Note 1
G.V. Rosi, born in Rome in 1867, worked for the opera at the Teikoku Theatre (Teigeki) in Tokyo from 1912 to 1915. Rosi not only worked as a dancer and a choreographer but also directed operettas in the repertoire. After his work with Teigeki, Rosi devoted himself to fostering opera and dance in Japan. He financed an opera theatre called Akasaka Royal Kan, and established the Rosi Opera. In 1918, however, the theatre closed because of financial difficulties. Though Rosi and his wife left Japan for the United States, his efforts influenced the development of Asakusa opera in later years. (Asakusa opera is a hybrid, intercultural theatrical form, one that combines Western opera techniques with Japanese folk elements.)