National Theatre of Japan - Hanamichi 2018 10 21

The is an extra

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * St ...

section used in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

. It is a long, raised platform, running left of centre to the stage through the audience, connecting to the main stage. The is typically used for character entrances and exits, though is also used for

aside An aside is a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience. By convention, the audience is to realize that the character's speech is unheard by the other characters on stage. It may be addressed to the audience expressly (in charac ...

s and scenes that do not take place in the location as scenes on the main stage; the also typically features a trapdoor just before the runway meets the stage, placed to be visible to everyone in the audience, which is commonly used for character entrances. Some kabuki plays also require the use of two , running along the left and right of the audience.

History

The was first used in 1668 in the , in the form of a simple wooden plank that reached from the centre of the stage to the middle of the theatre. It was not used in performances, but allowed actors to step into the audience after a performance to receive flowers, with the word literally meaning "flower path." The modern style of , sometimes called (, "main flower path"), was first conceived and standardized in 1740. The standard size ranges from – long and – wide. Some theatres have since begun to make use of a secondary on the right side of the audience, known as (, "copied flower path") which is one-third to half the width of the on the left.

Usages

Though rarely used for the main action of a play, much of the more dramatic or famous character moments occur during entrances or exits along the . Many particularly dramatic actions take place seven-tenths of the way down the (three-tenths away from the stage), at a spot known in Japanese as (lit., "seven-three"). It is here that exiting characters may say their final words, and entering characters may address the audience or the characters on stage. Since the runs through the audience, it allows for a closer experience for the spectator than might normally be allowed by other forms of traditional theater.

Sumo

sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...

, the path to the is also known as {{lang, ja-Latn, hanamichi.

References

*''Hanamichi'' (2001)
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System (JAANUS)
Accessed 30 July 2005. Kabuki Stagecraft Stage terminology 1668 establishments in Asia 1660s introductions

History

Usages

Sumo

See also

References