Lecture 5: The training of successors for the traditional ... · tombo (mid-air somersaults), and ritual Japanese dance, but also include makeup, costumes, wigs, ... 7 4 (7) 7 (5)

Training Course for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Original in Japanese, English Translation by ACCU

1 Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)

Lecture 5: The training of successors for the traditional performing arts of the National Theatre

TAKASE Hiroko

Director, Performer Training Division National Theatre Research and Training Department

History The Japan Arts Council was established on July 1, 1966 as the National Theatre for the purpose of (I) putting on performances of traditional arts, (II) training successors, (III) conducting research, preserving and promoting those traditional arts in the hopes of contributing to the advancement of culture. Theatres were constructed gradually after that, and in the 40 years that have passed, five theatres for traditional performing arts and one theatre for modern stage arts have opened, for a total of six National Theatres. Due to an amendment to the National Theatre Law, the Japan Arts Fund was founded in 1990 for the purpose of supporting the activities of artists or art-related groups for the creation or promotion of arts and supporting activities designed to promote or disseminate culture. It was later renamed the Japan Arts Council, and in 2003, as a part of efforts by the government to reform special public corporations, it was reorganized from a special public corporation to an independent administrative corporation. 1966.7.1 National Theatre founded *1966.11.1 National Theatre opened (4-1, Hayabusa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) *1979.3.22 National Engei Hall opened (4-1, Hayabusa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) *1983.9.15 National Noh Theatre opened (4-18-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) *1984.3.20 National Bunraku Theatre opened (1-12-10 Nipponbashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka) 1990.3.30 Name of Japan Arts Fund changed to Japan Arts Council 1997.10.10 New National Theatre Tokyo opened (1-1-1 Honmachi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) 2003.10.1 Japan Arts Council reorganized into an independent administrative corporation *2004.1.18 National Theatre Okinawa opened (4-14-1 Jitchaku, Urasoe-shi, Okinawa) (The bullet mark (*) signifies a theatre for traditional performing arts) Training successors for the traditional performing art The training of successors to preserve and develop traditional performing arts such as kabuki, bunraku, and noh, which are Japanese masterpieces of cultural heritage, was one of the main reasons behind the founding of the National Theatre. The National Theatre has worked at this since it was founded, and has strived to gradually expand programmes for this as necessary. This is because, historically, the training of successors for the traditional performing arts has been achieved through hereditary succession or the taking in of apprentices to preserve the forms of an art belonging to a family or a school, but because of rapid social changes and the overwhelming economic burden of supporting apprentices, projects instituted as national government measures to train successors have become invaluable for the preservation and promotion of the traditional performing arts. At present, there are four courses for kabuki theatre at the National Theatre, beginning with a kabuki actor training course begun in 1970 and followed by three courses for kabuki music (takemoto, nagauta, and narimono; Japanese terms uncommon in English are explained in the following pages), and two courses for popular performing arts (yose-bayashi and daikagura). At the National Noh Theatre there are courses for the three noh roles (waki, hayashi, and kyogen), at the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka there are courses for three bunraku arts (tayū, shamisen, and puppetry), and at the National Theatre Okinawa there is a course for kumiodori (Okinawan court theatre), for a total of nine courses established. Basic education in

Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) by Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)




these arts is conducted with a view to students’ gaining employment after they complete the courses. Kabuki ・1965 Designated as Important Intangible Cultural Properties ・2005 Declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Kabuki Actor Training Course: begun in 1970 (at the National Theatre) Kabuki Music Training Course – takemoto: begun in 1975 ( ” ) ” - narimono: begun in 1981 ( ” ) ” - nagauta: begun in 1999 ( ” ) Noh ・1957 Designated as Important Intangible Cultural Properties ・2001 Declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Noh Training Course (the three noh roles): begun in 1984 (at the National Noh Theatre) Bunraku ・1955 Designated as Important Intangible Cultural Properties

・2003 Declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Bunraku Training Course (the three bunraku roles): begun in 1972 (at the National Bunraku Theatre; initially at the National Theatre)

Kumiodori ・1972 Designated as Important Intangible Cultural Properties Kumiodori Training Course: begun in 2005 (at the National Theatre Okinawa)

Popular performing arts Yose-bayashi Training Course: begun in 1979 (at the National Theatre)

Daikagura Training Course: begun in 1995 ( ” ) The budget of the Japan Arts Council is divided into three categories: the Arts Fund budget, the National Theatre budget, and the New National Theatre budget. Training programmes fall under the National Theatre budget category, and are funded mainly by operation grants from the government. In addition,they are also funded by independent sources of income from entrance fees for trainee performances, etc.

Expenses related to training courses (From the FY2007 budget) ・National Theatre 121,630,000 yen ・National Noh Theatre 76,630,000 yen ・National Bunraku Theatre 52,290,000 yen ・National Theatre Okinawa 24,690,000 yen

Beginning in 2003, as part of the Five-year Mid-term Plan for operating the organization, targets have been set for the number of “graduates” (used loosely herein to mean pupils who have finished courses) of training courses, targets which the Council strives to meet.





I. Training for new students □Kabuki Kabuki has its origins in a form of performing art called furyū-odori (“secular dance”) popularized towards the end of the Muromachi Period (1336-1573) of Japanese history. In addition to absorbing and refining elements of acting styles, and techniques from jōruri puppet theatre and noh repertoires, kabuki further developed realistic acting methods. It continued to evolve in this manner into the Edo Period (1600-1867), when it became intensely popular with the ordinary merchant class in the rich metropolitan atmosphere of the time. It was during this period that kabuki was perfected in an art. Kabuki is a “composite art”, i.e., combining dramatic theatre, dance, and music. The kabuki tradition has been passed down to modern times, and is probably Japan’s most well-known traditional performing art. For historical reasons, men play all roles in kabuki, including the roles of women. Kabuki Actor Training Course The National Theatre was officially established in 1966, and for the training programme then being organized it was decided to first concentrate on training actors to be successors of kabuki. This is because at the time, of the 268 kabuki actors belonging to the Japan Actors’ Association, there were only 69 actors under thirty years of age (27 of whom were nadai-shita, or “second rank”), or 24% of the total. Nadai-shita actors, who fill supporting or secondary roles (waki), were growing older, and the decline in the number of young people was causing uncertainty about the future of Kabuki. As a result of gathering the opinions of kabuki actors and academic experts, working on a basic framework, and creating a special committee for studying the matter, a number of matters were decided upon, including the decision to recruit students from the general public, the curriculum, educational methods, and post-training measures (i.e., initiation towards becoming a major actor). After this process, in 1970 the National Theatre, with the help of the Organization for the Preservation of Kabuki (OPK) announced openings for prospective students above compulsory education age and under 21 (currently under 24). The trainees went through a two-year training programme in which they received integrated and systematic training to be successors of kabuki, and as a result of this initial effort, the first class of 10 people completed the course. The Kabuki Actor Training Course has graduated 18 classes to this day, and as a result, the number of actors 30 and under now account for 89 of the total of 315 kabuki actors (52 of whom are nadai-shita), an increase to 28% of the total. There are also 89 graduates of the Kabuki Actor Training Course who are currently working as actors (also 28% of the total of 315 kabuki actors), 23 of whom are nadai (“first rank”; 13% of the total of 175 nadai-ranked actors), and 66 of whom are nadai-shita (47% of the total of 140 nadai-shita-ranked actors). The diverse curriculum of the focuses on practical kabuki acting skills, tachimawari (fight scenes) and tombo (mid-air somersaults), and ritual Japanese dance, but also include makeup, costumes, wigs, gidayū (chanting), nagauta (long songs or poems), shamisen, narimono (use of percussion instruments for sound effects), the harp, traditional etiquette, physical exercises, lectures, extra-specialty topics, the viewing of performances, on-hands stage training, and more. Once a year a “trainee performance” is held and open to the public so that students can demonstrate the results of their daily training. After discussions with related organizations, it was decided that the length of the course would be extended from two to three years, beginning with the 18th class, mainly to give students more training in practical acting. The teaching faculty of for the course is composed of major actors, masters, experienced mid-career actors, and the top experts in a variety of subspecialties from the OPK, the sponsors of the course. There are now many graduates of the course who went on to join the OPK and are now teaching.

There are currently nine students in the 19th class.





Age composition of kabuki actors (as of May 1, 2007)

Age Category

20 or under

21 - 30

31 - 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

61 - 70

71 - 80

81 - 90

Over81

Averageage

Ratio of graduates

Nadai 28

9

(6) 20

(7) 24

(9) 40

(1)26

21

7

(23)175 48.7 13.1%

Nadai-shita (1) 4

(29) 48

(24) 50

(7) 14

(5) 16

1

7

0

(66)140 37.2 47.1%

Total (1) 32

(29) 57

(30) 70

(14) 38

(14) 56

(1)27

28

7

(89)315 43.6 28.3%

40

24

20

26

(1)

Nadai

28

9 (6) (7) (9)

21

7

4 (5) (7) 7

14 16 (24) (29)

Medai-shita

48

50

1

Note: Course graduates among the total are indicated in parentheses. Nadai include actors who were born into or trained from a young age in a kabuki family. Gray indicates course graduates.

Performing Training Dancing Training

Acting Skill Training Trainee Performances "Futatsu Chocho Kuruwa Nikki-Hikimado"





Takemoto Training Course Many kabuki plays are based on traditional gidayū (a kind of jōruri, or storytelling by chanting) works. Such plays are called gidayū-kyōgen or maruhonmono, and the takemoto section (tayū, or chanters, and shamisen) responsible for the performance accounts for a critical part of the musical aspect of kabuki. Although takemoto is a form of gidayū, due to differences in performance style a distinction is made between the gidayū of jōruri bunraku and that of kabuki plays based on jōruri, with the latter called takemoto to make that distinction. Takemoto recites the stage directions of gidayū-kyōgen, announcing key story elements between actors’ lines, what is going on in the background, and what the characters are feeling, through tayū (chanting) and shamisen. It is performed on the right side of the stage (as seen from the audience) or further up on a special seat (called a yuka). However, post-war Japan saw a marked decline and disparity in age group representation in takemoto performers as well, and by 1975, the situation had reached a critical point, with only 26 takemoto performers left, all of whom were 40 or over, and 21 of whom were 60 or over. To address this situation, cooperation was gained from Shochiku Co., the Organization for the Preservation of Kabuki, and the Gidayu Kyokai (Gidayu Association), and in that same year, the first Takemoto Training Course was begun. At first there were difficulties in recruiting students, but as the years went by they increased in numbers, and by the 17th class, the 23 course graduates accounted for most (79%) of the 29 takemoto performers, and the average age had lowered to 42 years. The course was temporarily shut down in 2001 because these goals had been achieved. But once again there are only two performers under 30 now, and because numbers are not expected to increase through other means, it has been decided to recruit students next spring for the 18th class. The training lasts two years, and the curriculum focuses on chanting and shamisen, but also includes traditional etiquette, physical exercises, lectures, extra-specialty topics, the viewing of performances, on-hands stage training, and trainee performances. Age composition of takemoto performers (as of May 1, 2007)

Age Category

20 or under

21 - 30

31 - 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

61- 70

71- 80

Over81 Total Average

age Ratio of

graduates

Tayū 0

(1) 1

(3) 3

(5) 6

(3) 3

1

(1)2

0

(13)16 48.8 81.3%

Shamisen 0

(0) 1

(6) 6

(2) 3

(2) 2

0

2

0

(10)14 45.5 71.4%

Total 0

(1) 2

(9) 9

(7) 9

(5) 5

1

(1)4

0

(23)30 47.3 76.7%

6

3 3

1

2 Tayū

(1) (3)

(5) (3)

1 (1)

1 (2) (2) 2

3 2

Shamisen

(6)

Note: Course graduates among the total are indicated in parentheses. Gray indicates course graduates.

Kabuki Music (Takemoto) Lesson





Narimono Training Course Narimono refers to all instruments other than the shamisen: the kotsuzumi, ōtsuzumi, taiko, and ōdaiko (all drums, listed in increasing size). Performers sit in seats on the left side of the stage (as seen from the audience) hidden by a curtain. In addition to adding the percussion to traditional kabuki music, performers use their instruments in unique ways to produce sound effects expressing the weather, other natural phenomena, and scenery. In dance plays (shosagoto), they sometimes go on stage and perform together with nagauta songs and shamisen. Because it was predicted that there would be a lack of successors for narimono, this important element of kabuki music (also called kabuki-hayashi), in 1981, with the help of Shochiku Co., the OPK, the Kabuki Hayashi Kyokai (Association), the first narimono training course was begun. The length of training is two years per class. The course graduated 11 classes, resulting in 13 graduates accounting for 28% of the total of 46 narimono performers. The average age also fell to 44. Due to these favorable results, the course was temporarily suspended in 1999. Yet concerns over another shortage of performers as well as the aging of the group prompted the parties involved to decide to recommence the course for a 12th class in 2003. The training period was extended to three years, the first two of which are spent concentrating on acquiring the basics of the kotsuzumi, ōtsuzumi, taiko, and ōdaiko drums, the flute, and nagauta songs, with the remaining year focusing on practicing backstage or actual performances on stage. This curriculum aids students in being able to perform professionally right out of the course. There are currently 39 narimono performers, 14 of whom are graduates of this course, for a ratio of 36% and an average age of 46. In recent years the number of kabuki performances has been on the rise, which means that the course must be continued. There is currently one trainee in the 13th class.

Age composition of narimono performers (as of May 1, 2007)

A g e C a t e g o r y

2 0 o r u n d e r

2 1 - 3 0

3 1 - 4 0

4 1- 5 0

5 1- 6 0

6 1- 7 0

7 1- 8 0

O v e r8 1 T o t a l A v e r a g e

a g e R a t i o o f

g r a d u a t e sT a n a k a D e n z a e m o n S h a c h ū G r o u p

0

( 3 ) 4

( 4 ) 5

( 1 ) 2

4

3

0

0

( 8 ) 1 8 4 4 . 4 4 4 . 4 %

O n o e K i k u g o r o T r o u p e , M u s i c D i v i s i o n

0

1

( 2 ) 4

( 4 ) 1 0

3

0

3

0

( 6 ) 2 1 4 7 . 9 2 8 . 6 %

T o t a l 0

( 3 ) 5

( 6 ) 9

( 5 ) 1 2

7

3

3

0

( 1 4 )3 9 4 6 . 3 3 5 . 9 %

5

4

2

T a n a k a D e n z a e m o n S h a c h ū G r o u p

( 3 ) ( 4 )

( 1 )

4 3

1 ( 2 ) 3 3 4

( 4 ) O n o e K i k u g o r o T r o u p e , M u s i c D i v i s i o n

1 0 N o t e : C o u r s e g r a d u a t e s a m o n g t h e t o t a l a r e

i n d i c a t e d i n p a r e n t h e s e s . G r a y i n d i c a t e s c o u r s e g r a d u a t e s .

Taiko Drum Lesson Kotsuzumi Drum Lesson Trainee Performances "Takasago Tanzen"





Nagauta Training Course Nagauta in kabuki music is also referred to as “black curtain” (kuromisu) music because of the opaque curtain from behind which performers express the emotions of the characters, create moods in song and with shamisen. In dance plays (shosagoto), performers sometimes go on stage and perform together with the narimono and shamisen players. Nagauta developed as music to accompany kabuki, but in recent years, performances of nagauta alone have become popular, and most nagauta artists active now perform independently, with no direct relationship with kabuki. Before the Nagauta Training Course began there were a total of 57 performers of nagauta exclusively for kabuki, and 36 of them, or 63%, were aged 60 years or younger. The average age was 54, and to solve the problem of succession caused by the aging of the performers, in 1999, with the help of Shochiku Co., the OPK, and the Kabuki Nagauta Kyogikai (Council), the first training course was started. The course lasts three years, and in addition to learning nagauta, shamisen, and “black curtain” performance techniques, the curriculum includes other subjects and activities required of nagauta trainees, such as narimono, traditional etiquette, physical exercises, lectures, extra-specialty topics, the viewing of performances, on-hands stage training, and trainee performances. The course has graduated three classes, and now, out of the total of 48 nagauta performers, four are course graduates (8%). Thirty one performers are sixty years or younger (65%), and the average age is 53, which means that further training of dedicated nagauta performers will be necessary. There are currently three students in training in the fourth class. Age composition of nagauta performers (as of May 1, 2007)

Age Category

20 or under

21 - 30

31 - 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

61 - 70

71- 80

Over 81 Total Average

age

Uta

0

(1) 1

(1) 1

4

3

2

2

0

(2) 13 (2) Tobari

Richo Shachū Group

Sham

isen

0

0

1

4

4

1

1

0

11 24

53.1

Uta

0

(2) 2

2

0

2

4

2

0

(2) 12 (2) Onoe

Kikugoro Troupe, M usic Division

Sham

isen

0

2

1

3

1

4

0

1

12 24

53.3

Total 0 5 5 11 10 11 5 1 48 53.2

1 1

Tobaya Richo Shachū Group

(1)

(1) 1

4 4 3

4

2 1

21

Uta

Sham

isen

Uta

Sham

isen

Uta

Sham

isen

Uta

Sham

isen

Uta

Sham

isen

Uta

Sham

isen

Uta

Sham

isen

Uta

Sham

isen

1 1 1(2) 2 2 2 2

3

Onoe Kikugoro Troupe, M usic Division

2

4 4

Singing Lesson Shamisen Instrument Lesson Trainee Performances "Yoshiwara Suzume"





Age Category

30 or under

31 - 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

61- 70

71- 80

Over 81 Total Average

age Ratio of

graduatesRakugo Kyokai

0

(4) 5

(3) 3

(3) 4

(3) 3

(1) 1

0

(14)16 50.9 87.5%

Rakugo Geijutsu Kyokai

0

(3) 3

(1) 1

(3) 4

(2) 2

0

0

(9) 10 51.4 90.0%

Total (0) 0

(7) 8

(4) 4

(6) 8

(5) 5

(1) 1

0

(23)26 51.1 88.5%

5

3 4 3

1

Rakugo Kyokai

(4) (3) (3) (3) (1)

(1) 1 (2)

(3) (3) 2

3 4

Rakugo Geijutsu Kyokai

Note: Course graduates among the total are indicated in parentheses. Gray indicates course graduates.

□Popular Performing Arts Traditional popular performing arts have their roots in the sangaku (varied entertainment) tradition that was transmitted to Japan in the Nara and Heian Periods (710-1185). They comprise many forms of popular entertainment that have been enjoyed by people through the ages. Today, they include rakugo (sit-down comedy), kōdan (lectures on historical or literary topics), naniwabushi (narratives set to shamisen music), manzai (standup comedy), kijutsu (magic), and others. Yose- bayashi Training Course Yose is the traditional name for a popular entertainment hall. Comedians and other performers each have a unique theme song or jingle that is played when they take the stage. Magicians and acrobats also perform along with music. The musicians that play these opening and accompanying pieces are called o-hayashi. Though o-hayashi work behind the scenes, they are responsible for enhancing the mood of the show and enlivening the yose by carefully deciding from a variety of music genres on a piece of music suited to the main performer and type of performance. When the National Engei Hall was founded, one challenge at hand was to train successors to the yose -bayashi performance tradition. In order to address this issue, the first attempt of its kind to do so in this field, the first yose-bayashi training course was set up in 1979 with the cooperation of the Rakugo Kyokai (Rakugo Association) and the Rakugo Geijutsu Kyokai (Rakugo Arts Association). The course accepts women above compulsory education age and up to 50 years old trained in nagauta or shamisen. The length of training is two years per class, and in addition to polishing skills in nagauta or shamisen, the curriculum involves studying kiyomoto, hauta, zokkyoku, and narimono styles and mastering yose pieces that number into the hundreds. Hands-on training is incorporated into the curriculum for second year students. Of the 12 classes that the course has graduated, 23 of the 26 o-hayashi are course graduates, accounting for 89%. The average age is 51. At present, number of students has exceeded the total of 18 by eight people, and each age group has been sufficiently represented, so as of 2005 the training programme has been temporarily suspended. It will be revived pursuant to relevant circumstances. Age composition of yose-bayashi performers (as of May 1, 2007)

Trainee Performances "Kyokugoma no Hayashi"





Age Category

30 or under

31- 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

61- 70

71- 80


age Ratio of

graduatesDaikagura performers

(5) 5

(3) 5

0

2

6

4

0

(8) 22 49.0 36.4%

5

5

(5) (3)

2

6 4

Note: Course graduates among the total are

indicated in parentheses. Gray indicates course graduates.

Daikagura Training Course Daikagura began in the early Edo Period from the practice of Shinto priests belonging to the Ise and Atsuta Shrines traveling to communities throughout Japan and carrying out rituals wearing lion-head masks. Elements of acrobatics and farces were gradually added as entertainment, and the entertainment elements gradually gained prominence. In modern times, daikagura has become an invaluable addition to yose theatre. However, daikagura has seen a marked decline and disparity in age group representation in performers, a development that has even caused problems for programme scheduling at yose halls. For this reason, with the help of the Daikagura Kyokugei Kyoukai, the Rakugo Kyokai, and the Rakugo Geijutsu Kyokai, a daikagura training course was set up in 1995. Both men and women are free to join the course, the training of which focuses on acrobatics (tatemono and nagemono) and “lion dancing”, but includes nagauta, hayashi, traditional dance, traditional etiquette, physical exercises, lectures, extra-specialty topics, the viewing of performances, on-hands stage training, and trainee performances, whereby human resources are developed that can add color to yose events. Eight trainees have graduated as of the fourth class, so the number of graduates has reached 36% of the 22 professional daikagura performers. There are currently two trainees in the 5th class. Age composition of daikagura performers (as of May 1, 2007)

Acrobatic Training Trainee Performances "Shishimai" Trainee Performances "Kyokubachi"





Role School No. of people Role School No. of peopleShite Kanze 566 Flute players

Isso (2) 15

Komparu 128 Morita (4) 46

Hosho 271

65

Fujita (1) 4

Kongo 97 Kotsuzumi drummers Ko (1)

32

1,120

Kita 58 Kosei (1) 10

Waki Takayasu 15 Okura (1) 19

Fukuo (1) 22

67

Kanze (1) 6

63

Hosho (4) 26

Ōtsuzumi drummers Kadono 12

Kyogen Okura (2) 92 Takayasu (1)

13 149 Izumi (3)

57 Okura 11

Ishii 11

48

Kanze 1

Taiko drummers Kanze (2)

19 44 Komparu (2)

25 Subtotal (10)

1,332 Subtotal (16) 224

ToTal (26) 1,556

□Noh Noh Training Course Noh and kyogen are highly stylized arts that arose and were “perfected” in the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), and they have continued to influence the ever-emerging performing arts, and to this day, spanning countless generations, are still performed. Professionals in the world of noh have long hoped for a programme to train successors to the art, specifically people to fulfill the three noh roles: the waki performer that supports the leading actor (shite) in developing the story; nōkan (flute), kotsuzumi, ōtsuzumi, and taiko musicians; and kyogen performers to fill the gaps between noh performances with interactive theatre. The planning of courses proceeded concurrently with the establishment of the National Noh Theatre in 1983, and with the help of the Nihon Nohgaku-kai (Japan Noh Association) and the Nohgaku Kyokai (Noh Association), we launched the first beginners’ course for the three roles of noh in 1984. Basic training for the course entails three years with an additional three years for specialty training (for a total of six years). Studies are divided chiefly along specialty lines (singing, instrument performance, kata, etc.). Furthermore, as trainees pursue their specialties they are exposed to more and more backstage practice and actual on-stage practice sessions at different locations, all under the supervision of an experienced instructor. In addition, to ensure that trainees master the many noh pieces, they are encouraged to perform at numerous forums, including “practice meetings,” open “noh recital performances,” and “east and west style collaborative presentations.” Students for this course are recruited based on the particular style of each field and according to the times when such courses are available. To date four waki performers, 15 hayashi performers, and five kyogen performers have graduated from the course, for a total of 24 graduates now employed. There are two trainees currently studying in the 7th class. Nohgaku Kyokai members (as of April 25, 2007)

Note: Course graduates (including students in the 7th class) among the total are indicated in parentheses

Trainee Performances "Makiginu"Hayashi Music Lesson Singing Lesson





□Bunraku Bunraku Training Course Bunraku is a form of puppet theatre unique to Japan. It is a form of jōruri (storytelling) combining the narration of gidayū, shamisen, and puppetry. Jōruri puppetry dates back to the end of Muromachi Era. Once the gidayū chanting was perfected in the Edo Period, the idea of having three puppeteers to express the more subtle expressions in the play was conceived, and this is the bunraku that we see today. Bunraku also greatly influenced kabuki. Just as with kabuki, however, the aging of experienced performers and the lack of younger performers became evident when a survey was conducted in early 1971. Of the 62 performers, only 14 chanters, shamisen players, and puppeteers were under 30, and there was a particularly marked lack of young shamisen players and puppeteers. Moreover, it became evident that the situation was critical because at the time there were only six new chanters, one new shamisen artist, and eight puppeteers who have joined in the recent ten-year span. In order to address these issues, in 1972 the National Theatre followed up its Kabuki Actor Training Course with a bunraku training course. The Bunraku Training Course, developed with the cooperation of the Bunraku Kyokai (Association), was designed to train successors in the three main fields (roles) of bunraku: chanting (tayū), shamisen, and puppetry. In 1984, with the opening of the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka, the main training location was also moved there. However, during the Bunraku performance in Tokyo (4 times a year), since the practical performance trainers are performers themselves, the trainees also move to Tokyo for training. In the first year of the course, students attend lectures designed to a acquire a broad range of knowledge concerning traditional performing arts in addition to receiving training in the basics of chanting, shamisen, and puppetry. In the second year, trainees specialized based on both the results of an aptitude test and the wishes of the trainees themselves. Further education consists of training in practical aspects of the art for the purpose of acquiring practical performance skills and advanced education in their respective fields. At present, there are 40 course graduates in the total pool of 84 bunraku specialists (48%). There are currently three students undergoing training in the 23rd class. Age composition of bunraku performers (as of April 1, 2007)

Age Category

20 or under

21 - 30

31 - 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

61 - 70

71 - 80


age Ratio of

graduatesTayū

0 (2) 3

(4) 7

(1) 2

(4) 8

2

4

1

(11)27 51.1 40.7%

Shamisen 1

(2) 3

(4) 4

(4) 5

3

1

2

0

(10)19 43.9 52.6%

Puppeteers 0

(1) 4

(5) 8

(7) 10

(6) 9

3

4

0

(19)38 48.1 50.0%

Total 1

(5) 10

(13) 19

(12)17

(10) 20

6

10

1

(40)84 48.1 47.6%

10

10

5

5

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Tayū

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Tayū

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Tayū

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Tayū

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Tayū

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Gidaiyu Chanting Lesson

Shamisen Instrument Lesson





□Kumiodori Kumiodori Training Course Kumiodori is a highly refined and sophisticated royal court art developed in the 18th century under the privileged patronage of the former Ryukyu kingdom. In its present form, it has been passed down from the former court elite to civilian performing artists working commercially. However, because performers were overly represented by the elderly and the absolute number of tachikata (dancers and actors) and jikata (musicians) were so few that performances had become difficult, the first kumiodori training course was established in 2005, concurrently with the opening of the National Theatre Okinawa. The training duration is three years and classes are held in the evening (beginning at 6:30 pm). There are currently 10 people participating in the course (three tachikata, four shamisen players, and two harp players). The first class will graduate next spring. The curriculum includes practical tachikata and musical training, Ryukyu-style dance, the kūchō (a string instrument), the taiko drum, makeup, costumes, traditional etiquette, lectures, and trainee performances. ■ Government designated kumiodori skill holders ■ Successor training programme participants

Government designated kumiodori skill holders

Successor training programme participants

Total

80’s 8 1 970’s 21 2 2360’s 20 41 6150’s 4 48 5240’s 12 1230’s 18 1820’s 4 4Teens 0 53 126 179

Puppetry Training Trainee Performances "Yoshitsune Senbonzakura-Michiyuki Hatsune no Tabi"

Lesson for Musicians Trainee Performances "Shushin Kaneiri"Lesson for Dancers and Actors

(As of October 15, 2007)





II. Training for experienced performers In conjunction with the training courses for new students recruited from the general public, there are also courses for experienced performers to polish their skills. This programme is meant to look after course graduates and to provide opportunities for young performers who have completed their courses to get additional education. Performances for educational purposes are held every year, and performers try to deepen their knowledge of their particular specialties and hone their skills to prepare for these events. i) An organization called “Chigyo-no-kai” for Kabuki Actor Training Course graduates has put on many performances since its inception in 1972, when the first class graduated. In addition, the Chigyo-no-kai has been cooperating with the “Kabuki-kai,” whose membership is comprised of mid-level to nadai-shita (“second rank”) actors, to hold collaborative performances once a year, and there have been 35 performances to date. Beginning in 1990, the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka has sponsored a yearly “Kamigata Kabuki-kai” (kamigata is the old name for the Kinki or Kansai region of West Japan, which includes Osaka, Kyoto and neighboring areas), the purpose of which is to continue the tradition of kamigata kabuki. Seventeen educational performances have been held to date. ii) As for kabuki music, educational performances called “Ne-no-kai” (“gathering for music”) have been held since 1999 for takemoto, narimono, and nagauta students, with this summer marking the ninth performance. iii) Since 1991, yearly performances called “Wakate Noh” (“noh by up-and-coming performers”) have been held in the Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto metropolitan areas. Performances include local budding noh performers in addition to course graduates, and 17 performances have been held to date in each of these cities. In addition, in 1988, the National Noh Theatre took on the sponsorship of the “East and West Research Presentation Conference” (the previous sponsor was a noh training association), which has long been a valuable opportunity for all schools of noh to gather together. Beginning in 2004, the theatre also sponsors a “Noh Educational Conference”, the aim of which is for noh practitioners and students alike to perfect the art. Eleven such conferences have been held so far. Since fiscal 2005, a new research course has been developed for experienced students to further enhance their skills. It now allows apprentices of noh, i.e., graduates and noh performers of equal or superior skill, including shite (leading actors), to receive flexible training in their specialties and subspecialties. iv) In the field of bunraku, events such as the “Bunraku Wakate-kai” (“meeting of up-and-coming bunraku performers”) begun in 2001 and the “Gidayū-bushi wo Tanoshimu-kai” (“meeting for the enjoyment of gidayū tales”) begun in 2006 are held to enhance performance skills.

Wakate-noh "Utoh" Ne-no-kai "Kumo no Hyoushimai" Bunraku Wakate-kai "Yoshitsune Senbonzakura-Michiyuki Hatsune no Tabi"

Collaborative Performance "Kanjincho" by Chigyo-no-kai and Kabuki-kai





III. The future of the training programme For the future of the training programme it will be necessary to examine trends in each field, consult with related groups as well as outside specialists and experts, take into consideration the number of successors and age make-up for each field, determine the number of people who should be trained in each field, and recruit and train talented people from the general public. That being said, changes in society and diversification in the arts has made it more difficult to find promising young applicants In the future it will become increasingly necessary to take more strategic approaches to familiarizing more people with these arts. Such approaches should include educating and expanding potential audiences through beginner-level appreciation classes, the use of the Japan Arts Council’s website, holding events designed to educate and show these arts, advertising through the mass media, etc. At present, there is no charge for tuition for any of the courses, and educational materials, props and clothing are lent to students. Furthermore, in order to improve and insure the quality of the training programme, the Japan Arts Council makes loans available to students in all courses who apply, and scholarships are disbursed by associated groups. However, the duration of training is quite lengthy, and since many students do not have the time to work at part-time jobs because of the time spent on acquiring performance skills, the financial burden placed on students is significant, and even when they do gain employment as professional performers, their income is dictated by factors specific to each profession, and in many cases performers are far from financially well-off. The gradual improvement of conditions during training is one issue that certainly needs to be addressed, but an attractive economic climate in which performers who have finished their training can gain stable lifetime employment in their respective fields is also necessary. Lifelong practice for the perfection of an art is a crucial element that no successor of traditional performing arts should neglect. It is often the case, however, that after completing their courses, performers are so busy with everyday duties that they have little time to practice and refine their skills. In such cases, one cannot expect performers to reach their full potential. Forums are provided once a year at the National Theatre for more experienced performers to enhance their skills through real performances, yet it is still necessary to provide more and more opportunities for course graduates to make appearances throughout the year through regularly held performances. In the future, it is hoped that “living national treasures” emerge from among the graduates of these training courses, graduates on whom the heritage of the traditional performing arts depends.


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