Tsugaru is located in the north-east corner of Japan's large island of Honshu. This book serves both as an introduction to the region and as an essay on regional identity in the modern state. The contributing authors, from Japan and New Zealand, began working together as academics located in unique regions: Tsugaru and Otago. They examine many aspects of Tsugaru life and culture: some history (establishment of the Tsugaru clan, arrival of Christian missionaries in the nineteenth century), issues surrounding modern Tsugaru identity, the 'Tsugaru shamisen' (a folk instrument enjoying a revival in popular music), the region's distinctive lacquerware, sculpture, literature (looking at the work of writers Dazai Osamu and Osabe Hideo) and performing arts."--BOOK JACKET.

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