Edo - the EDOPEDIA -

5/20/2020

shokunin craftsmen legends

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. Traditional Crafts of Edo - Tokyo .
. - - - - - ABC List of Edo craftsmen　江戸の職人 - - - - - .
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shokunin 職人と伝説 legends about craftsmen, artisans, Handwerker
watari shokunin 渡り職人 wandering craftsman

Edo no waza to takumi 江戸の技と匠 The skilled craftsmen of Edo

. takumi 匠と伝説 legends about master craftsmen .

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三十二番職人歌合絵巻 Sanjuniban Shokunin Uta Awase

source : suntory.co.jp...

- quote -
uta awase-e 歌合絵
A series of paintings, usually in handscroll format, arranged as if in a poetry contest utaawase 歌合, where poems composed on assigned topics by members of two opposing teams are judged. These poetry contests originated in the late 9c and became very popular among aristocrats during the 12c. The paintings usually are imaginary portraits of the poets or, occasionally, landscapes described in the poem. Utaawase-e are divided into the following three types. ...
3 Shokunin utaawase-e 職人歌合絵 Illustrations of A Poetry Competition among People of Various Occupations
is a generic term for an imaginary poetry contest in which the competing poets are depicted with the garb and tools of various occupations.
The term shokunin 職人, means craftsmen in modern Japanese,
but in the 13-15c, implied virtually any member of the urban population, as opposed to an aristocrat or a peasant. People such as physicians, fortunetellers, dancers, painters, metal-workers, woodcutters, and gamblers are depicted with poems attributed to them. It is a competition conceived by a single author, and the attribution to persons of various occupations is merely a device to allow artists to explore genre themes. Numerous versions and later copies of illustrations of several different texts of shokunin poetry contests, which were most popular in the late Kamakura and Muromachi periods, are extant.
Two outstanding examples are:
Illustrated Handscroll of The Touhoku'in Poetry Contest among Persons of Various Occupations, Touhoku-in shokunin utaawase emaki 東北院職人歌合絵巻 (early 14c; Tokyo National Museum),
and
Illustrated Handscroll of The Poetry Contest among Persons of Varions Occupations in Thirty-two Rounds, Sanjuuniban shokunin utaawase emaki 三十二番職人歌合絵巻 (Muromachi period; Tenri 天理 Library, Nara).
- source : JAANUS -

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

................................................................................. Aichi 愛知県
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北設楽郡 Kita-Shitara district 設楽町 Shitara town // 材木商の職人 - lumberjack －

. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .
A baby that had been put to sleep in a mountain hut suddenyl begun to cry. When they looked, a serpent had bitten into its right leg. They looked for the serpent, found it outside and killed it. But they feared the serpent might have been yama no nushi 山の主 the master of the mountain, so they built a small Shinto Shrine to venerate it.
Some time later 材木商の職人 a craftsman working for a lumber dealer damaged the painting of a blind serpent in the Shrine. The next day when he went to work people saw ryuu 龍 a dragon above his head. When they looked closer, it was just a piece of fujizuru 藤蔓 wisteria vine. The man died soon after.

. fuji 藤 wisteria vine .

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furudanuki 古狸 old badger
The trees from a special mountain sold very well. But then strange things happened and the lumberjacks did not work there for long.
Even now, late at night, when the lumberjacks sleep in the small mountain hut, a beautiful young woman appears.
One night a lumberjack took courage and slashed the face of the woman and all could see it was just an old badger.

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- kagiya 鍵屋 locksmith　－
hebi 蛇 serpent . 大きなヤマカガシ a big Rhabdophis tigrinus, tiger keelback
About 25 years ago, a man went to the charcoal maker's hut to fetch the coal. There he found a huge tiger keelback, surrounded by its children and many grand-children serpents.
Later many workers for a locksmith came to get the lumber but the serpent told them they would be killed if they stole anything.
After that the serpent disappeared.

................................................................................. Fukushima 福島県
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- 木挽や左官や製材職人 lumberjacks and plasterers (working at a Shrine) -

ningyoo 人形 a strange doll
About 3 years ago, a lumberjack found a small doll of about 15 cm at the foot of akamatsu 赤松 a Japanese red pine. It was bundled in blue wool and in its stomach a nail was sticking out.
After than the lumberjacks and plasterers begun to have injuries and a local priest took the doll, held special rituals and burned it.

kobiki 木挽職人 working with a special saw
shakan, sakan 左官職人 plasterer
seizai shokunin 製材職人 lumberjack

. Kobikichoo 木挽町 Kobiki district .
kobiki-noko 木挽鋸 special saw of a Kobiki worker

................................................................................. Gunma 群馬県
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太田市 Ota city / 建設職人 construction worker

Choorakuji rei 長楽寺鈴 the bell of temple Choraku-Ji *
At the temple Choraku-JI there is a treasure bell. If it starts to ring, there will be flooding.
During repair work of the hall, a construction worker rang it by accident. And suddenly the sky became dark, it rained heavily and flooding was everywhere.
The sound of the bell awakens the Dragon God . . .

- quote
(3) Miracle of Hasu-ike Pond
Hasu-ike Pond was created in the shape of the Chinese character “heart (心)”. It is said that this pond used to have a special power. If you threw a piece of paper with the thing you desired most written on it into the pond, it would give it to you. However, a long time ago, a monk asked for and received a mosquito net from the pond. But, it was so beautiful that he didn’t want to give it back. The thing was, if you didn’t return to the pond what it had given you, it would lose its special power.
Although he knew this, he never returned the mosquito net. And since then, no one has been able to get anything from the pond.
- reference and more : city.ota.gunma.jp... -

................................................................................. Hiroshima 広島県
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広島市 Hiroshima city // 職人

. Osangitsune オサンギツネ / 於三狐 O-San kitsune fox with three tails.
She liked to make fire with her tail, shape-shift into a raion ライオン lion and play tricks on humans.
But since she was so wicked, a shokunin 職人 craftsman took courage, caught her and wanted to burn her. She begged for help and promised she would show him daimyoo gyooretsu 大名行列 a Lord's procession. After he had seen the procession, the craftsman praised the fox. But since this was not an apparition but a real procession, the craftsman was caught and beheaded.

................................................................................. Hyogo 兵庫県
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神戸市 Kobe // 張子玩具職人 making papermachee dolls

obake ningyoo お化人形 monster dolls
A craftsman of papermachee dolls had moved from Takamatsu. To please the many foreigners in Kobe he started making monster-like dolls which moved, rolled the eyes, cut watermelons and more.

. Koobe ningyoo, Kobe Ningyo 神戸人形 mechanical dolls from Kobe .

................................................................................. Iwate 岩手県
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東磐井郡 Higashi-Iwai district 大東村 Ohigashi mura village // 畳職人 tatami straw mat maker

kitsune 狐 fox
A tatami maker was possessed by a fox and did not find his way home. He ended up at the home of someone else.

. tatami 畳職人 Tatami legends .

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Iwate 和賀郡 Waga district 東和町 Towa town // 藁細工の職人 making things of straw

kitsune きつね fox
A man was waiting for customers at watashibune 渡し舟 the ferry station.
A craftsman making things of straw came along, but he was afraid of fire.
Maybe the spirit of a fox had taken possession of him in the mountain forest.

. wara-zaiku 藁細工 things made of straw .

................................................................................. Kanagawa 神奈川県
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浦賀町 Uraga town // 職人

. yuurei 幽霊 Yurei ghosts .
A craftsman fell in love with a yuujo 遊女 prostitute, but his jealous wife killed the prostitute. From that day on, her ghost came to the room every night and rustled her hair along the shooji 障子 sliding doors. Her husband became all anxious and finally went on a pilgrimage. When he wanted to get a place for the night, he was always asked "For the two of you?"
Eventually he went to the temple 龍本寺 Ryuhon-Ji and died there.

................................................................................. Kyoto 京都府
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下京区 Shimogyo ward // 職人

hara no uchi yori mono iu mono 腹のうちより物いうもの
something talkes inside her intestines
The daughter of 近江屋吉 Omiya Kichi, a craftsman from 烏丸四条 Shijo Karasuma, went to marry a certain 藤 Fuji from 烏丸綾小路 Ayanokoji Karasuma.
She was a very good bride, but Fuji was in love with someone else and divorced her, marrying his love.
The daughter of Kichi went missing after the divorce. The new wife of Fuji became very ill. A large roundworm, 応声虫 Oseichu, begun to live in her intestines and talked. The woman had to answer if the worm asked something. They had exorcist rituals but nothing helped and eventually she died.
Fuji went crazy and died soon after.

source : cromagnon.jp..ouseichuu...

- quote -
Oseichu – The Mimicking Roundworm
It starts with a high fever and some stomach pains, and ends with a giant mouth poking out of your own stomach, speaking in your own voice demanding food and drink. It’s bad enough getting sick, but you don’t want to catch a yokai disease. Especially you don’t want to get infected by an oseichu, a mimicking roundworm.
- What Does Oseichu Mean?
Oseichu is made up of three kanji – 応 (O; affirmative, agreements ) + 声 (sei; voice) + 虫 (chu; worm, bug). The three kanji translate roughly into “Voice Mimicking Bug,” all though the word “bug” refers more to the infectious disease type than the insect type.
The term osei (応声) is really only used in relation to this yokai. In fact, sometimes the “chu” is dropped altogether and it is just called an osei.
- The Oseichu of Chusaburo
- Yokai Diseases and Mysterious Bugs
- source : hyakumonogatari.com... -

. yookai, yōkai 妖怪 Yokai monsters - ABC-List .

................................................................................. Miyagi 宮城県
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本吉町 Motoyoshi // 壁塗りの職人

kitsune 狐 deceived by a fox 狐
A kabenuri no shokunin 壁塗りの職人 plasterer had helped a farmer with his work and was on his way home. He had gotten some tako 蛸 octopus and iwashi 鰯 sardines and put them in a charcoal bag. But when he reached home, the bag was empty.
He found some leftovers of octopus and sardines scattered at the nest of a fox - aaa, he had been deceived by a fox.

. shakan, sakan 左官 kabe nuri shokunin plasterer, making walls .

................................................................................. Nagano 長野県
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南佐久郡 Minami-Saku district 川上村 Kawakami village // 職人

. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends .
The youngest child of a craftsman was bewitched by a fox. It begun to eat horse droppings and mimizu ミミズ earthworms, and then got lost.
The father got an amulet from 水天宮 the Shrine Suitengu, tore it to pieces and let it float down the river. When it stopped floating, they found the child.

................................................................................. Osaka 大阪府
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大阪市 Osaka city // 植木職人 ueki shokunin

In 大阪城内 the compound of Osaka castle there was a large pine tree whith 植木職人 a special gardener to take care of it.
Once he tried to trim a branch with sharp hasami 鋏 scissors, but he became very sick the same day.

. matsu 松と伝説 Legends about the pine tree / 松の木 matsu no ki .

................................................................................. Saitama 埼玉県
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秩父郡 Chichibu 吉田町 Yoshida town // 畳屋 Tatami straw mat maker

. Chichibu no Tengu 秩父の天狗さま The Tengu from Chichibu .
Once upon a time, it was customary for the local craftsmen to drink a cup of the when they had finished work and were on their way home.
There was one 畳屋 Tatami straw mat maker, who went home without drinking his tea.
After walking for a short while, he heard the sound of cutting wood and it became so dark he could not see the road. Unable to proceed he went back to borrow 提灯 a lantern.
The home owner told him this was the trick of the local Tengu. When he walked back again, it was so light, he almost did not need a lantern.

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所沢市 Tokorozawa city // 桶屋職人 craftsman making buckets

. fukunekozuka, fuku neko zuka 福猫塚 mound of the auspicious cat .

................................................................................. Tokyo 東京都

. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .
職人が木を伐るときには切り口をきれいにしておく。天狗が腰かけるのにじゃまになるから伐るのだという。

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文京区 Bunkyo ward // 弓職人 making bows

hikigaeru ひきがへる toad
At a place named 関口 Sekiguchi in Edo there was 水神の社 a Shrine for Suijin the Water Deity. Along the river in front of the Shrine there grew a lot of makomo まこも草 wild rice .
Once 弓職人 a craftsman making bows named Yahei 弥兵衛 passed there when he saw some large shining eyes, about as larte as one seating mat. This was a huge toad.
He was so afraid he run home and stayed in bed for seven days.

. yumi 弓 bow and 矢 ya arrow .

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豊島区 Toshima ward // 渡り職人の木挽き sawing wood

At the home of a lumber dealer there were often stones falling from the sky.
He had kaji kito 加持祈祷 exorcist rites performed, but nothing helped. Even large grave stones came falling down.
When a couple of wandering craftsmen, which had been sawing wood left the home, the stoned stopped falling.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

. Edo, Tokyo　江戸 - 東京 - 伝説 Legends Index .

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- quote
Fireman's coat (19th century)

decorated with a spider hovering over an abadoned Go board.
The scene is from the story of the warrior-hero Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948–1021) who,
once when sick, was visited by an evil priest in the guise of a giant spider.
Yorimitsu saw through the disguise and attacked the spider priest,
and his four attendants (who were playing a game of Go while guarding him)
leapt up to track the intruder back to his den
. source : collection/japanese-firemans-coats ,,, .

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5/18/2020

Edo Castle

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. Famous Places and Power spots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Edo-jō, Edo joo 江戸城 Edo Castle
Part 2

. Edo-jō 江戸城 Edo jo, Edo Castle .
The History of Edo Castle
Honmaru 本丸 the "Main Circle"
Ōoku, Ooku 大奥 Oku - "great interior" women's quarters
Legends around Edo castle

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- source of the following articles : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -

What was inside the castle?
When considering Edo-period castles, many people imagine castle keeps (tenshukaku 天守閣).

In 1607 (Keichō 12), on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the initial keep of Edo Castle (called the Keichō Keep) was constructed on a scale that was far in excess of that of Osaka Castle, which had previously been constructed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The size of the Keichō Keep was designed to symbolize Tokugawa’s authority. Thus, at the time of its building it was the largest castle keep in Japan.

The castle keep was subsequently rebuilt on two occasions, firstly during the administration of Tokugawa Hidetada in 1623 (Genwa 9) and secondly during the administration of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1638 (Kanei 15). Unfortunately, the keep was subsequently lost in 1657 (Meireki 3) to the so-called furisode kaiji (the kimono fire), which is better known to history as the Meireki no taika (The Great Fire of Meireki). Following this, the keep was not rebuilt and instead, greater emphasis was placed on reconstructing Edo. Indeed, it is said that reconstruction of the keep was halted in response to an opinion that "expending money on such a scenic site represented a waste." Later, the issue of reconstruction was again floated in 1712 (Shōtoku 2), however, reconstruction was not realized before the Tokugawa Shogunate ended.

Edo Castle is circled by an inner trench and consists of two parts: one is the residence of Tokugawa shōgun, while the other is that of the prospective Tokugawa shōgun. The former consists of three parts, such as "Honmaru", "Ninomaru", and "Sannomaru", while the latter consists of three parts, such as "Nishinomaru", "Fukiage", and "Kitanomaru". Outside of this interior trench, there were residences of local feudal lords and those of townspeople as well as temples and shrines, all of which are surrounded by the outer trench. These two make up the whole part of the Edo Castle. Tokugawa Ieyasu commissioned Edo Castle and the city of Edo and they were finished as a whole in 1636 (the 13th year of kan-ei era) at the time of Tokugawa Iemitsu. The city was burnt down several times and reconstructed, but the size itself remained unchanged throughout the Edo period.

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Ō-hiroma, oo-hiroma 大広間 and the dignity of the Shōgun

The Omote area of the palace contained the formal rooms Ō-hiroma, and Shiro Shoin and Kuro Shoin drawing rooms where a number of different ceremonies and events were held.
Closest to the entrance, the Ō-hiroma was made up of areas such as the upper chamber, middle chamber, lower chamber, second chamber, third chamber, fourth chamber, tatami-matted corridors, and planked verandas. The hall spanned over 50 meters from east to west, making it the largest room in the castle. The coffered ceilings of the upper, middle, and lower chambers looked like a grid sheet. Each level up to the upper chamber was higher than the ones before, as did the floors, and featured more splendid ornamentation. The partitions between rooms were adorned with those motifs considered most formal—pine trees and cranes—painted by artists of the highest standing, further enhancing the majesty and solemnity of the Ō-hiroma.

Important events were held in the Ō-hiroma, such as the New Year’s ceremony and audiences with foreigners. By viewing the Shōgun seated in the upper chamber from their seats assigned to his household status, each Daimyō inescapably recognized the master-servant relationships. The formal Ō-hiroma served as the ultimate stage set for exemplifying the dignity of the Shōgun.

. source : Tokyo Metropolitan Database .

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Shiro Shoin 白書院 and Kuro Shoin 黒書院

The Shiro Shoin (map)
consisted of five rooms—the upper chamber, lower chamber, Teikannoma (Chamber of the ancient Chinese emperors), Renganoma (renga no ma 連歌の間 Chamber of linked poems), and a Nandogamae (納戸構え　closet style doorway)　—　which were encircled by a veranda.
The Teikannoma (Teika no ma　帝鑑の間) served as the antechamber for Daimyō from the oldest servant households of the Tokugawa household.
The upper chamber of the Shiro Shoin was decorated in the formal style of traditional Japanese architecture and was the second most formal room after the Ō-hiroma. The paintings on the walls depicted the normative deeds of famous Chinese emperors (teikan-zu).
The Shiro Shoin was used to meet with the Gosanke households (three households with direct kinship to the Tokugawa household) and others during celebrations such as the Five Festivals and New Year's holiday. Depending on the ceremony, it was sometimes used together with the Ō-hiroma. The courtyard in front of the Shiro Shoin was also used to showcase kemari (a type of ball game) and martial arts performances, which the Shōgun would view from the lower chamber.

Kemari, Illustrated by Yōshū Chikanobu

The Kuro Shoin (map)
was used for the most routine meetings within the Omote Front Palace, such as the ones known as the Tsukinami held on the 1st, 15th, and 28th day of each month with the Council of Elders and high-ranking Daimyō from the Gosanke households (three households with direct kinship to the Tokugawa household), the Kaga-Maeda household, and the Echizen-Matsudaira household. Special meetings between the Shōgun and various government officials were also held here.
The Kuro Shoin consisted four rooms surrounded by a veranda: the upper chamber, lower chamber, Saikonoma (Saiko no ma 西湖之間) (Chamber of Lake Sai), and Irorinoma (Irori no ma 囲炉裏之間) (Fireplace Chamber).
While other palaces were constructed of Japanese cypress, the Kuro Shoin was built from Japanese red pine. As reflected in its name, the Irorinoma contained a sunken fireplace (irori) in the center of the room.
Ink paintings of landscapes adorned the upper chamber, lower chamber, and Saikonoma of the Kuro Shoin, and the north face of the upper chamber featured a tokonoma (alcove) with tatami flooring and a set of staggered shelves. This room layout combined with the lack of a built-in table and storage area like those found in the Shiro Shoin tells us that the space was used for routine, everyday meetings.

. Shōgun Senge 将軍宣下 appointment to shogun .

matsu no rooka Matsunorōka. Matsu no roka 松之廊下
in 御本丸 the Honmaru palace
Matsu no Ōrōka 松之大廊下 Great Pine Corridor or Hallway
The name derives from the painted shōji (sliding doors) that were decorated with motifs of Japanese pine trees (matsu).
. source : Wikipedia .

This is a cross-sectional elevation view of the Matsunorōka.
On the right is an elevation view as seen from the courtyard side between
the Ō-hiroma and the Shiro Shoin drawing room;
this left side depicts an east-west cross section of the hallway.
Drawn at a reduced scale of 1/20, the diagram lists detailed measurements
for the roof members, internal fixtures, and other areas.
. source : Tokyo Metropolitan Database .

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. tenshukaku 天守閣 castle tower, castle keep .

. kemari 蹴鞠 kickball game .

. irori 囲炉裏 / 居炉裏 / いろり　open sunken hearth .

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Ōoku, The Secret World of the Shogun’s Women
Cecilia Segawa Seigle and Linda H. Chance
- quote -
The institution of the “Great Interior,” or Ooku, was the residence for the Tokugawa shoguns’ wives, concubines, mothers, daughters, and their female servants for close to three hundred years, from about 1600 to 1868. “Great Interior” also referred to the network of its residents. Run by and for women, yet situated at the apex of the Japanese social order, as the samurai warrior class and its ruling shogun designated themselves, the Ooku was simultaneously a world hidden from public view by well-guarded walls and a focus of enduring questions about its customs and power.
The Ooku was built, and its rules developed, to protect and promote the women of the shogunal household, and to project the masculine authority of the shogun as the head of the premier military family. Samurai attitudes toward and views of women prior to these three centuries, Tokugawa period Neo-Confucian ethics, the societal emphasis on female virtue according to Confucian and Buddhist precepts, and women’s own self-evaluations, all infused the character of the Ooku.
The focus of this study is the power structure, formal and informal, of the women who lived in the Ooku, especially the core phalanx of this institution, the ladies-in-waiting. They constituted the larger part of the Ooku staff who forged its character. Most of them were the daughters of knighted-class samurai (hatamoto, bannermen) and were brought up to dedicate themselves to their Tokugawa master and mistress, many of them for life, never forming any personal relationships with men. This single-minded loyalty united the young women in the Ooku, who prove to be on the whole well-disciplined, well-intentioned women, faithful to their duties and respectful to superiors in the hierarchical structure, who steadily grew more powerful through the Ooku’s history. The role of these ladies is key to understanding this remarkable, long-sustained institution, which grew during a time when the notion of women leading an institution was very much out of character.
Their power was a hidden phenomenon few people paid any attention to for many generations.
In the last several decades, scholars of all areas of Japanese studies, but particularly historians, have paid extraordinary attention to the Edo period, which roughly coincides with the time the Ooku existed. Whereas the early feminist investigation of Japanese history in the 1970s emphasized the patriarchal nature of Japanese society and designated women as the oppressed class, more recent studies have made great strides in reevaluating and celebrating them, stressing the positive aspects of women’s lives in Japanese history and highlighting their contributions to the civilization and culture as well as the socioeconomic and even political development of Japan.
The “Great Interior,” both an enormous space and a set of rules and protocols, existed to protect the aristocratic wife of the ruling shogun and to secure an heir by concubinage in order to sustain Tokugawa prosperity. Organized as tightly as the samurai in a bureaucratic structure, women there led disciplined and professional lives. Unlike their counterparts in the imperial court, however, these samurai women wrote little themselves because they had sworn upon entry to the Ooku not to speak or write of what they saw or heard. The primary records of their institution were destroyed at the end of the shogunate. Reconstructed through original research in manuscripts legible only to the highly trained few, diaries, historical records, and testimonies about life in the Ooku offered long after its demise, the account in this book details not only the physical and organizational layout, but also the aspirations and expectations of women who lived in this singular hierarchical world. Bound to serve for life, held to standards of loyalty and tradition, these women at once complete and complicate the understanding of the era.
The field of early modern Japanese studies is burgeoning, but the number of scholars who have the linguistic skills to deal with such a wide array of manuscript materials in out-of-the-way archives and present the results of their research in English is miniscule––this makes this book all the more valuable given how the authors have made painstaking efforts in locating, making sense of, selecting, and translating a vast range of material for a scholarly audience. The book will thus be an invaluable, essential resource for those in Asian studies, specifically Japanese studies, and women’s studies. Specifically, it will be essential reading for all those interested in Edo period history and in gender studies of Japan more broadly. It is also important for the comparative history of palace women, and for studies of the early modern world, which increasingly take a global approach.
- source : cambriapress.com/pub ... -

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- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -

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. Kaido 街道 Highways - ABC Index .

. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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5/16/2020

kowairo voice mimicry

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. Famous People of Japan .
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kowairo 声色 mimicry of a voice
Mostly done about Kabuki actors.

. Introducing the Kabuki Theater 歌舞伎 .

- quote

Enjoying Kowairo
『声色当リ狂言』
This book is a play script published for fans who love to enjoy Kowairo (to mimic an actor's voice).
In the first half of the book, same as normal play script for Kowairo, famous great lines were extracted from the programs on the board and listed up by actor. In the same page, the actor's crest, status, name of family, and even Haimyo (offstage name) were written with his name as well, so readers can easily get information about their favorite actor.
In following pages, Nigao (likeness painting) of each actors were printed in variety of colours, so fans enjoyed the feeling of acting on the stage by looking at the image and mimicking the line.
In the last half of the book,
short evaluation of each actor of those days who performs in Edo was written.
For example, for the actor Ichikawa Danjyuro the eighth the lines of the popular hero Soga Goro Tokimune was chosen, but the writer's evaluation doesn't look like an actor critique, it refers to nothing but a carp. But it was one of popular technique of Edo culture "Mitate" (viewed as), even when the writer did't mention about the actor or acting, features of the fish worked like metaphors of them.
In this book, other evaluations are also like this.
- source : arc.ritsumei.ac.jp/lib/vm/kabuki2015...

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- quote - Matsuda Film Productions
Japanese films were first produced in 1899.
The first films made were simple recordings of kabuki theater pieces. The camera was placed in front of the stage and recorded the scene exactly as it was played out for the kabuki audience. In order to recreate the theatrical experience, these films were shown with a number of performers known as kowairo who stood at the side of the screen and spoke the dialogue of the kabuki actors who appeared on screen. Thus, the first Japanese films were actually simple reproductions of kabuki performances, shown with kowairo who spoke the dialogue of the original text. There was no need for intertitles or cinematic technique. Indeed, these were simple recordings of kabuki, not cinematic creations. In keeping with the original kabuki piece, a suitable kowairo was chosen for each of the kabuki actors; a child was used to dub in the voice of a child appearing on screen, an old man for an old man. If there were not enough kowairo to cover all the voices of the characters in the film, one kowairo changed his or her voice and handled two or more roles. The kowairo underwent special training to learn to change their voices.
Therefore, a distinction is evident between the kowairo, who was trained as a narrator to read the lines of kabuki texts, and the benshi, who introduced, interpreted, commented on and lent his or her voice to the characters of a film. ...
- source : matsudafilm.com... -

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

.................................................................................　Kochi 高知県
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高岡郡 Takaoka district 東津野村 Higashi-Tsuno village

. Inugami 犬神 Wolf Deity . .
Around 1940, they sai that Inugami looks a lot like nezumi 鼡（ねずみ）a mouse and has lines in his tail.
In some homes of believers in this deity they keep wolves and hold daily rituals for them.
If someone kills a wolf, he will be cursed by Inugami and his voice will mimic a wolf..

.................................................................................　Nara 奈良県
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天理市 Tenri city 嘉幡町 Kabata town

yuuren ユウレン，yuurei 幽霊 voice of a ghost
An old man who liked to scold young people once killed niwatori 鶏 a chicken.
One of the young people imitated the voice of a ghost (yuuren in the local dialect) and called the old man:
"Why did you kill the chicken? Give us back the chicken!"
The man threw out the chicken and the young people ate it for dinner.

.................................................................................　Shiga 滋賀県
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高島市 Takashima city

. tanuki 狸 - mujina 狢－ racoon dog, badger legends .
At the home of a certain family there was the mimicking voice of humans and the sound of geta 下駄 wooden clogs walking around the house. This was the trick of a Tanuki.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

声色や多情多恨の瓶覗き

仁平勝

声色の乙女に還る夏薊

高澤良一

初月に声色舟の流れ来ぬ

長谷川かな女

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5/14/2020

saya ate kabuki

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. Famous People of Japan .
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sayaate, saya-ate 鞘当て scabbard-clashing, scabbard-collision, sheath collision
or
contentions in love-affairs - and a Kabuki play

source : uranus.dti.ne.jp...

In the Edo period, Samurai were always carrying two swords and sometimes when they had to pass each other on a narrow town-road, the scabbards could clash - and even provoke a fight between the two men. Often one Samurai did it on purpose to provoke a fight.

. Katana - the Japanese Sword .

. Kabuki Theater ... 歌舞伎 .

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- quote
Ukiyozuka Hiyoku no Inazuma　浮世柄比翼稲妻

History
A sayaate is a scabbards clashing confrontation between two warriors.
In the Kabuki world, this word is associated to the confrontation between Nagoya Sanza and Fuwa Banzaemon, who were both in love with the courtesan Katsuragi. The very first sayaate scene in Kabuki history was staged in the 3rd lunar month of 1680 at the Ichimuraza.
"Sayaate"
is now a 20-minute visually-striking dance look-alike popular act, which is based on the version written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV for his long drama "Ukiyozuka Hiyoku no Inazuma", which was premiered in the 3rd lunar month of 1823 at the Ichimuraza It is accompanied by a light Nagauta ensemble.
Structure
"Ukiyozuka Hiyoku no Inazuma" was divided in two parts, 9 acts and 19 scenes. The "Sayaate" scene of this drama was the 8th and last scene of the first part. It quickly became a successful independent drama. When "Ukiyozuka Hiyoku no Inazuma" is staged as a tôshi kyôgen, "Sayaate" is entitled "Date Kurabe Kuruwa no Sayaate".
Summary
Fuwa Banzaemon carries a sword named "Thunder" and wears a kimono decorated with a pattern of "lightning-in-the-clouds". His rival Nagoya Sanzaburô (Sanza for short) carries a sword named "Amorous Swallows" and wears a kimono decorated with a "swallows-in-the-rain" pattern. Unaware of each other, they make simultaneous entrances along the two raised passageways (hanamichi) through the audience. As they pass on the main stage, which represents Nakano Street in the Yoshiwara pleasure district at cherry blossom time, their sword hilts clash. They exchange insults, remove their green sedge travelling-hats, recognize one another and draw swords to fight over the courtesan Katsuragi. The mistress of a neighbouring tea house rushes forward and persuades them to call a truce.
Trivia
Depending on the production, the person who makes Nagoya Sanza and Fuwa Banzaemon lower their swords, is the mistress of a neighbouring tea house, the courtesan Katsuragi or a tea house bantô. The name of the mistress of a neighbouring tea house is related to the actor, who plays the role. It is for examples Otoki when Nakamura Tokizô plays the role or Okyô when she is played by Nakamura Shibajaku (because of his yagô Kyôya).
- source : www.kabuki21.com/sayaate...

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

ほたるにも戀 (恋)の鞘当てありぬべし
hotaru ni mo koi no saya-ate arinu beshi

Tr. Gabi Greve

高澤良一 Takazawa Ryoichi

. hotaru 蛍 fireflies .
- - kigo for various seasons - -

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5/12/2020

Tatamicho district

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. Famous Places and Power spots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
. shokunin 職人 craftsman, artisan, Handwerker .
- see below for
古着新道 Furugi Jinmichi
稲荷新道 Inari Jinmichi
- collecting legends about Tatami mats
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Tatamicho, Tatamichō, Tatamimachi 畳町 Tatami district
中央区京橋二・三丁目 Chuo ward, Kyobashi second and third district

This district of the Edo period was abolished in 1931.

source : edo.amebaownd.com...

It used to be located near 八重洲河岸(城辺河岸).
The name refers to the tatamisashi 畳刺 makers of tatami mats, who lived there.

In the South was a part named 古着新道 Furugi Jinmichi.
In the North was a part names 稲荷新道 Inari Jinmichi.

In 1866, it became part of Tokyo.
In 1878, it became part of 京橋区 Kyobashi ward.

Just one district to the West of 大工町 Daikucho.
Also related to 武田氏 the Takeda clan from 甲府 Kofu.

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In Edo, 伊阿弥 / 藺阿弥 the Iami family of tatami makers was appointed by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The family business dated back to the Muromachi period.
藺阿弥 Iami also grew igusa rush material. The family name Iami was given by 織田信長 Oda Nobunaga.
The tatami maker family later served under Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

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- quote -
元柳町 Motoyanagicho、大工町 Daikucho、畳町 Tatamicho、
新柳町 Shinyanagicho、増山町 Masuyamacho

大工町より一本西側にある南北の通りが畳町になります。
江戸期から昭和37年にかけての町名で、武田氏時代に造営された町のひとつです。
町名の由来は大工町と同じく、武田氏時代に畳職人の居住地として指定されたことによります。大工町と大きく違うのは、甲府城が築城されてからは、職人のほとんどが下府中へと移っており、寛延４（1751）年に畳職人は全くいなかったそうです。大正10年の地図では、三の堀が町を東西へ横断しているのが見えます。ほとんどが暗渠化されている三の堀ですが、畳町でははっきりと確認することが出来ます。

- reference source : machikore.com/mattocileci... -

. Kanda daikucho　神田　大工町 carpenter district in Kanda .

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. Kyoobashi 京橋 Kyobashi Bridge "Kyoto Bridge" district .

. Igusamura, Igusa mura 井草村 Igusa village .
Suginami 杉並区 Suginami ward . from the first to the 5th sub-district
Kami-Igusa, Shimo-Igusa

. igusa 藺草（いぐさ）rushes, Juncus effusus .
Igusa is the main material for the Tatami floor mats.

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- quote -
Kyobashi - Home of Edo's Craftsmen
The Tokaido is the main highway between Edo and Western Japan. Here in the downtown area of the city, though, it looks like just one more busy city street. As we get closer to the center of town, the streets which cross the Tokaido become broader and the buildings that line the streets become larger and more imposing. Most of the buildings on the main roads are large stores or the homes some of the city's more prosperous merchants. Kyobashi is the general name given to a large area of low-lying land that makes up one of the key commercial districts of Edo. The district occupies the flat land immediately to the West of Edo castle, and is an important center of the city's economy.
However, the reason why Kyobashi is such an important part of Edo's economy is that many communities of craftsmen and artisans live in the area. The people who practice each type of craft tend to gather together in certain neighborhoods, and for this reason, many neighborhoods in the Kyobashi area are named after the type of craftsmen who live there.
A few examples are:
Tatami-machi -- Mat-maker's village
Oke-machi -- Bucket-maker's village
Minami Daiku-machi -- South carpenter's village
Minami Kaji-machi -- South blacksmith's village
Teppo-machi -- Gunsmith's village
- source : edomatsu/kyobashi... -

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Furugi Jinmichi district 古着新道
中央区八重洲二丁目 Chuo ward, Yaesu second sub-district

source : edo.amebaownd.com...

古着店 Many dealers in furugi 古着 old robes, lived here.

新道 also read しんどう Shindo - new road.

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Inari Jinmichi district 稲荷新道
中央区日本橋堀留町一丁目 Chuo ward, Nihonbashi, Horidomecho first sub-district

source : edo.amebaownd.com...
Also called
杉ノ森新道 Suginomori jinmichi
水森新道 Mizumori jinmichi
椙森新道 Sugimori jinmichi

Leading to the shrine
椙森神社 Sugimori Jinja.
1-10-2 Nihonbashi Horidomecho, Chuo City, Tokyo

- quote -

A shrine well known for its gorgeous festival, with more than 1,000 years of history.
It is one of the oldest shrines in Tokyo.
It is said that in 940 a warrior called Tawara Tota Hidesato prayed for victory and to beat a strong enemy, and he dedicated a silver fox statue.
It is also said that Ota Dokan's ritual for rain at this shrine saved people from drought at the end of the 15th century.
It is counted as the three forests of Edo, and many people still worship there.
- source : centraltokyo-tourism.com... -

. Tawara Tōda Hidesato 俵藤太秀郷 "Lord Bag of Rice" .

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

....................................................................................... Iwate 岩手県
.......................................................................
東磐井郡 Higashi-Iwai district 大東村 Ohigashi mura village

. tatami maker possessed by kitsune 狐 a fox .

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -
83 to collect

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5/11/2020

Kuromon Black Gate Taito

source : wikipedia

- quote
Kuromon (黒門, Black gate) is an historical gate (mon) located in the Taitō ward of Tokyo.
One of two remaining gates of the Edo period daimyō mansions in the city (the other one is Akamon, currently located in the University of Tokyo).
The exact date in which it was first constructed is not known, but the consensus is that it dates from the late Edo period, probably from the late 18th century or early 19th century.
It is currently located in the grounds of the Tokyo National Museum, and it has been designated an Important Cultural Property.
- - - - - History
The Kuromon was first built as the main gate of the Edo mansion of the branch of the Ikeda clan from the Tottori Domain, which included the Inaba Province and Hōki Province in the modern-day Tottori Prefecture. The mansion was located in the Marunouchi area (now Marunouchi 3-chome), and was part of the daimyō kōji (大名小路, daimyo alley), which included 24 such mansions.
In 1892 the gate was moved to Meiji-era Tōgū Palace in Akasaka, Tokyo, and some time later to the residence of Prince Takamatsu (1905–1987), the third son of Emperor Taishō.
It was designated an Important Cultural Property in September 1951.
Finally in March 1954 it was moved to its final location in the Tokyo National Museum and rebuilt there.
- source : wikipedia

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Kuromoncho 黒門町 Kuromon district

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Denshishi Torimonocho 伝七捕物帳 Records of Detective Denshichi
Denshichi torimonochô - A long-running Jidaigeki TV series.
Denshichi was active in the Kuromoncho area.
A story revolves around Denshichi, a kindhearted detective in Kuromoncho.
According to his motto "hate the crime, not the person," he punishes and roots out the evil lurking in Edo.
It featured 中村梅雀 Nakamura Baijaku as Denshichi.　
Denshichi of Kuromoncho is a subordinate of a police constable. He punishes widespread evil in the backstreets of Edo with a purple jitte 十手　truncheon entrusted to him by the inspector Toyama Saemon, who is the magistrate of Kitamachi.

- reference sources -

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

子の目にも黒門涼し蜂須賀邸
ko no me ni mo kuromon suzushi Hachisuka tei

even in the eyes of children
the Kuromon feels cool -
Hachisuka residence

石川桂郎 Ishikawa Keiro

蜂須賀正氏 Hachisuka Masauji (1903 - 1953)
- quote -
He was the great grandson of the 11th shōgun Tokugawa Ienari and also nephew of the last shōgun Prince Tokugawa. Hachisuka was born in Tokyo in 1903.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

source : easthall.blog.jp...

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