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This is a discussion arranged
by this publication to talk about the classical performing
arts in the Kansai region by three men working in different
sectors: artistic culture; performance and mass media. The
participants engaged in a wide-ranging discussion from a perspective
that includes the past, present, and future. They expressed
passionate ideas for revitalizing the traditional performing
arts by making good use of the unique characteristics of the
Kansai region.
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ZORAKU
Tomoaki
Editorial writer, Yomiuri Shimbun
Osaka office
Born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1946. Graduated
from Hiroshima University Faculty of Education.
Began work for the Yomiuri Shimbun in Osaka in 1969.
After working in the current affairs section, he
served as head of the media and culture sections. |
KATAOKA
Hidetaro
Kabuki actor
Born in Osaka in 1941. Second son of KATAOKA Nizaemon
XIII. Headmaster of Shochiku Kamigata Kabuki-juku,
established in 1997 to train young actors. |
KASAYA
Kazuhiko
Lecturer, International Research
Center for Japanese Studies.
Born in Kobe in 1949. Graduated from Kyoto University
Faculty of Letters with a major in early modern
Japanese history. Director of the secretariat for
"Kamigata Renaissance 2001-Gakugeki Festival". |
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Efforts by
Performers and Producers |
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Zoraku |
It's clear that
the Kansai region has an extremely close connection with
the classic arts. Noh, kabuki, and bunraku (ningyo
joruri) all originated in the Kansai region, and have
been handed down over many years while changing and developing.
Now, I'd like to talk about the efforts being made for
the future of these classic arts that are based in Kansai.
As a performer, Hidetaro, what was your motivation for
starting to teach at the Kamigata Kabuki-juku? |
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Kataoka |
Kabuki originated
in Kyoto, and it has undergone several changes in the
many years since then. It was started by Okuni and was
called yujo kabuki. It then became wakashu kabuki,
and eventually evolved into the form known as yaro kabuki,
performed only by men. This yaro kabuki developed
in the Kamigata region—in other words, Kyoto and
Osaka. So when we say kabuki, we are really referring
to Kamigata kabuki. In contrast to this is Edo kabuki.
That's an entirely different type of drama. Kamigata kabuki
is characterized by a distinctive gentleness called wagoto,
and has humorous aspects. On the other hand, Edo kabuki
is a type of drama with aragoto, a roughness and
down-to-earth feel typical of the people of Edo. Both
these styles flourished. Tokyo became the central location
for kabuki in the mid-1950s, and all kabuki became absorbed
into the Edo kabuki style. There weren't any actors who
could perform the wagoto style dramas that convey
the unique Osakan sentiments. These plays were often stories
of lovers' suicides. So, I began to teach at the Kamigata
Kabuki-juku to develop a new generation of actors who
can perform the Kamigata wagoto dramas, and to
revive the wagoto style that was on the verge of
extinction. In 2002 we will have been open for five years. |
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Zoraku |
What do you emphasize
most in your instruction? |
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Kataoka |
The intonation
of the lines. Most Kamigata kabuki is gidayu kabuki
that has copied the kyogen of ningyo joruri. These
plays are set in Osaka, and they have a certain air about
them that can't be expressed unless you live there. Achieving
the proper intonation for the words is more than just
hitting the right notes. That's why the lines are difficult
to express unless the actor actually has firsthand experience
in the region. Even more, the inner motivation and the
contrasts of giri (obligation) and ninjo
(human emotion) as they apply to the relationships between
men and women in these plays are quite different from
those of today. That's what makes many aspects of these
plays difficult to understand. What's most important in
performing these plays and conveying the emotion is the
script. That's followed by an understanding of the basic
classical forms. I want to convey to the students the
successive forms of the plays that my father taught me,
and that his father taught him. This isn't just copying
the past; the students have to understand the lessons
of the past so they can blend them in a form suitable
for the current age. |
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Zoraku |
So as a performer,
Hidetaro is working in the Kansai region through the Kamigata
Kabuki-juku. As a producer of these dramas, Mr. Kasaya
has established a festival for gakugeki (plays
set to music) to promote an overall reevaluation of the
classical arts in the Kansai region. |
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Kasaya |
As the word
denotes, gakugeki are plays with music. The term
refers to Japan's three great classic art forms: Noh,
kabuki, and bunraku. There are very few countries anywhere
in the world with three such distinctive art forms as
these. I think this is both a characteristic and an advantage
of Japanese culture. I had the idea for the revitalization
of these forms as one strategy for giving vitality to
the Kansai region, and in turn, Japanese culture as a
whole. One objective is to pass on and develop these classic
arts, and at the same time develop Kansai society—and
therefore Japanese society—through this activity,
thus contributing to artistic creation throughout the
world. We held an event called "Kamigata Renaissance
2001— Gakugeki Festival" for about twenty days
in August. It featured ten separate attractions, including
performances of Noh, kyogen, bunraku, and kabuki, as well
as symposia and tours. |
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Zoraku |
What was the
response to this initial effort? |
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Kasaya |
We were fortunate
to receive support from many areas, including mass media
and the corporate philanthropies. I think we could give
ourselves a score of around 78 or 80 on a scale of 100.
The content of the 2002 festival has pretty much been
set. |
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![[Roundtable Discussion]](../../images/sub_08.gif){kind=small}
