Opera Libretto of The White Fox by Okakura Kakuzo:

Analysis of the Similarities to Kabuki and Wagner’s Opera

Abstract

　Okakura Kakuzo wrote an English opera libretto titled The White Fox based on a Japanese legend while in Boston, for presentation before an American audience. This paper analyzes the similarities of The White Fox to certain kabuki plays and to Wagner’s Tannhäuser, and examines Okakura’s intentions behind his choice of audience.

　The White Fox has several scenes following the stage direction used in kabuki plays called keren. Furthermore, in the scene where the fox is leaving her baby, she utters words very similar to those uttered in a similar scene in Ashiyadōman- Ōuchikagami̶a kabuki drama based on the same Japanese legend. In another scene where Yasuna, the fox’s benefactor, is wandering, out of his mind, seeking his fiancée, his words and manner also are comparable to those in some scenes in the kabuki dance Yasuna.

　A comparison between The White Fox and Tannhäuser reveals similarities in the era and place, in the chorus of the pilgrimage, in the subject matter, and the characters' faith, and in the likeness of the heroines. These similarities suggest that Okakura incorporated elements from both kabuki plays and Tannhäuser into The White Fox.

　Okakura’s objective behind The White Fox was to enable the American audience to understand and appreciate Japanese culture and religion, by engaging their sympathy in a mother’s love toward her children and a pilgrim's faith, and drawing similarities between Japanese and Western culture. Thus, The White Fox can be used to portray Japanese culture to a wide American audience.