The imaginary bird “Karyohaku,” which is said to live in paradise, is one of the eight rin-eup raku, which are said to have been introduced to Tennoji Temple by the monk Butsutetsu.
It is a bugaku that symbolizes the historical background of the story when Buddhism was flourishing.
The dancer wears a one-width robe with a bird design and a “ka” pattern, a one-width hakama, and a leg band representing a bird’s foot, and a bird’s feather on his back, while beating a copper clapper.
左舞『迦陵頻』を舞った動画です。
手に持っているのは『銅拍子』という小型シンバルのような楽器です。
終盤でこれを打ち鳴らしながら飛びます。
袴はかなり短めに履き、脛には横縞の『鳥足』というレッグウォーマー状のものを履いています。足は絲鞋という靴を履きます。
本当は四人舞なのですが、今回は一人舞の動画です。
Itsuku-shima Gojohraku was dedicated to Kashiwabara Shrine, Kagoshima City, on the new year day of 2024.
Shoko Hara, the organizer of Hara-Sho-Kai, found that the Gojyoraku, which is now performed by a man in a barbarian costume, used to be danced by a woman, when she read the “Collection of Oral Traditions of the Buddha,” Vol. 10.
It said that “Two of the country’s maidservants, one black and the other red, were dressed in Tang attire, their hair up, and they danced”.
In 2000, she had a chance to show female court dance performance at Itsuku-shima Shrine. She decided to reproduce Gojoraku as a female dance for this opportunity.
She got the idea of costume design from the description of the dance; “I remember that the sleeves of the Gigaku Bodhisattva are waving in the air, and I am so happy”.
In order to reproduce this description, she made a new, shabby costume from Ancient China. However, she had a lot of troubles with its color design. While searching for a description of the color scheme, she found a picture of four female court servants, standing facing each other on the stage of Itsukushima Shrine, dressed in blue and red shaded costume, in “Ippen Shonin Eiden” (Nihon no Emaki 20, published by Chuo Koron-sha). Based on this painting, she revived it under the title “Itsukushima Gojyogaku”.
柏原神社（鹿児島市）で令和6年1月1日、『厳島五条楽』の奉納舞をさせていただきました。
今回は一人舞ですが、いつか二人舞、もしくは四人舞ができるといいですね！
衣装を身に付けて『胡蝶』のお稽古に参加しました。
西宮神社の観月祭（9月29日）に女人舞楽原笙会の一員として参加させていただく予定です。
2023年5月10日、サイト管理人が、西宮神社での奉納舞に、女人舞楽原笙会の一員として参加しました。
The owner of this website joined the Bugaku dedication to Nishinomiya Shrine on May 10th, 2023. We performed the Shira-Byoshi dance.
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).
Bugaku dance will be dedicated to the God at Nishinomiya Shrine (Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture).
When: 10th May, 2023
Where: Nishinomiya Shrine (Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture)
This event is open to public, free of charge.
“Juni-Hitoe” (十二単) is a traditional female clothing worn in formal occasions. The term “Juni-Hitoe” literally means “twelve layers,” which refers to the many layers of silk robes. It was worn by court ladies during the Heian period (794-1185). Now it is mainly worn by the female members of the imperial family in very special ceremonies.
The Juni-Hitoe consists of several layers of different colors and patterns, and the combination of these layers is said to represent the season, occasion, and the wearer’s status. The robes were also adorned with various accessories, such as hairpins, cords, and a folding fan.
Wearing the Juni-Hitoe was a complex process that required the assistance of several attendants. It was only worn by women of the court and aristocracy, and was a symbol of their status and refinement.