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Rashōmon (Noh Play)
''Rashōmon'' (羅生門) is a Noh play by Kanze Nobumitsu (c.1420). Like other celebrated dramas such as the Maodori-hasi and Ibaraki, it is based on the legend of ''Watanabe no Tsuna'' and the demon of Rashōmon. Historical setting The play is set in the context of the final phase of the Heian period, leading up to the rise of rule by the military (by samurai warriors like Tsuna). Title, characters, and settings The title is a pun, which involves the Rajōmon (羅城門) outer castle gate but Kanze changed it by using the kanji shō for "life" rather than the original jō for "castle" (note that 羅城門 was originally read ''raseimon'' and 生 can also be read as ''sei''). It is one of the few Noh plays where the supporting ''waki'' (脇) rather than the normally leading ''shite'' (仕手) dominates the action. It is suggested that this can be attributed to the fact that Nobumitsu used to play ''waki'' roles when he was an actor. The s''hite'' character in this play only ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kanze Nobumitsu
Kanze Kojiro Nobumitsu 観世 小次郎 信光 1435 or 1450 – July 7, 1516 was a Japanese noh playwright and secondary actor during the Muromachi period, Muromachi Era, from the house of Kanze (Noh school), Kanze. He was the great nephew of Noh playwright Zeami Motokiyo and is considered one of the last important playwrights of the golden age of Noh. He was the author of around 30 plays. Among his most famous plays is the play ''Rashōmon (Noh play), Rashōmon'', which spelled the title of the Rajōmon gate by using the kanji shō for "life" (羅生門) rather than the original jō for "castle." This reading has been corrected back in modern Japanese but left its trace in the title of later stories named Rashōmon and the film of Akira Kurosawa.Akira Kurosawa ''Something Like an Autobiography'' - - 1983 Page 180 " "Rashomon" actually refers to the Rajomon gate; the name was changed in a Noh play written by Kanze Nobumitsu. "Rajo" indicates the outer precincts of the castle, s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heian Period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. It is a period in Japanese history when the Chinese influences were in decline and the national culture matured. The Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature. Two types of Japanese script emerged, including katakana, a phonetic script which was abbreviated into hiragana, a cursive alphabet with a unique writing method distinctive to Japan. This gave rise to Japan's famous vernacular literature, with many of its texts written by court women who were not as educated in Chinese compared to their male counterparts. Although the Imperial House of Japan had power on the surface, the real power was in the hands of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful aristocratic f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rajōmon
, also called , was the gate built at the southern end of the monumental Suzaku Avenue in the ancient Japanese cities of Heijō-kyō (Nara) and Heian-kyō (Kyoto), in accordance with the Chinese grid-patterned city layout. At the other far north-end of Suzaku Avenue, one would reach the Suzakumon Gate, the main entrance to the palace zone. , the southern end of Suzaku Avenue and the possible remainder of the equivalent gate in Fujiwara-kyō (Kashihara) are yet to be discovered. Name The gate's name in modern Japanese is ''Rajōmon''. ''Rajō'' (羅城) refers to city walls and ''mon'' (門) means "gate," so ''Rajōmon'' signifies the main city gate. Originally, this gate was known as ''Raseimon'' or ''Raiseimon'', using alternate readings for the kanji in the name. The name ''Rashōmon'', using the kanji 羅生門 (which can also be read ''Raseimon''), was popularized by a noh play Rashōmon (c.1420) written by Kanze Nobumitsu (1435–1516). The modern name, ''Rajōmon'', us ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kikaku
Takarai Kikaku ( ja, 宝井其角; 1661–1707) also known as Enomoto Kikaku, was a Japanese haikai poet and among the most accomplished disciples of Matsuo Bashō.Katō, Shūichi and Sanderson, Don. ''A History of Japanese Literature: From the Man'yōshū to Modern Times'',Routledge, 1997, p.159 His father was an Edo doctor, but Kikaku chose to become a professional haikai poet rather than follow in his footsteps. Kikaku set the tone for haikai from Basho death until the time of Yosa Buson in the late 18th century; and he also left an important historical document, describing Bashō's final days, and the immediate aftermath of his death, which has been translated into English. Later influence In commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Kikaku's death, Nobuyuki Yuasa led an international bilingual (Japanese and English) renku, or collaborative linked poem, which opened with the following hokku by Kikaku: :鐘ひとつ賣れぬ日はなし江戸の春 :Springtime in Edo, : ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matsumura Goshun
Matsumura GoshunAccording to standard references, his name is ''either'' Goshun, modelled after Chinese habit, ''or'' Matsumura Gekkei. ( jap. ; April 28, 1752 (traditional: Hōreki 2/3/15) – September 4, 1811 (traditional: Bunka 8/7/17)Cleveland Museum of Art - Seventy-two Peaks Against the Blue Sky (Matsumura Goshun) ), sometimes also referred to as Matsumura Gekkei (), was a painter of the and founder of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benkei On The Bridge
is a Japanese Noh play from the 15th century, by Hiyoshi Sa-ami Yasukiyo. Theme The play centres around the encounter between the giant warrior monk Benkei and the youthful Minamoto no Yoshitsune, in which the slighter, younger man defeated the elder. The hand-to-hand bridge combat forged a lasting bond between the pair. Thereafter Benkei served as Yoshitsune’s second in command - as what Basho would describe as “his faithful retainer, Benkei”. Later developments Buson was a Japanese poet and Painting, painter of the Edo period. Along with Matsuo Bashō and Kobayashi Issa, Buson is considered among the greatest poets of the Edo Period. He is also known for completing haiga as a style of art, working with ha ... created a haiku and a haiku painting, ''Benkei and Young Bull'', around the themes of the play, quoting from it in his haiku: “Snow, moon, and blossoms - And then a pledge for three lives, Faith and loyalty”.L Zolbrod, ''Haiku Painting'' (Tokyo 1982) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noh Plays
is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and '' nōgaku'' are sometimes used interchangeably, ''nōgaku'' encompasses both Noh and ''kyōgen''. Traditionally, a full ''nōgaku'' program included several Noh plays with comedic ''kyōgen'' plays in between; an abbreviated program of two Noh plays with one ''kyōgen'' piece has become common today. Optionally, the ritual performance ''Okina'' may be presented in the very beginning of ''nōgaku'' presentation. Noh is often based on tales from traditional literature with a supernatural being transformed into human form as a hero narrating a story. Noh integrates masks, costumes and various props in a dance-based performance, requiring highly trained actors and musicians. Emotions are primarily conveyed by stylized conventional gestures whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
