The Impact of the Emergence of Female Kyogen Performers on Japanese Traditional Culture
I’m pleased to be invited to the Kyogen event "WASHUKAI" hosted by Ms. Junko Izumi, the first ever female Kyogen performer in the Izumi school of Kyogen, a traditional Japanese performing art. As part of the activity for The Agency for Cultural Affairs' project to support children's appreciation of performing arts, this event was held for the fifth time with the aim of conveying the appeal of traditional performing arts to children, who will be responsible for the future. The venue was the NOH Theater in Shibuya Cerulean Tower. I was very surprised to learn for the first time that such a wonderful NOH theater existed in Cerulean, which I often visit for meetings.
This event’s lineup was rich in variety, including the Kyogen plays "Thunder" and "Butsuri" as well as "Semi" by Mr.Motoya Izumi, the 20th head of the Izumi-school. Before the performance began, Ms. Junko Izumi gave an easy-to-understand explanation of the appeal of Kyogen and the highlights of this year's program, which allowed us to enjoy the performance to our heart's content. In particular, "Butsushi", a humorous story about a countryman who comes to Tokyo in search of a Buddhist statue and gets caught up in a devious plot to trick a Buddhist priest, drew great laughter from the children, and the entire hall was filled with warm smiles.
Allowing children, the future leaders of our society, to experience traditional Japanese performing arts is important for cultural transmission and identity formation. Through exposure to traditional performing arts, children can gain a deeper understanding of Japanese history and culture, and develop sensitivity and creativity. It also has a positive impact on character development, such as the ability to cooperate and concentrate, and provides an opportunity to deepen their connection with the local community. Experiencing traditional performing arts is an important initiative that not only passes on culture to the next generation, but also contributes to the development of future culture.
Kyogen is a traditional Japanese performing art that originated in Sarugaku, a traditional Japanese form of theater established in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), and is now collectively known as Nohgaku, together with Noh and Shikisanban. While Noh developed its tragic scenario and dance elements from Sarugaku, Kyogen developed its comedic elements and developed uniquely as a humorous comedy based on everyday life. The appeal of Kyogen lies in its exquisite combination of traditional form and universal humor, providing laughter and intellectual enjoyment to the audience.
In the more than 600 years of history of Kyogen, women have rarely performed on stage. This can be attributed to a wide variety of factors, including the strict division of gender roles in feudal society, aversion to women performing on stage from a religious standpoint, the tradition being carried on by men in the family head system, and restrictions on women performing on stage for reasons of public morals. Specifically, in feudal society, public activities were limited to men, and kyogen was performed mainly by men. From a religious perspective, it was considered unclean for women to perform on the stage, and in the Iemoto System(Iemoto is a house or person who transmits the spirit, artistic style, or technique that is the orthodoxy of a school of Japanese art,martial art, study, religion, etc.), the succession of traditional performing arts was generally restricted to men. Furthermore, for reasons of public morals, it was considered undesirable for women to perform on stage, and opportunities for women to participate in Kyogen were extremely limited.
However, in today's age of diversity, Junko Izumi has breathed new life into the world of traditional performing arts by becoming the first female Kyogen performer in history to take the stage. Why should women perform Kyogen now?
For one thing, it promotes diversity. The participation of women in Kyogen has the potential to broaden the range of expression of Kyogen, to create new perspectives and interpretations, and to develop into an artistic expression with greater depth. In addition, with the demand for gender equality in today's society, traditional performing arts need to change along with this trend.
Furthermore, having women on stage increases the likelihood that Kyogen will be accepted by a wider audience and passed on to the next generation. The participation of women is essential for the revitalization of the traditional performing arts and for their success on the international stage. Ms. Junko Izumi's challenge will be a landmark step forward in opening the way to the future of Japan's traditional performing arts.
Junko Izumi's becoming the first ever female Kyogen performer is a milestone not only in the world of Kyogen, but in Japanese traditional performing arts as a whole. Her appearance is a breath of fresh air in the world of traditional performing arts, which has long been dominated by men, and is of great significance from the standpoint of diversity and inclusiveness. The recognition of a woman as a kyogen performer will reevaluate the restrictions imposed by gender and encourage more people to become familiar with Kyogen.
It is hoped that Junko Izumi's activities will open new avenues for other women and younger generations of Kyogen performers, as well as for the Japanese traditional arts as a whole, and promote the development and innovation of the traditional arts. Her success will be a major step toward ensuring that Kyogen continues to be passed on to the next generation, in harmony with tradition and modernity. Students from the Eric Seminar, which studies diversity in the traditional performing arts, also participated in this year's event. Eric's seminar is also looking forward to collaborating with Junko Izumi to explore the possibilities of how the younger generation can make a difference in the future of traditional performing arts.
Peace out
Eric