x 231 pages, indexed, illustrated. The jacket is covered in protective plastic, and is lightly creased at the head, else in excellent condition. There is a neat ownership signature on the front end paper and a short, dark stain on the tail of the frontispiece, origin unknown. Beyond these two faults the book is in excellent condition, clean, unmarked and solid. " Murder, political intrigue, illicit love, enforced suicide, vendetta - Kanadehon Chushingura, the eighteenth century classic of Japanese Theatre, combines these elements in a moving drama originally written for the puppet theatre and adapted for live performance..." (front flap) The book grew out of the Kabuki Hawaii program held at the University of Hawaii in 1978-79, and throroughly examines the play, its origins and performance