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Japanese Theatre
This article is an overview of traditional and modern Japanese theatre. Traditional Japanese theatre is among the oldest theatre traditions in the world. Traditional theatre includes Noh, a spiritual drama, and its comic accompaniment ; kabuki, a dance and music theatrical tradition; , puppetry; and , a spoken drama. Modern Japanese theatre includes (experimental Western-style theatre), shinpa (new school theatre) and (little theatre). In addition, there are many classical western plays and musical adaptations of popular television shows and movies that are produced in Japan. Traditional forms of theatre Noh and Noh and theatre traditions are among the oldest continuous theatre traditions in the world. The earliest existing scripts date from the 15th century. Noh was a spiritual drama, combining symbolism from Buddhism and Shinto and focusing on tales with mythic significance. , its comic partner, served as a link between the theological themes of the Noh play with the ped ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the city had a population of 1.46 million. The city is the cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people. Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in 794 as the new seat of Japan's imperial court by Emperor Kanmu. The original city, named Heian-kyō, was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capital of Chang'an/Luoyang. The emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869. It was the scene of several key events of the Muromachi period, Sengoku period, and the Boshin War, such as the Ōnin War, the Ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kaidan
is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 (''kai'') meaning "strange, mysterious, rare, or bewitching apparition" and 談 (''dan'') meaning "talk" or "recited narrative". Overall meaning and usage In its broadest sense, ''kaidan'' refers to any ghost story or horror story, but it has an old-fashioned ring to it that carries the connotation of Edo period Japanese folktales. The term is no longer as widely used in Japanese as it once was: Japanese horror books and films such as '' Ju-on'' and ''Ring'' would more likely be labeled by the ''katakana'' . ''Kaidan'' is only used if the author/director wishes to specifically bring an old-fashioned air into the story. Examples of ''kaidan'' *''Banchō Sarayashiki'' (''The Story of Okiku'') by Okamoto Kido *''Yotsuya Kaidan'' (''Ghost Story of Tōkaidō Yotsuya'') by Tsuruya Nanboku IV (1755–1829) *''Botan Dōrō'' (''The Peony Lantern'') by Asai Ryoi *'' Mimi-nashi Hōichi'' (''Hōichi the Earless'') ''Hyakumonogatari Kaidan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Utsushi
The Japanese term, can be translated as, appropriation, emulation, inspiration, attribution, etc. However, the word Utsushi encompasses the meanings found in all the terms mentioned. An Utsushi can be a work where an artist is inspired by a traditional motif and incorporates the design in a work of art or the artist is emulating a masterpiece of the past to surpass the original subtly. In Japan today, the meaning found in the term Utsushi is slowly fading and being misinterpreted or wrongly associated with the term, which means to copy or reproduce. Utsushi is simply not copying or reproducing a masterpiece or motif from the past. Instead, Utsushi promotes a dialogue between the artist and the masters of the past, connecting past, present, and future. History and culture The tradition of Utsushi has been part of the history of traditional Japanese art extending across numerous artistic fields, especially in calligraphy, painting, sculpture, architecture, lacquer, ceramics, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rakugo
is a form of ''yose'', which is itself a form of Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on a raised platform, a . Using only a and a as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long and complicated comical (or sometimes sentimental) story. The story always involves the dialogue of two or more characters. The difference between the characters is depicted only through change in pitch, tone, and a slight turn of the head. Lexical background Rakugo was originally known as . The oldest appearance of the kanji which refers specifically to this type of performance dates back to 1787, but at the time the characters themselves (落とし噺) were normally read as ''otoshibanashi'' (falling discourse). In the middle of the Meiji period (1868–1912) the expression ''rakugo'' first started being used, and it came into common usage only in the Shōwa period (1926–1989). Description The speaker is in the middle of the audience ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ninjō
in Japanese, is human feeling that complements and opposes the value of '' giri'', or social obligation, within the Japanese worldview. Broadly speaking, ''ninjō'' is said to be the human feeling that inescapably springs up with social obligation. As ''ninjō'' is a culture-specific term, the validity or importance of this concept is subject to a wide range of viewpoints, inextricably tied into one's perspective on nihonjinron, which compares Japan with other cultures to establish what is unique about the country. Concept ''Ninjō'' is roughly translated as "human feeling" or "emotion" and could also be interpreted as a specific aspect of these terms such as generosity or sympathy towards the weak. The classic example of ''ninjō'' is that of a samurai who falls in love with an unacceptable partner (perhaps somebody of low social class or somebody of an enemy clan). As a loyal member of his clan, he then becomes torn between the obligation to his feudal lord and his person ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kōdan
is a style of traditional oral Japanese storytelling. The form evolved out of lectures on historical or literary topics given to high-ranking nobles of the Heian period, changing over the centuries to be adopted by the general samurai class and eventually by commoners, and eventually, by the end of the Edo period, declining in favor of new types of entertainment and storytelling such as '' naniwa-bushi''. It was at this time that the term ''kōshaku'' was abandoned and ''kōdan'' adopted. Today, after a failed attempt to revive the art in 1974, there are four schools of ''kōdan'' and only a very few performers between them. The three traditional classifications of kōdan are ''Gundan'', ''Gokirokumono'', and ''Sewamono''; meaning ''war stories'', ''true stories'', and ''contemporary stories'' respectively. Kōdan is usually performed sitting behind a desk or lectern, and using wooden clappers or a fan to mark the rhythm of the recitation. The original kōdan performances were re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chō
is a Japanese actor and narrator from Kōnosu, Saitama. His former stage name was . He is a graduate of the Nishogakusha University Department of Literature and received training at Bungakuza's research establishment and the Seinenza Theater Company before attaching himself to Production Baobab in 1986. He transferred to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society in 2007. On August 23, 2006, he changed his stage name to Chō after his character in ''Tanken Boku no Machi''. His hobbies include badminton and jogging, and he is a licensed teacher in calligraphy. Filmography Television animation ;1989 *''Time Travel Tondekeman'' (Pilot, Bronze Statue) ;1990 *''Kyatto Ninden Teyandee'' (Himawari #2, Yongō Sasanishiki, Piddo #9, Missile Yachōbee, Buffalo #10, Ishikari #2) *''Chibi Maruko-chan'' (Fujiki's Father) ;1992 *''Floral Magician Mary Bell'' (Noppo) *''Mikan Enikki'' (Momojirō) *'' Uchū no Kishi Tekkaman Blade'' (Sakuaari Staff Officer, Guerilla Soldier) ;1993 *' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edo Period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characterized by economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies, a stable population, perpetual peace, and popular enjoyment of arts and culture. The period derives its name from Edo (now Tokyo), where on March 24, 1603, the shogunate was officially established by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The period came to an end with the Meiji Restoration and the Boshin War, which restored imperial rule to Japan. Consolidation of the shogunate The Edo period or Tokugawa period is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's regional '' daimyo''. A revolution took place from the time of the Kamakura shogunate, which existed with the Tennō's court, to the Tok ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yose
''Yose'' (Japanese: 寄席) is a form of spoken vaudeville theatre of Japan cultivated since the 18th century. The term also refers to the exclusive theater where ''yose'' is held. History The ''yose'' was a popular form of spoken theatre in the Edo period. The term is the shortened form of ''Hito yose seki'' (人寄せ席), roughly "Where people sit together". Towards the end of the Edo period, there were several hundred theatres, about one per district (町, ''chō''). The entrance fee, the "wooden door penny" (木戸銭, ''Kido-zeni''), was small. A number of variants existed: * "Narrative stories" (講談, ''Kōdan'') * "Emotional stories" (人情噺, ''Ninjō-banashi'') * "Comic stories" (落語, ''Rakugo'') * "Magic Arts" (手品, ''Tejina'') * "Shadow theatre" (写し絵, ''Utsushi-e'') * "Imitation of several people" (八人芸, ''Hachinin-gei'') * "Ghost Stories" (怪談, ''Kaidan'') * "Artful Tales" (芸屋噺) and others The main direction was the ''kōdan'', the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shamisen
The , also known as the or (all meaning "three strings"), is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument derived from the Chinese instrument . It is played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually but sometimes when used as a suffix, according to regular sound change (e.g. ). In Western Japanese dialects and several Edo period sources, it is both written and pronounced as . The construction of the varies in shape, depending on the genre in which it is used. The instrument used to accompany kabuki has a thin neck, facilitating the agile and virtuosic requirements of that genre. The one used to accompany puppet plays and folk songs has a longer and thicker neck instead, to match the more robust music of those genres. Construction The is a plucked stringed instrument. Its construction follows a model similar to that of a guitar or a banjo, with a neck and strings stretched across a resonating body. The neck of the is fret ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
