전통의 마케팅 : 일본 가부키에서 공적·상업적 측면의 공존에 관한 연구

There are two contrasting standpoints from which to view traditional arts. While one views traditional arts as invaluable assets and as a public good whose ownership is not limited to a few individuals but rather shared by all members of a society, the other views traditional arts as a cultural good whose vitality stems from the process in which its rightful value is recognized as it is produced and consumed amidst the competition with other cultural goods active within the market that characterizes capitalist society. This issue naturally arises not only in conjunction with Kabuki in Japan, but also with any traditional art from any part of the world when the latter is perceived from the standpoint of performing art. In this regard, the standpoint from which this question is approached has a marked impact on the main focal point in terms of its perception and explanation, the orientation of the creators, developmental direction of the actual art and of policy support. The difference between these standpoints is very important because such differences can lead to the elimination of a performing art category or to an utter change in the general map of the arts by pushing something into the mainstream.
The background to Kabuki’s stabilization as a representative Japanese performing art can be traced back to the historical opportunity which emerged to concretize its status as both a public good and a commercial art. Here, Shochiku Co. Ltd. can be identified as having been at the center of the process through which this historical opportunity was created during the Meiji Period. Based on its management of Kabuki theaters, Shochiku Co. Ltd. was able to develop Kabuki as a commercial art. However, it also maintained the reputation of Kabuki as a traditional Japanese cultural property by introducing in the show biz management sector a system through which Kabuki actors received an education that was based on the traditional Iemoto system. This example of Shochiku Co. Ltd. should be viewed from the standpoint of the artists who create traditional arts amidst the tension between publicity and market supremacy, the public who views these arts, and the cultural policy makers who establish and implement the related measures amidst such tensions.