Yamanba
Rebellious Women of Japan
Like the yamanba, the monstrous old witch of the mountains from Japanese folktales, Japanese women have been demonized and silenced for centuries. Yet they have shown courage, resilience, and determination, reclaiming their voices.
Rossella Marangoni, a renowned Japanologist, will be in conversation with Elisabeth Sassi to present her latest book, which tells the stories of rebellious women—real or imagined—far from the still-prevalent stereotype of the geisha.
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Time: 3:15 PM
Venue: Auditorium
Fee: Free of charge
After the talk, Rossella Marangoni will be available for a book signing.
Rossella Marangoni is a Japanologist, cultural educator, and independent author. She holds a degree in Japanese Language and Literature, with advanced studies at Is.M.E.O. (now Is.I.A.O.), and has completed several research trips to Japan.
She gives talks, courses, and seminars on Japanese culture at institutions across Italy and Switzerland. She is a member of the Italian Association for Japanese Studies (AISTUGIA) and the founder of AsiaTeatro, an online magazine focused on Asian performing arts.
She has curated festivals, exhibitions, and cultural events about Japan, including Giappone sui Navigli and Japan SunDays, and collaborates with cultural centers and libraries as a trainer and consultant.
Her publications include Onibaba: The Monstrous Feminine in Japanese Imagination (Mimesis, 2013), Shintoism (Editrice Bibliografica, 2018), and Yamanba: Rebellious Women of Japan (Mimesis, 2025). Her work explores traditional theatre, religious aesthetics, and the role of women in Japanese culture.
Elisabeth Sassi is a cultural editor, playwright, and independent writer. She has contributed to festivals like BABEL, Territori, and FIT, and to playwriting projects with Pro Helvetia, Emilia Romagna Teatro, and Servomuto Teatro.
She trained with Luminanza – Reactor for Contemporary Playwriting and has studied with leading voices including Angela Demattè, Chiara Lagani, Davide Carnevali, among others. In 2025, she attended the Theatre Criticism Workshop at the Venice Biennale, led by Roberta Ferraresi and Massimo Milella.
Her debut play, Fortuna, premiered as a staged reading at Teatro Foce (Lugano) and was later adapted as a radio drama for RSI. In 2023, she created Argonaute, a five-episode podcast for Babel Isole, supported by FSRC/SRKS, REC, and Radio Gwen. She is currently developing È già la fine del mondo with dancer-performer Cecilia Francesca Croce, along with other live writing projects as co-founder of the H5N1 collective.
To access the area, you will need to wear the wristband provided at the festival entrance. To make entry easier, we recommend purchasing your festival ticket online. For people with disabilities or reduced mobility, please contact us in advance via email at info@japanmatsuri.org so we can arrange stress-free access.