were rustic Japanese celebrations that can be classified into two types: that developed as a musical accompaniment to rice planting observances, and the dances that developed in conjunction with . The celebrated for rice planting was performed by villagers either at the New Year or during the planting season in early summer. It was only in the 14th century that these dances were brought to the cities and incorporated into Noh theater, notably by the playwright and actor Kan'ami. The instrument of is the , a wooden percussive instrument clapper, though there are other instruments that can be used.
In the , there is a detailed description of the rice-planting . After being brought to the aristocrats, flourished till the end of the Heian period (794–1185) and became the main performing art of the Kamakura period (1185–1333), as well as part of the performing arts of the Muromachi period (1336–1573).
By the end of the Muromachi period, had been eclipsed by . Today it barely survives as a folk performing art.
was closely linked with the native Japanese religion of Shinto. Ritualistic elements of this were incorporated with to form Noh theatre.
Political aspect of
In the late 11th century, Kyoto experienced performances that attracted all classes of people, either as observers or as participants. Some of these events ended peacefully, while others descended into violence; however, all were characterized by parades of people dressed in colorful costumes while dancing and playing loud music.
started as the music and dancing that performed in conjunction with field labor called .
Thornbury (1995) indicates that the study of folk performing arts began in the late 1920s and is "an important area of inquiry both in folklore research and in research on the performing arts in general". She noted that often the studies that came out of these two fields of research had little to do with each other or the realities of the folk performing arts as they currently exist. One exception was the work of Yamaji Kōzō, which identified seven patterns to describe how performances could be rooted in communities. The seven patterns identify a historic basis for understanding the relationship between folk performing arts and associated regions: showing the significance of the folk performing arts in the cultural history of Japan. Yamaji directly mentions in the second and third patterns.
Yamaji's second pattern, covering the late 12th to late 16th centuries, when provincial manors were established by the nobles and by powerful religious complexes that introduced festivals like those held in Kyoto to honor their deities. Some performers were sent from the capital but most developed locally. Yamaji refers to this period's processions with their displays of performing arts such as (" dances"). The , which began in 1136, is one of the best documented of Japan's folk performing arts events and is an example of this pattern.
Dating from the same time period as the second pattern, the third focuses on those performing arts that were incorporated into the ceremonials of Buddhist temples established by local clans. is the blanket term for such performing arts such as . Performers with professional experience in these particular performing arts were hired to teach the priests and youths-in-training at the temples. A current example of this pattern is (Iwate Prefecture).
While Yamaji's analysis cannot account for every form of folk performing art, the evidence for a large portion is insufficient for certainty but it does dismiss the notion that folk performing arts are originally local creations. This is not to say that every folk performing art was born in a cultural capital: is one exception that is frequently mentioned.
Carnival aspect
, or Drunken Demon, is "one of the most famous and popular legends in medieval Japanese literature". According to the legend, Shuten Dōji (overlord of the ) and his followers were "abducting and devouring young Kyoto maidens" and warriors were sent by the imperial court to destroy them. The warriors, helped by attending deities, carried out this mission: rescuing the survivors and restoring peace to the land. Carnivalesque literature "inverts power structures, demystifying and lampooning that which a particular culture holds serious or sacred". At one point in the legend, a group of disguised as a troupe emerge to entertain the warriors. A fierce stare wards them off.
The general meaning of "refers to all rituals related to agriculture and thus to fertility and regeneration". It could be simply described as a form of dance in which some people play musical instruments while dancing in various combinations. In the scroll, two warriors visit a shrine to pray for protection and are entertained by . In the scene at villain's palace, the also perform . The locations of the performances are similar. The angles of the buildings are the same. The postures and costumes are identical. The 's lampoons the earlier and more wholesome dance at the shrine: the shrine performance is for the warriors' prayers to succeed in their mission whereas the seeks to trick the warriors so to facilitate killing them.
is described as being welcomed by all classes for its fund-raising capacity. A monk organized a competition to raise funds for the building of a bridge. Those in attendance for the performance ranged from members of the imperial court down to commoners. All in attendance were fascinated by the until the collapse of the reviewing stand claimed the lives of people of all backgrounds. This contrast between a fertility ritual and the deaths of innocent people is important to this carnivalesque event: it represents both destruction and renewal.
The growth of the performing arts was considered by part of Japanese society to be a bad omen: "the sudden appearance of as a troupe in the story can be seen as a harbinger of Shuten Dōji's doom". It could be said that this carnivalesque ritual leads to the demise of Shuten Dōji. The defeat of Shuten Dōji brings a time of peace in Japan with renewed imperial authority and additional recognition of the warrior class. From a carnivalesque point of view, the dance is both a dance of death and rebirth.
today
thumb| in Ōji, Tokyo, 2014.
The Fire Festival is said to be one of Japan's three largest fire festivals. It is a part of the Kumano Nachi Shrine's annual festival and is officially called , or Fan Festival. This festival, held annually on July 14, is dedicated to the god in the precincts of Kumano Nachi Shrine.
The company ACT.JT performed a dance on the terrace of Casa de Vacas in Madrid, Spain with the participation of ten Spanish volunteers in a cultural exchange in 2017. This event was performed within the framework of the Spain-Japan Dual Year events.
References
Bibliography
- Encyclopædia Britannica 2005 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, article-"arts, East Asian"
- Encyclopædia Britannica 2005 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, article-"Kanami"
- Encyclopedia of Shinto, article-"Saru-gaku, Den-gaku"