''Rōkyoku'' (; also historically called ''naniwa-bushi'', ) is a genre of traditional Japanese narrative singing. This genre is performed by a singer accompanied by a ''

shamisen The , also known as 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 b ...

'', ''rōkyoku'' became very popular in Japan during the first half of the 20th century. In modern Japanese slang, is sometimes used to mean "a sob story", since the songs were often about sad subjects. The stories were commonly about folktales and myths with themes of loyalty and human emotion. It shares roots with older narratives such as jōruri
sekkyō-bushi
and kowaka emerged alongside kōdan and

rakugo is a form of Japanese verbal comedy, traditionally performed in '' yose'' theatres. (Bibliographyvolume 38(1)article
T ...

as dominant narrative arts during its peak popularity. There are two types of ''naniwa-bushi: Kanto-bushi'' which was found mostly in east Tokyo and Kansai-bushi, derived from ukare-bushi from West Osaka.

Performance style

In a ''rōkyoku'' performance, the ''rōkyokushi'' (singer) will deliver the narrative singing in the centre of the stage, with a blend of sung sections (fushi) and spoken word (tanka

The kyokushi (shamisen player) accompanies the singer and plays along. The will try to captivate and engage with the audience.

Instruments

Yamabushi are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits. They are generally part of the syncretic religion, which includes Tantric Buddhism and Shinto. Their origins can be traced back to the solitary Yama-bito and some (saints or holy persons) of the eighth ...

* Horagai * Shakujo

Origins and history

''Rōkyoku'' originated from the streets of Tokyo during the early

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

. It later evolved into popular entertainment which was watched by various social classes. By the end of the Meiji period, ''Rōkyoku'' was gaining attention across Japan and becoming a part of the nations culture. During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, performers were part of socially marginalized groups called the eta- hinin (穢多非人), or "lowborn people."

Hierarchy

During the late Edo period a hierarchy of performances was formed:
Kadozukegei
Door-to-door performances, religious mendicants. * Daidogei: Performed in outdoor locations such as shrines and urban plazas. * Yoshizubari: Temporary structures in public spaces, where performers could not charge a fixed fee. * Theatre Performances: Performed in theatres, ranging from small variety halls ( yose) to large theaters (

Kabuki-za in Ginza is the principal theater in Tokyo for the traditional ''kabuki'' drama form. History The Kabuki-za was originally opened by a Meiji era journalist, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō. Fukuchi wrote kabuki dramas in which Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and o ...

) By 1947, (singers) were among the top entertainers in industry. It is estimated that there were about 3,000 performers at its peak. However, the popularity of ''rōkyoku'' began to decline during the postwar era and was overshadowed by Western entertainment.

Recordings

By the 1930s ''Rōkyoku'' was entering its peak and was one of the most popular genres in Japan. Many ''Rōkyoku'' films were produced during this period that incorporated storytelling like popular film
Konjiki Yasha
' (金色夜叉) written by Ozaki Kōyō and directed by Hiroshi Shimizu. ''Rōkyoku'' was broadcast the radio all over Japan and started to become more popular among the lower and middle class.

Audio recordings

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb6PnUllUN8 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrFamBf6JjA * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiC4UqeBfAQ * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPXJyf3Hl7Y

Notable performers

* Takeharu Kunimoto * Kumoemon Tochuken * Yoshida Naramaru * Haruo Minami *

Hideo Murata was a Japanese rōkyoku and enka singer. He took part in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen 27 times. Murata was born as a son of rōkyoku singer and . However, he was immediately adopted by and became his stepfather. His real name was . He studied rōk ...

* Ichirō Satsuki *Haruno Yuriko

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rokyoku Storytelling Japanese styles of music Japanese traditional music