Like the slow elegant footsteps of a crane and the silence of a leopard, the Japanese Mai dances use careful steps and solemn gestures. This type of dance is used in the fourteenth century Japanese Noh plays. Japanese Noh plays are inspired by their ancient deities such as Susano-o in the play The Legend of Yamata-no-Orochi and focuses on elaborate costumes.
Japanese noh may have originated from the Chinese nuo rites (Tian 343). “The Chinese nuo rite had long been practiced in Japanese temples, shrines, and fields where noh was born and developed” (Tian 343). Chinese nuo was originally an exorcist ritual to drive out evil spirits (Tian 344). “The early practice of tsuina rites in Japanese royal courts and among the people and its later integration with sanyue (sarugaku) and their reciprocal assimilation and transformation, which occurred in Japanese Buddhist rites (the sushoe and shunigatsue), contributed to the formulation of noh’s ritual and religious character and performance structure.” (Tian 356) “Noh play owes its present form to two men, Kuomami Kivotsuga and his son Seami Motokiyo” (Waley 211) The fourteenth century time perod in Japan was called the Muromachi Period. (Tian 351) The Muromachi period of Japan received its name from the Muromachi region of Kyoto. (“Muromachi”) “The beginning of the Muromachi period is marked when Ashika Takuji ended the Kemmu Restoration and the end of the Muromachi period is marked by the expulsion of the fifteenth Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshiaki, and From Kyoto by Oda Nobunaga.” (“Muromachi”) The Muromachi period is also known as the Ashikaga period. (“Muromachi”) “The Muromachi period was one of political instability and warfare, it was at the same time a period of economic and commercial gro...
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...d the attempts to control the recurrent floods.” (Legend) “The sword Kusanagi-no-tsurugi (The Great Sword of Kusanagai) found in the serpent’s tail has become on of the three great Imperial Treasures of Japan” (Legend)
The people of fourteenth century Japan wished to be harmonious with the living world and the spiritual world. This is evident in the Noh plays of Japan like the ancient deity Susano-o in The Legend of Yamata-no-Orochi. With slow careful movements of a new born deer and the graceful serenity of a snake, the Japanese Mai dances use vigilant footsteps and intense motions. The legendary beasts and ancient deities of Japan’s past are still used in present day television shows such as Naruto. The characters and abilities in this show are also characters used in Japanese Noh plays, which goes to show how great and popular ancient Japanese stories are today.
customs and traditions hidden in the roots of the Japanese empire. The Tang Dynasty displayed a
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
Greene, Carol. Enchantment of the World Japan, p. 97. 28 Pitts, Forrest R., Japan. p. 78. -. 29. Davidson, Judith.
In particular places such as Kyoto's exclusive Pontocho district and Tokyo's Akasaka nightclub strip, the Western visitor can still see the traditional Japanese geisha and glimpse what seems to be an exotic relic from the remote past. The geisha, conspicuous by her costume, her walk, and even by her mode of transport (the rickshaw), has become for many a symbol or the old Japan. In one recent descriptive travel book on Japan, for example, the following picture is painted:
Savas, Minae. "Feminine Madness In The Japanese Noh Theatre." Electronic Thesis or Dissertation. Ohio State University, 2008. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. 11 Mar 2014.
Although I am aware that we are focusing on literary sources and their relationship to their Noh counterparts, one cannot help but notice that the background of Atsumori dates back to actual historical events, and then establishes itself in Heike Monogatari. Anyway, any audience in Japan should already be familiar with the stories of Heike Monogatari, and the Noh play is only a touching extension of one aspect from the battle between the Minamoto Clan and th...
In 1274 The Mongols were invading and conquering much of china and they set their eyes upon Japan. The samurai in Kyushu were outnumbered and at a major disadvantage. A mighty storm came into the area and...
Tribes have been present since the beginning of time. They are often smart, innovative and self-sufficient, all without the use of modern technology. A prime example of this is the Yanomami tribe. They are one of the last completely isolated and non-urbanized tribes in the world. The Yanomami have managed to stay secluded from society for over a hundred years and now this is starting to change. Cities along the Brazilian- Venezuelan border are expanding and occupying Yanomami land. Along with the expansion of Brazil and Venezuela, gold miners are invading the tribes land and destroying their environment and their health. The tribe has no real way of protecting themselves; they do not use or have modern day weapons and the government is taking no action to help. The seclusion that the tribe has managed to maintain contributes to their interesting way of life, but outside sources are threatening their culture. Another reason why the Yanomami are under attack is because they live on valuable land that miners are taking great interest in. Although they are under attack may people do not feel empathetic towards their situation, this is because they have a bad reputation surrounding them. Due to mass industrialization, the Yanomami tribe of the Southern Amazon may lose out on their rich existence and culture.
Teeuwen, Mark. "Tracing Shinto in the History of Kami Worship: Editors' Introduction." Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 29.3/4, Tracing Shinto in the History of Kami Worship (2002): 195-207. JSTOR. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
In the same way Japanese poetry often alludes to or derives from the canon of poetry that precedes it, noh plays are often based off of classical Japanese literary sources that form the framework for the play’s themes and moral message. Many of these plays reference poems from revered anthologies, such as the Shinkokinshū, within the play’s dialogue, but it is the monogatari or tales that provide the foundation for certain noh plotlines because of their vast array of character references and plotlines. These tales are the primary sources of information for two plays in particular written by the famous Japanese playwright Zeami: Atsumori and Matsukaze. The warrior-play Atsumori draws from the famous war epic The Tale of Heike to further an anti-war message grounded in the original text, as well as to further explore Buddhist themes of attachment and karmic ties. Matsukaze draws its origins and background from Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji and Ariwara no Narihira’s The Tales of Ise for location, tone, and themes of longing in order to juxtapose the Buddhist duality of attachment and detachment from this world.
The geisha of Japan were more than entertainers they were a part of the bigger picture of the Japanese society from the early 1600s to today, their role as an entertainer for men was respected at a point in which man that had time with geisha were praised and they were even respected by the wives of the clients. One of the most significant historical contexts of geisha in Japanese society is the empowerment of women, they were the only women in the history to create a set of norms and social tradition for themselves, and the group of women to have control of men. Geisha are the representation of Japanese tradition and
Japanese society has a history of only 120 years since shedding its feudal system. The origin of feudal system is more than 1,000 years ago, so it is still underlying thought of Japanese. Hara-kiri performed especially by the warrior called samurai as indicated above. The samurai were the members of the military class, the Japanese warriors. Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns, but their most famous weapon and their symbol was the sword. Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior.
...since those tradition folk dance existed before Gagaku music introduced into Japan. People might even use audio tape to replace some instrumental performance.
of nature. Other dances performed such as “Paper Moon” are attempts to shape the timelessness found in play, such as ritual, and performance.
Our preliminary class gave a brief, yet detailed outline of major events affecting the East Asian region. Within that class, prompted by our limited geographical knowledge of Asia, we were given a fundamental explanation of the geographical locations of the various events taking place in the region. In subsequent classes, we were introduced to the major wars, political shifts, and economic interests which shaped Japan, China and Korea to what they are today. We examined the paradigm of pre-modern Japanese governance, the Shogunate, and the trained warriors which defended lord and land, Samurai. In addition, we examined the socio-economic classes of Medieval Japan, which included the Samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and the merchants. We also examined pre-1945 Japan’s policies toward foreign entities, notably the Sakoku Policy, which sought to expunge all foreign presence and commerce in an effort to protect its borders and culture. 1945, however, saw ...