Now re-issued, this compact book unravels the contribution of one of modern theatre's most charismatic innovators. Hijikata Tatsumi and Ohno Kazuo gives an account of the founding of Japanese butoh through the partnership of Hijikata and Ohno, extending to the larger story of butoh's international assimilation; an exploration of the impact of the social and political issues of post-World War II Japan on the aesthetic development of butoh; and metamorphic dance experiences that students of butoh can explore.