Kanjinchō - Japanese Kabuki

2022年12月09日

勧進帳（勧進帳、お寺への寄付をお願いする巻物）は、能楽安宅(あたか、現在の石川県)に基づいた、三代目並木五兵衛による歌舞伎舞踊劇です。現代歌舞伎のレパートリーの中で最も人気のある演劇の 1 つです。【あらすじ】鎌倉幕府将軍である兄・源頼朝に謀反の疑いをかけられた義経たちは、追われる身となり奥州へ向かっていた。道中の加賀国・安宅(現在の石川県)で、義経一行は自らを捕らえるための関所に行く手を阻まれる。義経は強力(山伏に伴って荷物を運ぶ従者)の姿、家来たちは山伏の姿に化けて関所を通ろうとする。しかし、関守の富樫左衛門には山伏姿の義経たちを捕らえるよう命令が下されていた。そこで武蔵坊弁慶は機転を利かせて、焼失した東大寺を再建するため勧進(寺院の建立・修繕などのため、信者や有志者に説いてその費用を奉納させること)を行っているのだと話す。すると富樫は、弁慶に勧進帳(勧進の目的について記された巻物形式の趣意書)を読むよう命じるのだった。もちろん勧進帳など持っていない弁慶は、別の巻物を開くと、それを本物と見せかけて勧進帳の文言を暗唱してみせた。その後も一行は山伏を演じきり、関所を通る許しを得る。しかし、ふとしたことから強力が義経ではないかと疑われてしまった。緊迫した状況のなか、弁慶は義経をどこまでも強力として扱い、杖で打ち据える。それを見た富樫は、頼朝の命を破り、一行を通してやるのだった。(English) Kanjinchō (The Subscription List, Scroll with a request for donations to the temple) is a kabuki dance-drama by Namiki Gohei III, based on the Noh play Ataka(Ishikawa-prefecture). It is one of the most famous plays in the modern kabuki repertory. [Synopsis]:Kanjinchō (The Subscription List, Scroll with a request for donations to the temple) is a kabuki dance-drama by Namiki Gohei III, based on the Noh play Ataka(Ishikawa-prefecture). It is one of the most famous plays in the modern kabuki repertory. [Synopsis]: Suspected of treason by his elder brother Minamoto no Yoritomo, the shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, Yoshitsune and his party were on their way to Oshu, where they were pursued. On their way to Ataka in Kaga Province (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture), Yoshitsune's party was blocked by a barrier to capturing him. Yoshitsune disguised himself as a strong man (a follower who carries baggage along with the Yamabushi), and his retainers disguised themselves as Yamabushi and tried to pass through the barrier. However, the barrier guard, Togashi Saemon, was ordered to capture Yoshitsune and his men in the form of Yamabushi (mountain priests). Musashibo-Benkei tactfully told them that he was offering to rebuild Todaiji Temple, which had burned down, by persuading believers and volunteers to donate money for the temple's construction and repair. Togashi then ordered Benkei to read the book, a scroll-type prospectus describing the purpose of the temple's activities. Benkei did not have a book copy, so he opened another scroll and recited the book's text, pretending it was real. The group continued to act the part of Yamabushi and were allowed to pass through the barrier. However, a sudden incident led them to suspect that Tsuwa-mono(a strong man) might be Yoshitsune. Under the tense situation, Benkei treated Yoshitsune as a strong man (a follower who carries baggage along with the Yamabushi) and struck him with his staff.Togashi, seeing this, breaks Yoritomo's order and lets the group through.

Kanjinchō - Japanese Kabuki (The Subscription List)

In the mid-to-late 12th century, the play begins with Togashi Saemon, a local noble, just having been charged with defending a particular gate along the road.

He warns his men to be vigilant, for Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the great warrior of the Minamoto clan, is said to be traveling on the road disguised as a Yamabushi.

Yoshitsune and his follower Benkei join the escape group and when stopped by Togashi's men, claim that they are simple priests journeying around the northern provinces, seeking donations for the Tōdai-Ji in Nara.

Togashi thus asks that they prove themselves to be priests and asks for a kanjinchō, a subscription list of those who have donated already.

Benkei, having been a mountain ascetic (Yamabushi), is educated in traditional Buddhist teachings and has little trouble passing as a priest.

But he does not have a kanjinchō, so, in a particularly famous moment in kabuki, he pulls out a blank scroll and begins reading from it as if it were an entire subscription list.

Though Togashi soon gets a look at the blank sheet, he admires Benkei's skill and daring, and after asking a series of difficult questions about Buddhism and the life of a priest, all of which Benkei answers correctly, lets the pair pass anyway.

About to escape entirely, the pair is stopped when one of Togashi's guards notices that the porter looks like Yoshitsune.

Benkei, thinking quickly, pretends that Yoshitsune is his porter and begins to beat him for arousing suspicion and causing trouble.

The barrier guard insists that they won't pass unless he checks that the porter is not Yoshitsune, and Benkei accuses him of trying to steal from their baggage.

On the verge of starting to fight, Benkei states that to demonstrate that his porter is not Yoshitsune, he will beat him to death (at the time, winning one's own master was a lèse-majesté crime).

Togashi sees through the ruse but pretends not to because of his admiration for Benkei's devotion to his master.

Continuing past the gate, Yoshitsune thanks his friend, who apologizes for beating him, and bursts into tears-supposedly for the first time in his adult life.

Togashi returns. Asking for forgiveness for his manners, he invites Benkei to drink some sake with him.

He accepts but exaggerates with the alcohol and gets drunk.

He starts describing some of his memories from his youth, accompanied by the shamisen ensemble and then asks Togashi for more sake. Togashi asks instead that Benkei dance for him.

Benkei then starts to perform the "dance of longevity."

At one point, he signals Yoshitsune to depart while the barrier guards are not watching.

As Benkei leaves, he turns one last time to Togashi, whom he knows now has to pay with his own life for helping the enemy.

10)

As the curtain falls, with Benkei alone on the Hanamichi, he thanks the gods for allowing his master to pass.

The play ends with Benkei performing a special roppō, a Kabuki technique for leaving the scene, called Tobiroppō, jumping on the Hanamichi.

[Kanjincho, November 1943] [7th generation Koshiro Matsumoto, 15th generation Uzaemon Ichimura, 6th generation Kikugoro Onoe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD4p8e-lzts&t=1905s

Ennosuke Ichikawa shows you a behind-the-scenes look at his quick change-cloth-over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV-w8OAX0fw

Kabukiza "December Grand Kabuki" opens on the first day

https://www.kabuki-bito.jp/news/8027

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The Noh play "Ataka" was later developed into various theatrical productions and Kodan (storytelling).

Kabuki "Kanjincho" - First performed in 1840. One of the eighteen Kabuki plays.

Ningyo Joruri (puppet drama) "Kanjincho" - first performed in 1895, based on a Kabuki play.

Kodan "Kanjincho at Ataka" (storyteller)

"The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail" (movie)

The Noh play "Ataka."

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AE%89%E5%AE%85_(%E8%83%BD)

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Kabuki is a popular theater famous worldwide with a history of 420 years.

It first appeared in the 16th century and is thought to have been named after the "Kabukimono" of the time, masterless samurai who could not find a place in the new Edo period establishment, whose flamboyant costumes, swaggering movements, and free lifestyles inspired the characters of kabuki. Since that time, Kabuki has always simultaneously preserved tradition and stayed at the forefront of current trends.

We will look at both Kabuki by looking at the classical tradition and "Cho-Kabuki," which combines a live kabuki actor and the virtual singer Hatsune Miku.

KABUKI: the Legacy of Eccentric Spectacle 【EN/ES/FR/HU/ID/PT/RU/簡中/繁中/JP】

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TjR2sSJgDE&t=144s

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-Add No.3

Hatsune no Tsugumi

A drum made of the skin of a male and a female fox that lived a thousand years appears in "Yoshitsune Senbonzakura." It was a treasure of the court but was given to Yoshitsune by Emperor Go-Shirakawa. The phrase "strike the drum" was hidden in the intention to "avenge Yoritomo. Yoshitsune accepted it, thinking that even if he had the drum, he should not strike it, but this was one of the reasons he was forced to flee to the capital, and the drum was given to his beloved mistress Shizuka Gozen. However, the fox who had been made into the drum had a child, and the child fox followed the drum in adoration. When Yoshitsune discovers that the fox cub has disguised himself as Tadanobu Sato and saved Shizuka from danger, he gives the drum to the fox cub.

Hatsune no Tsugumi

https://enmokudb.kabuki.ne.jp/phraseology/3474/

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Kanjinchō - Japanese Kabuki