Joshua S. MostowReseñas

An instructive introduction to the phenomenon of wakashu in Japanese culture and their depiction in traditional ukiyo-e woodcut prints. The useful introductory essays explain the meaning of wakashu - young men who have reached sexual maturity but are not yet old enough to have officially come of age, very much like the Greek ephebe - and also cover the depiction of these youths in prints - where they are distinguished by a distinctive glimpse of the shaved scalp behind the long forelock (as visible in the image on the cover). The top of the scalp would be fully shaved on coming of age. The catalogue itself is divided into sections exploring the way that wakashu were depicted as objects of attraction for both women and adult men, as well as considering links between this culture and that of the female impersonators in kabuki theatre. Essays at the beginning include discussions of more explicit shunga which could not be displayed in the exhibition itself. It is a useful and thought-provoking introduction to an aspect of Japanese culture that I, for one, wasn't fully aware of before: engaging and scholarly but not dauntingly academic for those who, like me, have little specialised understanding of Japanese prints.

Handzaam handboek met zeer gedetailleerde index. Behandelt belangrijke themas op het gebied van de moderne Oostaziatische literatuur in essays met beknopte bibliografieën.