), Japanese era, 1555–1558 *Koji orange, a Japanese citr ...

* June 22, 1947 - Choral Concert by the Ueno Academy of Music * June 29, 1947 - Piano Concert by

Professor Paul Vinogradoff Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professor ...

Art exhibitions

* June 12–14, 1947 - Modern French Painting * June 16–18, 1947 - Japanese national treasures in the Okochi Collection * June 19–25, 1947 - Japanese Wooden Sculpture

Students and Faculty

* The renowned German artist Willy Seiler instructed American Army personnel in oil painting, life drawing and sketching at the Tokyo Army College in the late 1940s. General MacArthur is known to have sat for an etching by Seiler in 1951. * The famed poet, novelist, ethnographer, and journalist

Americo Paredes Americo (or Américo) is a Portuguese- and Spanish-language given name, occasionally used as a surname and in other cultures. It is a variant of the name Henry. English diminutives or hypocorisms include Rico & Eric. People with the name includ ...

completed several courses at the Tokyo Army College prior to his return from Japan and subsequent enrollment at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

, where he earned his bachelor's degree.Saldívar, Ramón, "The Borderlands of Culture" (2006), page 106. * Woodblock print artist

Paul Jacoulet Paul Jacoulet (1896–1960) was a French, Japan-based woodblock print artist known for a style that mixed the traditional ukiyo-e style and techniques developed by the artist himself. Biography Jacoulet was born in Paris in 1896 and lived in Jap ...

was recruited by Commandant McDowell to serve as an art instructor at the Tokyo Army College in the late 1940s.

References

{{authority control Military academies of Japan Universities and colleges in Tokyo