This paper analyzes the similarities and differences in the performance notations (kata-tsuke) attributed to Shimotsuma Shōshin through a comparative study of three primary sources: Gyūren e Tou Nikki, Shōshin Nō Densho, and Tōbushō. Traditionally, Shōshin's notations have been regarded as belonging to the Konparu school, on the assumption that he inherited his performance tradition from Konparu Gyūren. However, a detailed comparison of the notations for individual plays reveals not a few instances in which Shōshin's descriptions do not coincide with those in Gyūren's text, while some elements instead correspond to performance patterns associated with other schools. Furthermore, a closer examination of the transmission between Gyūren and Shōshin calls into question the conventional view that Shōshin inherited his entire performance tradition directly from Gyūren. These observations suggest that Shōshin's notations should not be understood simply as a continuation of the Konparu tradition. Rather, they appear to have been formed through reference to multiple performance traditions and interpretive approaches. On this basis, this paper proposes that Shōshin's kata-tsuke may constitute a highly independent body of performance notation.

Saga Tennō Kanro no Ame, a five-act period jōruri by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, is assumed to have premiered in Shōtoku 4(1714), prior to the death of Takemoto Chikugo-no-jō. However, the colophon format of the extant first edition (seven-line) diverges from that of early seven-line publications, suggesting that the play may have been performed earlier than Keisei Kakemono-zoroe (Shōtoku 2, 1712), long regarded as the earliest example marking the shift from eight- to seven-line editions. The premiere dates of Chikamatsu's jōruri must be estimated from multiple, intersecting perspectives. This paper reexamines the play's premiere date by reconsidering its compositional background.

In the fifth act, Kōbō Daishi brings rain to people afflicted by drought, a motif likely informed by the severe crop failure of 1709 and the major drought of 1710 in the Kinai region. In the third act, the protagonist, obliged to avenge his father's murderer, even kills his own child in order to support an older hostage, yet the act ultimately ends in reconciliation and the breaking of a cycle of vengeance. This plot draws on the old jōruri Ishiyama Kaichō. Moreover, a public opening of the Kannon at Ishiyama-dera was held beginning in the third month of 1711.

In addition to these considerations, the characterization of the weakened older father and the filial speeches of the daughter-in-law closely resemble those found in Chikamatsu's works from the late Hōei period. Taken together, these elements suggest that the play's premiere likely occurred in the first half of 1711 (Hōei 8/Shōtoku 1).

This article examines the activities of the Shina Geki Kenkyu Kai (支那劇研究会, Shina Drama Research Society) in Dalian in the late 1920s and explores its role in facilitating theatrical exchange between Japanese and Chinese participants. The society functioned as a forum for appreciating Chinese traditional theatre and developed a sustained learning practices through lectures, theatre attendance, adapted performances, and discussion meetings. Through these activities, theatre became a space in which knowledge and performance techniques were shared and transmitted in everyday practice.

Although the society operated within the institutional framework of colonial cultural organizations, its activities depended on the continued involvement of Chinese instructors and performers. Their participation connected the group to broader theatrical networks and shaped exchange as an ongoing, practice-based interaction rather than a simple one-directional reception of culture. By examining lectures, exhibitions, theatre events, and adapted productions, this study clarifies how theatrical exchange was formed through repeated local activities within a colonial context. The case of Dalian provides insight into the concrete workings of early twentieth-century Sino-Japanese theatrical interaction.