Leiter S.L. Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre

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KOJO

RURI • 191

major dramatic contribution to Jo

ruri,’’ earlier plays having been

‘‘meant for recitation and not stage performance’’ (1951, 11). He

seems not only to have chanted his texts but to have been a puppe-

teer as well, preferring handhel d puppe ts to string -ope rate d one s.

un was also responsible for inspiring many new styles and artists,

particularly Izumidayu

(Sakurai Tanba no jo

) and Toraya Gendayu

The former created the violent kinpira jo

ruri style in the mid-1650s,

inspiring a new era in creative dramaturgy.

When Tango no jo

and Jo

un went to Edo, Kamigata jo

ruri was

dominated by the Kyoto chanters Kawachi, Sanai, and Isejima Kunai,

and the popular female chanters Rokuji Namuemon and Samon, but

with the banning of onna kabuki, they soon disappeared as well and

Kamigata jo

ruri suffered the doldrums. But a series of Edo perform-

ers brought kinpira jo

ruri to Kamigata, surprising the reﬁned specta-

tors with its power, and leading to a revival of local jo

ruri. Toraya

Kidayu

opened a theatre in Shijo

in 1657, ﬁnding a middle road

between kinpira jo

ruri’s boldness and the gentleness of Kamigata.

Soon after, Toraya Gendayu

and Inoue Harima no jo

founded the

Osaka puppet theatre.

If Inoue Harima no jo

represented the stiff style, Yamamoto Tosa

no jo

—situated in Edo—tried to blend the ﬂexible with the stiff style

by increasing the element of sentimentality, including scenes set in

brothels. Many of his loosely constructed works were in the tradition

of the moralistic sekkyo

stories, their musical quality stressing sor-

row. They were known as kakudayu

bushi. Tosa no jo

’s fame stems

less from jo

ruri than from his involvement with karakuri puppets.

Tosa no jo

’s methods gave rise to Matsumoto Jidayu

and

his jidayu

bushi and

Miyakodayuˆ Itchuˆ, who created a new school together.

From Itchu

descended Miyakoji Bungo no jo

, creator of bungo

bushi, while from his school there arose many independent artists

with their own styles. These include Miyakoji Mojidayu

(tokiwazu

bushi), Tomimoto Buzen no jo

(tomimoto bushi), Kiyomoto Enju-

dayuˆ (kiyomoto bushi), Tsuruga Wakasa no kami (shinnai bushi),

Miyakoji Sonohachi (sonohachi bushi ), Miyako ji Handayu

(han-

dayu

bushi), and so on. Tokiwazu, kiyomoto, and tomimoto—known

as the ‘‘three schools of bungo bushi’’—ﬂourished in Edo kabuki but

were originally part of the jo

ruri tradition.

Meanwhile, the plays of the 1670s and 1680s, while continuing

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192 • KOKATA

to feature supernatural events, were slowly introducing new themes,

including love and jealousy, loyalty, double-suicides, and self-sacri-

ﬁcial substitutions.

The chanter who bridged ko jo

ruri and gidayu

bushi was Uji Kaga

no jo

, who was conversant with many earlier styles.

KOKATA. Child no

and kyo

gen actors and their roles. Kokata—who

never wear masks unless playing animals—play both children

younger than 13 or 14 or a small number of high-ranking adults, such

as emperors (in Kuzu, for example) or generals (Yoshitsune in Funa

Benkei); they may even play beautiful women (such as Shizuka

Gozen in Sho

zon) with whom the shite is in love. In the case of

emperors, it is presumably to avoid impropriety, while with romantic

characters like Yoshitsune or Shizuka, it may be to downplay inap-

propriate suggestions of sensuality. Moreover, a play like Funa Ben-

kei can only have two leading actors; since Benkei and Shizuka/

Tomomori are the central roles, having an adult as Yoshitsune pre-

sumably would muddle the focus. See also KOYAKU.

KEN. A kind of ‘‘stage assistant’’ in no

and kabuki. Those in no

serve the shite. The task is taken by another shitekata, perhaps even

the shite’s teacher. Backstage, the ko

ken oversees all duties associ-

ated with the performance. Onstage, he may adjust or help alter the

shite’s appearance or prompt him soto voce, and may hand him or

remove a prop. He may even continue a performance when the shite

is suddenly indisposed. Dressed in montsuki and hakama and seated

in the ko

kenza position, he is considered invisible. Two ko

ken are

common for the shite; three may sometimes appear, and, in Do

-ji,

ﬁ

e are needed because of the business of raising and lowering a

heavy bell.

ken for the waki and aikyo

gen rarely appear. When they do,

they are themselves wakikata or kyo

genkat a. In cases of multiple

ken for the shite, the leader is the omo ko

ken (‘‘chief ko

ken’’) and

the others are the fuku ko

ken (‘‘supporting ko

ken’’). Kyo

gen actors

assume the ko

ken’s duties in kyo

gen.

In kabuki, the ko

ken stays behind an actor during the more highly

stylized dances and plays. Dressed formally in kamishimo or mon-

tsuki and hakama, and wearing a wig and makeup, he makes sure

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KOKURITSU GEKIJO

• 193

the actor continues to look good, assists him in onstage changes, or

hands him and takes away his properties, as needed. While such

ken are a part of the scene’s beauty, there are ko

ken who are con-

sidered inv isible and are also ca lled kurogo . Som e works employ

both types.

KOKERA OTOSHI. A kabuki ceremony on the opening of a new or

renovated kabuki theatre. As part of the celebration, Sanbaso

danced (see SANBASO

MONO), followed by another auspicious

piece.

KOKUMOCHI. A small-sleeved kimono commonly worn in bunraku

and kabuki by honest and sincere rural c haracters. It is solid, or

nearly solid colored, usually purplish, and is distinguished by ﬁve

circular, white mon. Wearers include Okaru in Act 6 of Kanadehon

Chu

shingura and Tonami in ‘‘Terakoya’’ (Sugawara Denju Tenarai

Kagami). See also COSTUMES: BUNRAKU;COSTUMES:

KABUKI.

KOKURITSU BUNRAKU GEKIJO

. The ‘‘National Bunraku The-

atre’’ opened in 1984 in Nihonbashi, Chuo

-ku, Osaka. This 731-seat

playhouse has a stage opening of 58 feet, a proscenium height of 21

feet, and a stage depth of 28 feet. It also contains a mawari butai

and a hanamichi. It is a short walk from the traditional Do

tonbori

entertainment district. See also KOKURITSU GEKIJO

; KOKURI-

TSU NO

GAKUDO

KOKURITSU GEKIJO

. ‘‘The National Theatre,’’ opened in 1966 in

Tokyo’s government district near the Imperial Pal ace. Bu ilt u nder

government sponsorship, but lacking its own permanent acting com-

panies, its purpose has been to preserve Japan’s classical performing

ar ts. It regularly produces bunraku and kabuki plays, the former

(along with other forms of traditional theatre) in its 630-seat ‘‘Small

Theatre’’ (Sho

gekijo

), the latter in its large, 1,746-seat theatre (O

geki-

). It also has the 300-seat Kokuritsu Engeijo

ational

Entertain-

ment Theatre) for forms like rakugo.

In the past, its main theatres focused on full-length revivals (to

shi

kyo

gen) of neglected plays but this practice has waned somewhat in

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194 • KOKURITSU NO

GAKUDO

recent years. It also provides training for the future generation of

bunraku and kabuki performers, a radical change from the old tradi-

tion that only allowed actors trained within the family system to

become professionals. It serves as a major theatrical research center

as well. One of its major contributions is annual kyo

shitsu (‘‘class-

room’’) presentations of kabuki preceded by lecture-demonstrations

featuring professional actors and intended to introduce kabuki to high

school students. See also KOKURITSU BUNRAKU GEKIJO

;

KOKURITSU NO

GAKUDO.

KOKURITSU NO

GAKUDO

. The ‘‘National No

Theatre,’’ opened in

1983 in the Sendagaya section of Shibuya, Tokyo. It contains 591

seats. In 1984, it instituted a no

training program for shite, waki, and

kyo

gen actors. The theatre normally offers two regular no

programs

a month and one monthly kyo

gen program. All schools of no

and

kyo

gen perform here. One may also view videotapes of past produc-

tions in the basement library. Free monthly lectures are provided to

explain the coming month’s productions. See also KOKURITSU

BUNRAKU GEKIJO

; KOKURITSU GEKIJO

KOKYU

. A two- to four-stringed Chinese ﬁddle heard from the geza in

bunraku and kabuki music, and onstage in the play ‘‘Akoya Koto-

zeme’’ (Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki) when Akoya plays it.

KOMAI. Kyo

gen, while not a dance-drama per se, often includes one

or more of these entertaining ‘‘short dances’’ accompanied by songs,

usually during scenes of parties or celebrations. These komai are

accompanied by the chanting of koutai by the dancer or someone

else. They may be ﬁxed for a certain play or chosen for the particular

performance. Komai are sometimes given as concert recitals of no

and

gen.Theirmusic is categorized according to whether it

derives from no

plays, was created speciﬁcally for kyo

gen, or is espe-

cially difﬁcult to perform. A small number of kyo

gen plays are little

more than song and dance pastiches.

In early kabuki, kyo

gen actors performed komai; these evolved into

dances offered by the youths of wakashu kabuki and, by the late

17th century, they developed into the dances of the onnagata. Some

actors even took Komai as a stage name.

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KONGO

RYU

• 195

MEI. Puppet head for leading male roles. It suggests intelligence

and discretion, as well as benevolence and a hint of sadness. Among

those who use it are wise and insightful characters such as O

boshi

Yuranosuke in Kanadehon Chu

shingura and Kan Sho

in Sugawara

Denju Tenarai Kagami. These men are somewhat older than those

using the bunshichi or kenbishi, in their late forties to early ﬁfties.

Its color is light beige, its eyelids are movable, and some can move

their eyebrows. A few supporting characters of an upright nature use

this head, whose name is taken from Shokatsu Ko

mei, a character in

a 1724 play.

KONGO

RYU

. One of the ﬁve schools of no

shite actors, the Kongo

ryu

emerged from the Sakado za, a Yamato sarugaku troupe associ-

ated as performing priests (jushi) with the Horyu

-ji Temple in Nara;

records of the troupe date from the Kamakura period. It developed

into one of the four Yamato sarugaku troupes (Kanze, Ho

sho

Konparu,andKongo

) that came to dominance during the Muro-

machi period. Because of their Nara origins, it and the Konparu ryu

are known as shimogakari troupes, while the Kanze and Ho

sho

ryu

which began in Kyoto, are called kamigakari. Sakado Magotaro

Uji-

katsu V (1280–1348) is considered the founder of the line, and the

Sakado za is said to have ended ﬁve generations later. The troupe

name is thought to have changed to Kongo

from the time of Kongo

Saburo

Masaakira (1449–1529). According to the Sarugaku Dangi,

written around 1430, two actors named Kongo

Matsu and Kongo

ake

moved to Nara from Kamakura to join the troupe. The Sarugaku

Dangi also discusses the acting of Kongo

Gon no kami, so some

believe the school’s name derives from him. The Kongo

struggled to

sur vive during the Muromachi period, and, when troupe leader

Kongo

Yaichi died in 1605, leaving a six-year-old heir, the Kongo

nearly died out. However, warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi supported the

troupe, making Kita Shichidayu

Cho

no join it as its leader, and, for

a time he was called Kongo

Tayuˆ to denote his position. (Later, he

founded the Kita ryu

.) During the Edo period, the Kongo

was pre-

served as one of the four Yamato troupes supported by the shogunate.

Unlike the other schools, the Kongo

did not publish a collection of

utai bon during the Edo period. Its ﬁrst collection appeared in 1882.

Among the most famous actors in the school’s history was Kongo

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196 • KONPARU RYU

Hyo

enojo

Ujimasa (1507–76), known as Hana (‘‘Nose’’) Kongo

who had a bitter rivalry with the Konparu ryu

. Also important was

Kongo

Matabei Nagayori (1662–1700), known as Ashibaya (‘‘Fast

Feet’’) Matabei because of his rapid footwork. During the early Meiji

period, Kongo

Ukon Ujinari (later Kongo

Yuiichi; 1816–84) and his

son, Kongo

Taiichiro

(later Kongo

Hyo

e Ujiyoshi; 1849–87), worked

hard to revive no

at their theatre in Azabu, Tokyo. The family line of

direct descent died out with Kongo

Ukyo

Ujiyasu (1872–1936), who

improved on the family’s forte of fast footwork and novel stage busi-

ness (kata), and was known for having hand-copied the school’s

entire repertory for publication as the Kongo

Ryu

Utai Bon (Kongo

School’s No

Texts). However, he suffered many emotional and pro-

fessional setbacks, and since he had no successor, he declared in his

will that the line was ended. However, through the intercession of the

four other schools, Kongo

Iwao I (1886–1951), the leader of the

Tokyo Kongo

family, was named school head (iemoto)in1937,

which meant that a new line had been born in the school’s leadership.

His successor was his third son, Kongo

Iwao II (1924–98), and he

was succeeded by his eldest son, Kongo

Hisanori (1951–), the

school’s 26th head. The school, which has over 90 members, is cen-

tered in Kyoto, but operates in Osaka, Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Yonez-

awa, etc. See also HO

SHO

RYU

; KANZE RYU

;KITARYU

;

KONGO

RYU

KONPARU RYU

. One of the ﬁve schools of no

shite actors and the

oldest of the shimogakari (N

ara-based)

schools, the others being the

Kongo

ryu

and the Kita ryu

. Its distant ancestor was Hata no

katsu, but its actual founder was Konparu Gon no kami, a contem-

porary of Zeami’s mentioned in the Sarugaku Dangi. It has a long

association with Nara’s Kofuku-ji Temple and Kasuga Shrine. It pro-

duced such no

theorist/playwrights as Konparu Zenchiku and

Konparu Zenpo

. In the late 16th century, the school ﬂourished

under the patronage of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his son, Toyotomi

Hideji. The Kanze and Kita ryu

overshadowed it in the Edo period

and, unable to keep up, it preserved the old traditions. The school

received new life in the Meiji period through the effor ts of such

actors as Sakurama Sajin and his son, Sakurama Kyuˆzen. It is cen-

tered in Nara and Tokyo. See also HO

SHO

RYU

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KONPARU ZENPO

(1454–1532) • 197

KONPARU ZENCHIKU (1405–ca. 1470). No

actor, theorist, and

playwright of the Kanze ryu

, known during his career as Shichiro

Ujinobu, Zenchiku being his posthumous Buddhist name. His father-

in-law was Zeami Motokiyo, who trained him and whom he seems

to have cared for after the latter’s return from exile. His acting was

considered simpler and less ostentatious than that of his great con-

temporar y, On’ami (see KANZE MOTOSHIGE). He was most

closely associated with performances of takigi sarugaku (see TAKIGI

) at Nara’s Ko

fuku-ji Temple and Kasuga Wakamiya Shrine but

he performed all over the region. After Zeami’s son, Kanze Ju

Motomasa, died young, Zeami eventually saw in Zenchiku his suc-

cessor, and he became the fourth Kanze tayu

Zenchiku was immersed in classical Japanese poetry and mingled

with the top poets and Buddhist scholars of the day. He was a brilliant

theorist, with a deeply metaphysical bent based on Zen beliefs, who

sought to raise the level of yu

gen even higher than it had been in

Zeami’s day. His writings include the Rokurin Ichiro no Ki (A

Record of Six Circles and One Dewdrop) and the Kabu Zuino

(Chronicle of the Essence of Song and Dance). One of his best-

known theories holds that a performance has six levels (blossoms)

from the shite’s entrance to his exit, and that, in full bloom, these six

blossoms constitute a single drop of dew that represents the heart of

the actor’s performance. He was also an outstanding playwright; his

12 plays include Teika, Ugetsu, Kamo, Tatsuta, Kasuga Ryu

jin, Non-

omiya, and Basho

. Most go beyond the classical literary sources to

treat subjects of mutability and suffering with deep insight but with

little external color. They are among the most challenging in the rep-

ertory.

KONPARU ZENPO

(1454–1532). No

actor and playwright, grand-

son of Konparu Zenchiku who, along with Zenpo

’s father, trained

him rigorously. When his father died, he became tayu

of the Konparu

za (see KONPARU RYU

). The Kanze za at the time, supported by

the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, hur t the troupe considerably by

monopolizing all the best waki,

but

its fortunes were revived when it

received the patronage of powerful government ofﬁcials and priests

at the Kokufu-ji Temple. Its authority began to grow after successful

kanjin no

performances in 1501 at Imagumano and in 1505 at Awa-

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198 • KOROSHIBA

taguchi. Zenpo

became a priest in 1518 and handed over the com-

pany leadership to his son, Konparu Ujiaki.

About 20 of his plays are extant, including Arashiyama, Ikkaku

Sennin, To

Saku, Hatsuyuki, Ikuta Atsumori, Sumidagawa, etc. He

also wrote various books, such as Zenpo

dan (Zenpo

’s Discus-

sions), that provide important documentation on no

and the life of

actors during his time. A Renaissance man, he was an expert at

poetry (waka and renga), ﬂower arrangement, tea ceremony, foot-

ball, and martial arts.

KOROSHIBA. Bunraku and kabuki ‘‘murder scenes,’’ which evolved

from scenes of wounding (teoigoto). They often appear in sewa

mono when a supposedly jilted lover kills his cour tesan mistress

after she has separated (enkiri) from him. Examples are in Godairiki

Koi no

Fujime and Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame. Often, a well-mean-

ing c haracter can no longer bear t he verbal or physical assault of

another and strikes back, his actions escalating into murder, as in

‘‘Nagamachi-Ura’’ (Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami) when Danshichi

kills his taunting fath er-in- law. Murders c an be highly styl ized or

gruesome, although they always have an aura of theatrical beauty.

KOSHIBAI. The ‘‘small theatres’’ that operated under various restric-

tions during the Edo period, in contrast to the fully licensed o

shibai

or Osaka’s mid-ranking chu

shibai. They were located throughout the

neighborhoods of the big theatre cities, both in heavily trafﬁcked

amusement centers and on the grounds of shrines and temples. (See

also MIYAJI SHIBAI.) These theatres typically were allowed to oper-

ate for no more than 100 days at a time, giving them the name hya-

kunichi shibai (‘‘100-days theatres’’). See also DONCHO

YAKUSHA.

Signiﬁcant conﬂicts between the big and small theatre s eru pted

from time to time until restrictions were lifted during the Meiji era,

when, beginning in 1872, the koshibai received ofﬁcial recognition.

Tokyo had as many as 20 operating at one time during the period, the

most famous being the Miyato-za. In 1900, all formal distinctions

between koshibai

and o

shibai w

re abolished. By 1945, koshibai

were essentially a thing of the past.

KOTO. A harp-like 13-string instrument that rests horizontally on the

ground and is played by a kneeling musician. It was popular with

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KOTSUZUMI AND O

TSUZUMI • 199

merchants’ daughters during the Edo period and is heard in bunraku

and kabuki geza music, although it also is played by Akoya in the

kotozeme (‘‘koto torture’’) scene of Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki.

KOTOBA. In no

, the nonmetered, nonrythmical ‘‘words’’ or prose por-

tions spoken by actors in contrast to the metered chanting (utai)of

the actors or jiutai. The waki’s speech of self-introduction (nanori)

is an example. See also TSUYOGIN; UTAI; YO

KYOKU; YOWAGIN.

In bunraku and kabuki, it is that part of the lines declaimed by the

gidayu

bushi chanter that resembles everyday spoken language and

represents dialogue, or what the characters are saying to each other.

Kotoba in sewa mono is more natural sounding than the somewhat

musically oriented speech of jidai mono.

KOTSUZUMI AND O

TSUZUMI. The ‘‘large drum’’ (also o

kawa) and

‘‘small drum’’ used in no

and kabuki. Both the o

tsuzumi (about nine

and a half inches long) and kotsuzumi (about eight and a half inches

long) are made of hourglass-shaped, lacquered, cherry wood shells,

with an ox or horsehide cover for the former, a colt skin for the latter.

They are bound with six hempen cords (shirabeo) attached to the cir-

cular drumheads across the body of the drum. The drums are assem-

bled by the players before the performance. To create the proper

sound, the leather must be heated beforehand over a charcoal ﬁre to

the correct temperature. They are the primary rhythmic force in the

performance. (The melody comes from the fue.)

The o

tsuzumi cords are used to hold the drum in the left hand

across the body at the right shoulder where it is held horizontally on

a slight incline and is struck on the leather skin by the right hand;

consequently, it is called a shoulder drum. Originally, the drum was

struck with the bare hand but nowadays the musicians cover three

ﬁngertips with hardened Japanese paper, giving it a sharper, stronger

sound. The kotsuzumi is also held by the rope, the player holding it

horizontally in his left hand on his left thigh near the hip, and striking

with

the ﬁngers of his right hand; thus, it is a hip drum.

The way each drum is gripped and the point on the leather that is

struck regulates the sound produced. The kotsuzumi produces a

sound ranging from what Japanese writers call the high-pitch of

‘‘pon’’ to the thump of ‘‘tan,’’ while the o

tsuzumi creates a tense,

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200 • KOUTA

crack-like effect, ‘‘chon.’’ During t he pe rfor manc e, th e kotsuzumi

musician often wets with saliva a small piece of paper afﬁxed to the

inside of the drumhead, which is why he frequently brings the leather

to his mouth and manipulates it with his ﬁnger. The o

tsuzumi sound

gets sharper as the leather cools and the drum must often be replaced

with a freshly prepared one in mid-performance.

In kabuki, the o

tsuzumi is played both in the geza and in onstage

musical ensembles. See also MUSIC: NO

; NARI MONO; SHIB-

SHI.

KOUTA. ‘‘Small song,’’ a term with multiple applications. In no

,it

refers to short popular songs created during the Muromachi period

and inserted in plays such as Kagetsu, Ho

ka-zo

, and To

ei. They also

appear in kyo

gen. Kouta, usually unaccompanied, are presented as

independent songs, not as dialogue set to music. Another kind of

kouta, accompanied by t he shamisen, became popular in the Edo

period. These simple, sentimental songs, accompanied by the shami-

sen, expressive of romantic themes, and using plays on words, were

commonly performed at geisha parties and were heard in early

kabuki.Butkabuki dance n eede d lon ger m usic al ac comp anim ent,

which led to the creation of nagauta.

KOUTAI. A no

extract performed as a concert recital at celebrations

or condolence gatherings. It is similar to a dokugin but based on a

much briefer selection. When a selection for solo chanting (utai)is

taken from no

and performed in kyo

gen, it is called koutai, but this

also includes the solo chanting of material written for kyo

gen, as seen

in the selections called ‘‘Usagi’’ (‘‘The Rabbit’’) and ‘‘Uji no Sara-

shi’’ (‘‘The Uji Bleaching Cloth’’).

AKAMAI. A

chanted narrative art established in the late Muro-

machi period by Momonoi Naoaki, who combined Buddhist vocal

music (sho

myo

) with recitals of the epic Heike Monogatari (see LIT-

ERARY SOURCES), traditionally accompanied on the biwa (see

HEIKYOKU). His childhood name of Kowakamaru was used to name

the genre. The 30 or so remaining works tell stories of warrior battles

and emotional crises—taken from such epics as the Gikeiki and

Heike Monogatari—and are performed by actors wearing tall eboshi

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