Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Historical and cultural context of the study 1.2 A historical overview of the three Japanese touring troupes' overseas tours 1.2.1 The Kawakami troupe's overseas tours 1.2.2 The Hankao troupe's overseas tours 1.2.3 The Tsutsui troupe's overseas tours 1 3 Literature review 1.4 Objectives and significance of the study 1.5 Methodology 1.5.1 The investigation of the Self in the pursuit of the cultural Other 1.5.2 Audience reception theory 1.5.3 The power struggle between different participants in cross-cultural theatrical communications Chapter 2 Japonisme: A Cultural Marker Underlying the Western Reception of the Japanese Touring Troupes 2.1 Origin and development of Japonisme in the West 2.2 Features of Japonisme and their manifestation in the international exhibitions 2.3 The "fine arts" perspective cultivated by Japonisme Chapter 3 Western Audiences' Reception of the Acting and Performance Feature of the Japanese Touring Troupes 3.1 The strong physicality in the acting of the Japanese troupes' performers 3.2 Hybridity in the acting and performance style of the Japanese touring troupes' productions 3.3 Killings and suicides in fight and death scenes of the Japanese troupes' performances Chapter 4 Power Relations between the Japanese Touring Troupes and Westerners 4.1 The unequal power relationship between the Japanese touring troupes and Western audiences 4.2 Publicity and public relations strategies of the Japanese touring troupes 4.3 Negotiations and cooperation in the power relationship between the Japanese touring troupes and Western theatre entrepreneurs Chapter 5 Western Avant-garde Theatre Practitioners' "(Mis)Interpretations" of the Japanese Touring Troupes 5.1 The self-affirming and selective features of the Western avant-garde theatre practitioners' reception of the Japanese troupes 5.2 "Re-theatricalization" and "re-totalization" ~ Chapter 6 Conclusion Primary Sources Collection Bibliography