' is a

Noh 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 ' ...

play, which was traditionally attributed to

Zeami (c. 1363 – c. 1443), also called , was a Japanese aesthetician, actor, and playwright. His father, Kan'ami Kiyotsugu, introduced him to Noh theater performance at a young age, and found that he was a skilled actor. Kan'ami was also skill ...

, but is now ascribed either to his son-in-law

Zenchiku was a skilled Japanese Noh actor, troupe leader, and playwright. His plays are particularly characterized by an intricate, allusive, and subtle style inherited from Zeami which convolved yūgen with influences from Zen Buddhism (his Zen master ...

or his son Motomasa. The Kita school refers to this play as Kikaigashima.

Background

The play takes place in the aftermath of the Shishigatani Incident, several years before the final defeat of the Taira and the ascendancy of the Minamoto clan in the

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himself ...

of 1180-1185. It focuses upon the fate of a trio exiled to "Devil's Island" (''Kikaigashima'', 鬼界島), off the coast of

Satsuma province was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation is . History Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. Durin ...

, as punishment for a plot against the ruling

Taira clan The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided ...

. When the imperial consort, pregnant with

Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the Imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans. Minamoto no Yori ...

, the future emperor, falls ill, seers advise

Taira no Kiyomori was a military leader and ''kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Early life Kiyomori was born in Heian-kyō, Japan, in 1118 as the first so ...

, the ''de facto''

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gro ...

, to placate the spirits by pardoning and compensating some of his victims. He agrees to pardon

Fujiwara no Naritsune was a Japanese courtier of the Heian period who, after plotting against the Taira clan, was exiled along with his father, Fujiwara no Narichika, and a number of other co-conspirators to Kikai-ga-shima. He and his companions in exile, Taira no Ya ...

and

Taira no Yasuyori The Taira was one of the four most important Japanese clans, clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian Period, Heian, Kamakura period, Kamakura and Muromachi period, Muromachi Periods of History of Japan, Japanese history – the ...

, but not the monk

Shunkan Shunkan (俊寛) (c. 1143 – 1179) was a Japanese monk who, after taking part in the Shishigatani plot to overthrow Taira no Kiyomori, was exiled along with two others to Kikai-ga-shima. His story is featured in the '' Heike monogatari'', and in ...

Plot summary

The play begins with the dispatch of an envoy to the island, where Naritsune and Yasuyori (but not the Zen Buddhist Shunkan) are ceremoniously worshipping their replica of the

Kumano shrine A is a type of Shinto shrine which enshrines the three Kumano mountains: Hongū, Shingū, and Nachi [].Encyclopedia of ShintoKumano Shinkō accessed on October 6, 2008 There are more than 3,000 Kumano shrines in Japan, and each has received its k ...

, while the Chorus laments the “endless days of banishment”. When the (prop) boat brings the amnesty proclamation, Shunkan is staggered to find his name is not on it: “When three dwelt together here, How terrible the loneliness of these wild rocks! Now one is left, to wither Like a flower dropped on the shore”. The play reaches its emotional climax when he clutches the rope behind the departing boat, in vain;Mae Southurst, ''Dramatic Action in Greek Tragedy and Noh'' (2013) p. 16 and he is left alone, with only the voices of his former companions assuring him that they will work for his recall as well.

References

{{Reflist, 2}

External links

Shunkan
Noh plays Plays set in the 12th century

Background

Plot summary

See also

References

Further reading

External links