The process of imposing a new structure, or more specifically, the rationalization of traditional arts, is associated with fundamental shifts in knowledge and skill development, which cannot always be harmonized with historical practices. This paper focuses on Cambodian Court Dance (robam preah reaj trop) to illuminate the aforementioned dynamics as they unfolded during a 2-year interlude between 1927 and 1929. During this period, the Royal Palace-based residential learning community for court dance was brought under the aegis of the French colonial École des arts Cambodgiens. At the time, dancers and instructors were abruptly moved into a school-based system with an ensuing curriculum and instructional changes. The paper also examines how the “rationalization” of performing arts education maintained the technical educational elements, such as dance techniques and postures, but undercut the socialization that facilitated apprenticeship education (geidoteki totei kyouiku), which had, for centuries, been a key feature of the community and self-identity of the palace dancers. The study contemplated the underestimation of the importance of apprenticeship within a residential dance community as a learning experience that could inform future reorganizations of Cambodian traditional dance, with apprenticeship perpetuating its functions as a critical feature of dance education in Cambodia.

Since the 1990s, “Modern Buddhism” has been intensely discussed in the field of Japanese Buddhist studies. In line with this trend, the relationship between Asian Buddhism and Japan has also been regarded as a significant research topic. However, few studies deal with narratives on Cambodia by Japanese scholars and writers. Therefore, this paper examines writings on Cambodian Buddhism in Japanese magazines and books published before and during the Second World War.

In the late 19th century, Cambodian culture was deeply influenced by Siam, which provided Pāli language education and Buddhist scriptures for Cambodian monks. From the beginning of the 20th century, the French colonial authority established Pāli language schools and the Buddhist Institute, and reorganized the Royal Library in order to disconnect the cultural flow from the neighboring country. Young monks and intellectuals participated in these institutions’ activities, and achieved “reform” of Buddhism by the 1940s. Thus, the period of the early 20th century can be considered as the era of modern Buddhism in Cambodia.

In 1934, a Japanese Buddhist magazine titled “Kaigai Bukkyo Jijo” was launched with the purpose of collaborating with foreign experts and introducing Asian Buddhism. Some of the magazine issues in the 1930s referred to contemporary Cambodian Buddhism; however, during the early 1940s, the magazine and books attached too much importance to Angkor monuments, because the Japanese army began to be stationed in Cambodia, making it possible to conduct research on the monuments. Although a Buddhist sect sent delegates from Japan, and Japanese ethnologists carried out fieldwork, they rarely paid much attention to the modern aspect of Cambodian Buddhism. It could be said that the lack of communication between the Cambodian monks and Japanese experts sprang from the disinterest shown by the latter.