Tokyo Army College


The Tokyo Army College was established by the Eighth U.S. Army during its Occupation of Japan and became a center of educational and cultural activities for members of the occupational forces and Japanese citizens alike.
From 1947 to 1948, the Tokyo Army College was led by Captain Charles T. McDowell, whose staff included Chisaburo Yamada, the well known Japanese art expert, author, and future director of the National Museum of Western Art, and Faubion Bowers, who also served as General Douglas MacArthur's personal interpreter and aide-de-camp during the occupation and later became a respected authority on Oriental art and culture. Bowers is known in Japan as "the man who saved kabuki" because he advocated successfully for the preservation of this form of art when General MacArthur held the view that it should be banned due to its portrayal of feudal values.

Theatrical Productions

During the occupation of Japan, the Tokyo Army College produced numerous plays, many of which belonged to the Kabuki tradition, performed by some of the most famous Kabuki actors in Japan. Playbills for these productions are considered collectors' items and are available through certain rare books dealers.