Momijigari (play)
Encyclopedia
or Maple Viewing is a Japanese shosagoto (dance) play, usually performed in kabuki
and noh
. It was also the first narrative ever filmed in Japan
. It was written by Kanze Nobumitsu
during the Muromachi period
. Other titles for the play include Yogoshōgun and Koremochi.
for the seasonal maple-leaf viewing event
. In reality, he has come to investigate and kill a demon that has been plaguing the mountain's deity, Hachiman
.
There he meets a princess named Sarashinahime, and drinks some sake she offers him. Thereupon she reveals her true form as the demon
Kijo, and attacks the drunk man. Koremochi is able to escape using his sword, called Kogarasumaru, which was given to him by Hachiman. The demon gnaws on a maple branch as she dies.
Traditionally the play is accompanied by Takemoto
, nagauta
and Tokiwazu music.
, but was performed for the first time as kabuki
in 1887. It starred the popular actor Ichikawa Danjūrō IX
. His performance inspired the first narrative filmed in Japan. Other actors include Ichikawa Sadanji V.
, starred Onoe Kikugoro V
and Ichikawa Danjūrō IX
. Danjūrō was originally opposed to appearing in films, but was eventually convinced that his doing so would be a gift to posterity. He would go on to star in a number of great films from then on.
The film is available for viewing at the National Film Center in Tokyo
. One of Japan's earliest films, it was designated an Important Cultural Property
in 2009.
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
and noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
. It was also the first narrative ever filmed in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was written by Kanze Nobumitsu
Kanze Nobumitsu
Kanze Kojiro Nobumitsu 観世小次郎信光 was a Japanese noh playwright and secondary actor during the Muromachi Era, from the house of Kanze. He was the grandson of Noh playwright Zeami Motokiyo, and is considered one of the last important playwrights of the golden age of Noh.-Selected plays:* Ataka*...
during the Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
. Other titles for the play include Yogoshōgun and Koremochi.
The play
The original play, performed in both noh and kabuki, is a story of the warrior Taira no Koremochi visiting Togakushi-yama, a mountain in ShinshūShinano Province
or is an old province of Japan that is now present day Nagano Prefecture.Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces...
for the seasonal maple-leaf viewing event
Momijigari
, from the Japanese , "red leaves" or "maple tree" and , "hunting", is the Japanese tradition of going to visit scenic areas where leaves have turned red in the autumn. It is also called . in Hokkaidō...
. In reality, he has come to investigate and kill a demon that has been plaguing the mountain's deity, Hachiman
Hachiman
In Japanese mythology, is the Japanese syncretic god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people...
.
There he meets a princess named Sarashinahime, and drinks some sake she offers him. Thereupon she reveals her true form as the demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
Kijo, and attacks the drunk man. Koremochi is able to escape using his sword, called Kogarasumaru, which was given to him by Hachiman. The demon gnaws on a maple branch as she dies.
Traditionally the play is accompanied by Takemoto
Takemoto
Takemoto is a Japanese surname.People with the name Takemoto include:*Eiji Takemoto , a Japanese voice actor*Iwao Takamoto , an American animator, television producer, and film director...
, nagauta
Nagauta
, literally "long song", is a kind of traditional Japanese music which accompanies the kabuki theater. They were developed around 1740. Influences included the vocal yōkyoku style used in noh theater, and instruments including the shamisen and various kinds of drums.The shamisen, a plucked lute...
and Tokiwazu music.
The first kabuki performance
"Momijigari" was originally nohNoh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
, but was performed for the first time as kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
in 1887. It starred the popular actor Ichikawa Danjūrō IX
Ichikawa Danjuro IX
Ichikawa Danjūrō IX was one of the most successful and famous Kabuki actors of the Meiji period ....
. His performance inspired the first narrative filmed in Japan. Other actors include Ichikawa Sadanji V.
The 1899 film
The film version, taken in 1899 by director Shibata TsunekichiShibata Tsunekichi
Tsunekichi Shibata was one of Japan's first filmmakers. He worked for the photographer Shirō Asano and the Konishi Camera shop, the first in Japan to import a motion picture camera. Along with Kanzo Shirai, he took the earliest films in Japan, mostly of geisha, Ginza, and selections of scenes...
, starred Onoe Kikugoro V
Onoe Kikugorō V
' was a Japanese Kabuki actor, one of the three most famous and celebrated of the Meiji period, along with Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and Ichikawa Sadanji I. Unlike most kabuki actors, who specialize in a particular type of role, Kikugorō, as a kaneru yakusha, played both tachiyaku and onnagata roles...
and Ichikawa Danjūrō IX
Ichikawa Danjuro IX
Ichikawa Danjūrō IX was one of the most successful and famous Kabuki actors of the Meiji period ....
. Danjūrō was originally opposed to appearing in films, but was eventually convinced that his doing so would be a gift to posterity. He would go on to star in a number of great films from then on.
The film is available for viewing at the National Film Center in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. One of Japan's earliest films, it was designated an Important Cultural Property
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
in 2009.