Music and Dance at the Ichiriki Chaya of Zento

[Mariko Shimada]

“Music exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart.”

Japanese/Tokunoese Musical Instruments

Biwa

Biwa is a kind of short necked lute that was predominantly used in Gagaku. It is a string instrument and there are three different variations of the Biwa. One is the Gaku Biwa, and its main distinguishing feature is that the pegs for the strings are small and stuby. The second is known as the Chikuzen Biwa and these instruments have either four strings with five bridges or five strings with five bridges. The third type of Biwa is known as the Satsuma Biwa which is characterized by its large size with high bridges.

Shinobue

Shinobue is a flute that is made of bamboo and it is a wind instrument. Traditionally a Shinobue was used in Kabuki and Noh theater music as well as in Japanese folk songs. Unlike other flutes which are coated with bark, a Shinobue has a bare bamboo outer surface. Sometimes, the two ends of the Shinobue are enfolded with bark and the rest of the flute body is left as it is. To make the Shinobue look more attractive and to prevent the bamboo from splitting, it is sometimes lacquered. A Shinobue has seven finger holes although there are some Shinobues with six finger holes. Shinobue makes a very deep resonating and high pitched sound and it is generally used in Japanese theater and folk songs.

Taiko

The literal translation of Taiko is "big drum". Taiko is actually not any one instrument but a series of drums that are of varying sizes. A Taiko is mounted on a stand before they are played by a series of musicians. It is made out of cowhide and a Bachi is used to strike the surface of the Taiko. A Taiko drum has a deep rumbling sound and was supposedly used in the battlefield.

Koto

The Koto is perhaps one of the most easily recognizable Japanese musical instruments in the Western world. It is a stringed musical instrument which is about 1.9 meters in length with a width of 25 cm at the top portion of the instrument. The bottom portion of the instrument is a bit narrower than the top portion and is around 23.5 cm in width. There are 13 strings in a Koto which are attached along the length of the instrument. These strings are made of silk and these are strung on movable bridges. By varying the position of the movable bridges each string will produce a different pitch when played.

Shamisen

or samisen (三味線?, literally "three strings"), also called sangen (三絃?, literally "three strings") is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix (e.g., Tsugaru-jamisen). (In western Japan, and often in Edo-period sources, it is sometimes "samisen.")

List of Traditional Japanese/Tokunoese Musical Instruments

• Hichiriki
• Hocchiku
• Horagai
• Hyōshigi
• Ichigenkin
• Ikko
• Junanagen
• Kakko
• Kugo
• Kokyū
• Komabue
• Kagura suzu
• Kane
• Nohkan
• Ryūteki
• Shakuhachi
• Shamisen
• Shō
• Tsuchibue
• Tonkori



Traditional Japanese or Tokunoese Dance.

There are two types of Japanese traditional dance: Odori, which was created in the Edo period; and Mai, which was created in the western part of Japan. Odori came from Kabuki drama, where it is danced by men. Mai derives from Noh drama, also danced by men. Today it is usually danced by female dancers, and is mostly done in houses, instead of on stage.
A type of the Mai style of Japanese dance is the Kyomai or Kyoto style dance. Kyomai was created in the 17th century Tokugawa cultural period. Noh drama, music and dance was heavily influenced by the elegance of the manners of the Japanese Imperial Court. Kabuki drama, and hence Odori, was a more democratic form, but still (viewed with modern eyes) quite traditional.


Noh Mai

The origin of the Noh Mai can be traced back to as far as the thirteenth century. Noh Mai is a dance that is done to music that is made by flutes and small hand drums. At some points they dance to vocal and percussion music, these points are called kuse or kiri. Noh Mai dances are put together by a series of forms. Forms are patterns of body movements that are done elegantly and with beauty.
There are several types of Noh Mai dances. A type that is neither slow nor fast is called Chu No Mai. A female usually performs this type of dance. A slower type of dance is the Jo No Mai. A female does this dance as well and can dress up as either a ghost of a noble woman, prostitute, a spirit or deity. A male’s dance is Otoko Mai. The performer does not wear a mask in this dance and is portraying the character as being heroic. Another male dance is Kami Mai, where the dancer acts as though he is a deity. This is a very fast dance. The female version of this would be Kagura and can be performed in various ways. Gaku is a dance that is imitates music played by the imperial court and is usually done by the main character. These six types make up the Noh Mai dance and help give the dance its beauty.

Costumes are a huge part of Noh Mai. Sometimes a dance or play may start out very slowly, so the actors create very flamboyant costumes to keep the audience interested. They also dress to fit the region in which they represent, such as a bamboo hat worn during a play would represent country life. The most important part of the costume is the mask. The Noh Mai masks are thought to be the most artistic masks in Japan. The masks are only worn by the main characters. Also, the masks have neutral expressions so it is the job of the actor to bring the character to life.


Bon Odori

Bon Odori is a dance performed during Obon. It was originally a dance to welcome the spirits of the dead. These dances and the music that accompanies them are different for every region of Japan. Usually, the bon dance involves people dancing around a high wooden scaffold. The people move either counter clockwise or clockwise, away and towards the yurgura. Sometimes they switch direction.
The movements and gestures in a bon dance often depict the history, work or geography of the region. For example, Tankō Bushi is a coal mining work song that originates from Miike Mine in Kyushu, and the movements in the dance depict digging, cart pushing and lantern hanging. Soran Bush is a sea shanty, and the movements in the dance depict net dragging and luggage hoisting. Bon dances may employ the use of different utensils, such as fans, small towels and wooden hand clappers. For the Hanagasa Odori, the dancers use straw hats with flowers on them.


Nihon Buyo

Nihon Buyo is different from most other traditional dances. It is intended for entertainment on stage. Nihon Buyo is a refined dance that has been improved throughout four centuries. There are four parts to Nihon Buyo, the most significant part being Kabuki Buyo Nihon Buyo was created directly from Kabuki Buyo before it became theater. The second part of Nihon Buyo is Noh. Nihon Buyo takes a few key elements from Noh such as the circular movements and the tools that they incorporate in the dances. The third part of these dances comes from the folk dances. They took the spinning and jumping that is used in folk dances and has incorporated it in Nihon Buyo. The last part came from a mixture of European and American culture that is found in Japan today. Today, with the combination of these dances we have Nihon Buyo, a refined dance that has become an art form made for entertainment on stage.


The Sparrow Dance,

called Suzume Odori (雀踊り), is a dance based upon the fluttering movements of the Eurasian tree sparrow. It was first performed, improvised, by stonemasons who were constructing Sendai Castle for the daimyo Date Masamune. The emblem of the Date clan incorporates two tree sparrows. The Sparrow dance is now performed yearly in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture at the Aoba festival in mid-May. School children in Miyagi prefecture learn and perform the Sparrow dance, especially during the Obon Festival.


Below are several traditional dances that are preformed by Mariko at the Ichiriki Chaya or Okiya (Geisha House) of Zento:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTNdHCPfM9w&feature=player_embedded

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