Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese Troupe: How an American Acrobat Introduced Circus to Japan-and Japan to the West

by Schodt, Frederik L.

• ISBN13: 9781611720099
• ISBN10: 1611720095
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-12-04
• Publisher: Consortium Book Sales & Dist

Summary

"Frederik L. Schodt has at long last unveiled the fascinating story of 'Professor Risley.' Circus scholars, history buffs, and anyone with an ounce of curiosity should be grateful to him."Dominique Jando, Circopedia.org "Professor" Risley (Richard Risley Carlisle) introduced the Western circus to Japan in 1864. Three years later, this former acrobat gave many in the West their first glimpse of Japan when he took his "Imperial Japanese Troupe" of acrobats and jugglers on a triumphant tour of North America and Europe. Over the next few years, the Troupe performed before presidents, monarchs, and ordinary citizens. Frederik L. Schodt argues compellingly that such early popular entertainments helped stir a curiosity about all things Japanese that eventually led to japonisme, The Mikado, and, in our time, the boom in manga and anime. Schodt's depiction of Risley and his troupe is enlivened by portraits of the circus demimonde and supported by nineteenth-century photographs, posters, and drawings, many in color. His accounts of these first meetings between Westerners and Japanese shed new light on how different cultures meet, mingle, and influence each other. Descriptions of crowds, dazzling routines, and superstar troupe performers like the famous Little All Right are a delightful revelation to anyone interested in Asia, the circus, and popular entertainment. Frederik L. Schodthas authored numerous books about Japan, including Manga! Manga!and Native American in the Land of the Shogun. In 2009 for his work he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Setting the Stage	p. 3
Where Is Risley?	p. 5
The Context	p. 9
The Imperials at Last	p. 13
Opening at the Academy of Music	p. 19
A Deal with Maguire	p. 26
The Risley Act	p. 32
A Restless Spirit	p. 34
Beyond Circus	p. 38
Off to Europe	p. 44
Going Global	p. 52
Panorama Man	p. 56
The Sky Is the Limit	p. 58
Going for Gold	p. 62
California Dreaming	p. 64
The Sandwich Islands	p. 73
New Zealand	p. 78
Australia	p. 80
Into Asia	p. 86
Calcutta	p. 88
Singapore, Batavia, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Manila	p. 93
Shanghai	p. 103
Thoughts of Japan	p. 108
Yokohama, Japan	p. 113
The Settlement	p. 113
Introducing Western Circus	p. 117
Stuck in Japan	p. 121
A Different Approach	p. 128
Circus Approximate in Japan	p. 130
Beginnings of the Imperial Japanese Troupe	p. 138
Taking America	p. 144
Heading for the East Coast	p. 145
Philadelphia	p. 146
Washington, D.C.	p. 154
New York and the Imperials' Act	p. 159
Over-exposure and an Identity Crisis	p. 167
At the Exposition	p. 176
Competition in Paris	p. 180
Performing in Paris	p. 184
A Few Difficulties	p. 193
South to Lyon	p. 196
The Long Way to London	p. 198
A Rough Start	p. 201
Holland and Belgium	p. 209
London at Last	p. 214
Drama Onstage and Off	p. 219
The Matter of the Contract	p. 225
Spain	p. 225
Portugal	p. 238
Back to France	p. 241
New York Again, at Last	p. 243
Final Acts	p. 248
The Imperials, Streamlined	p. 250
Back to Britain	p. 252
A "Dreadful and Humiliating Punishment"	p. 255
The End of a Long Run	p. 258
Afterword	p. 267
Notes	p. 273
Select Bibliography	p. 288
Index	p. 295
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