About Hara-Sho-Kai (原笙会)

Hara-Sho-Kai (原笙会) is a school for female court dancers based in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

Hara-Sho-Kai Official Website (Japanese only)

Hara-Sho-Kai was founded by the late Shoko Hara (原笙子), one of the well-received female court dancers with a long experience. She is known for her autobiography, “Called a Delinquent Girl” (不良少女と呼ばれて). Her autobiography was made into a live-action movie and broadcast on TV in 1984. The movie had the same title, though, it had a large deviation from the original autobiography. Shoko Hara and her family were glared at with distorted eyes and harshly criticized by people who assumed the movie was nonfiction.

Although Shoko Hara had a hardship due to the twisted story of the movie, she received a considerable amount of royalties since the movie was a great hit. She saved all the royalties related income to make new Bugaku costumes for her students’ performances. So her private life was very humble despite of her great income.

As a Bugaku choreographer, she designed three court dance for female dancers: Ryukaen (柳花苑), Tori-Wakamurasaki (桃李花若紫), and, Itsukushima-Gojoraku (厳島五常楽).