Girl of Izu a "deceptively simple story […] about cleansing, purification", pointing out for one the "effacement of adult female sexuality and its replacement by an impossible white void of virginity", a common theme with Kawabata, as well as the protagonist's "personal absolution", received from people constantly living with the "stigma of social exclusion". In his review of a 2000 anthology, Donald Richie rated The Dancing Girl of Izu as Kawabata's most famous and popular work, an autobiographical and "seemingly artless […] evocation of first love itself". Translations The Dancing Girl of Izu was first translated into English by Edward Seidensticker, being the first story by Kawabata which saw an English translation, and published in an abridged form as The Izu Dancer in The Atlantic Monthly in 1955. Later publications contained Seidensticker's complete translation of the story. A new English translation was provided by J. Martin Holman in 1997. Adaptations Films The Dancing Girl of Izu (1933), starring Kinuyo Tanaka and Den Obinata, directed by Heinosuke Gosho Izu no odoriko (1954), starring Hibari Misora and Akira Ishihama, directed by Yoshitarō Nomura Izu no odoriko (1960), starring Haruko Wanibuchi and Masahiko Tsugawa, directed by Yoshirō Kawazu Izu no odoriko (1963), starring Sayuri Yoshinaga and Hideki Takahashi, directed by Katsumi Nishikawa Izu no odoriko (1966), starring Yōko Naitō and Toshio Kurosawa, directed by Hideo Onchi Izu no Odoriko (1974), starring Momoe Yamaguchi and Tomokazu Miura, directed by Katsumi Nishikawa Television Kawabata's story has also been dramatised for Japanese television numerous times, including a 1993 version starring Takuya Kimura. Popular culture The novel is well known in Japan, and today, Odoriko (lit. "dancing girl") is used as the name of express trains to the Izu area. References Novels by Yasunari Kawabata 1926 Japanese novels Japanese novels adapted into films Japanese novels adapted into television shows