Butoh, an avant-garde Japanese dance form that emerged in the late 1950s, defies traditional norms with its raw and visceral exploration of the human experience. Originally developed by Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ōno, Butoh’s slow, contorted movements and white-painted performers create an eerie atmosphere, challenging conventional notions of beauty. Rooted in post-war Japan, Butoh draws inspiration from existentialism and Japanese folk traditions, offering a unique and thought-provoking exploration of the human psyche. Photographer Mitsutoshi Hanaga documented this thriving avant-garde art of Butoh by capturing theater representations and the performers’ particular gestures and body movements – compiled in this beautiful publication.

Unpaginated, 18.2 × 25.6 cm. Published by Gendai Shokan in 1983 (First edition). Softcover with dust jacket. In Japanese. ISBN 0072-14176-1935. Condition: Very good.