2010.07.07

The morning session was concerning the subject of kabuki. It's history includes some provocative young (?) ladies who made a living by telling stories to music that included dancing in a suggestive manner that caused some or all of their body parts to be exposed. The authorities were not impressed as they felt it might contribute to an erosion of the moral fiber of the community, and so asked them to stop doing that (one does not argue with the police). Yet, it was such fun entertainment that men wanted to continue to be entertained and so it was allowed that the format could be continued, but only with men playing the parts of the women. This is similar to the situation with Shakespearean plays that only allowed men to be in the traveling shows of that day, for apparently some of the actors, and the actresses in particular were offering other services to the patrons, and then moving on to other towns. It was ruled that women could no longer be involved in such productions for the same reason of the erosion of the moral fiber of the communities of that day. And so similarly they banned women and men played their parts. There is some kind of odd history with Budhist priests apparently sleeping together with younger children (perhaps this involved sex). This apparently happens in the Roman Catholic church, too, I am told, so there you have it. Something about some manga are written these days involving boys that like to spend time with other boys (this may include sex also), and curiously only women read these manga. Perhaps I missed something in translation. There are different schools of kabuki, and different story lines. The two schools of kabuki are the one of the Edo period and the other of the Kansai/Osaka area. Though there are differences, I believe it has something to do with who was watching them. I think Edo focused on the common man, and Kansai perhaps on the merchant class? Or else the opposite. Or it could be the aristocracy liked one of them. Well, the history is rich with detail. As for the different story lines, there are a number of categories. One of them includes stories of righteous men (women also?) that must perform ritual suicide for transgressions against someone or society, or improper behavior generally. The death scene is always the longest in the play (much like Shakespeare). Many of these stories may focus on warriors. A second story line deals with lovers that are destined never to be together as a typical married couple because their individual stations in life do not allow it (one might be an aristocrat, the other a young man working in a stable, or some royal personage with a maid). Alas, these relationships are not destined to last, and they must all end with a dual suicide. As a side note, I had to stop reading most books by Mishima because that's how all his stories end. How sad. They should have just moved to Hokkaido. A third story line deals with samurai again, but I just don't know what the difference is, though probably a typical kind of warring story of good against evil. A word of warning if you are going to be in the front row when some one is gutted with a katana. The tradition is to make it somewhat realistic and so the audience can get spattered with fake blood and guts at the same time. After this presentation I was told by another Japanese native that there is another style of kabuki that was not mentioned that is apparently only for male audiences and revolves around more lascivious activities. I think it is okay that I don't know any more of those details, because it involves men with women who are being played by men, and I guess this is a little kinky. Maybe this is why women read those unusual manga because they aren't allowed to go to the kabuki version? Curiouser and curiouser. A side note. Comic relief was hinted at. There is always room for humor in the most dark of tragedies, for otherwise it becomes a tragic portrayal that people have a hard time watching. The language of kabuki is difficult even for the typical modern Japanese, and kabuki has certain traditions that make it possible to recognize what is going on even if one does not know what is happening. Makeup lets the audience know about the moral character of the people in the play (red is good, blue is evil). Costumes also relay information about one's social status, marital status, religious status. Music provides the sound effects to punctuate important moments or reproduce the sounds of nature. The gestures of the the actors are highly stylized so that the true mood of the character is clearly expressed. The stage has a revolving area to allow for quick scene changes, rising and lowering stage sections to allow for quick getaways or appearances, the side roadways or ramps are also a vital part of the interactions. And don't forget the food which is very carefully planned to accommodate the time of day that the play is performed. As we can say in the vernacular: Kabuki rocks!" In the afternoon we went to the tea house. My goodness, a command of language is important and I had a good example of this. I thought I was going to a tea ceremony. Instead we learned about correct movement, bowing, and dish/plate/bowl/chopstick wielding etiquette. It was most interesting, somewhat painful. The movement was quite beautifully and effortlessly presented, and reminded me what I was able to do when I studied the art of iaido in 1972-3. Uhm, I haven't moved like that since that time so it was most 'natsukasii,' though I do recall that of my seven intelligences, kinesthetic is one of my lowest, so I guess I might need a little more practice.