日本舞踊

The tradition & historical record

Nihon-buyō (日本舞踊, lit. 'Japanese dance') refers to the classical Japanese performing art of dance. Nihon-buyō developed from earlier dance traditions such as mai and odori, and was further developed during the early Edo period (1603–1867), through the medium of kabuki dances, which often incorporated elements from the older dance genres. Although the term nihon-buyō means "Japanese dance", it is not meant to refer to Japanese dance in general, and instead refers to a few dance genres such as kabuki buyō, which are performed in theatre. Nihon-buyō differs from other varieties of Japanese traditional dance, in that it is a refined style intended as entertainment on a public stage. The term buyō is a modern term coined during the Meiji period (1868–1911) as a term for "dance", and the writer Tsubouchi Shōyō is believed to have been the first to use the term nihon-buyō. Prior to this, dance was generally referred according to its particular dance genre, such as mai and odori. The term is a combination of the characters mai (舞), which can also be pronounced bu, and odori (踊), which can also be pronounced yō. Shōyō intended nihon-buyō to be a term for Furigoto Geki (振事劇), a form of dance drama in kabuki plays, but the term has now grown to cover several Japanese dance styles, including the modern dance form sosaku buyō. ²

In the broad sense, nihon-buyō refers to the dances kabuki-buyō, kamigata-mai and shin-buyō. ²

Kabuki buyō (歌舞伎舞踊) - nihon-buyō in the exact definition refers solely to kabuki-buyō alone Kamigata-mai (上方舞) or jiuta-mai (地唄舞) - dance born and developed in the region of Kyoto and Osaka (the Kamigata region). Kamigata-mai developed during the Edo period, and would be performed at private parties on a relatively small surface, such as the surface of one tatami mat. Its movements are slow and gentle. It can be accompanied by music (jiuta), composed for a shamisen soloist. It is also called zashiki-mai (座敷舞), referring to the name of the room (zashiki) where it is practiced. Shin-buyō (新舞踊) or sōsaku-buyō (創作舞踊) – nihon-buyō has known European and American influences during the 20th century. In the Taishō period (1912–1926), Western arts-inspired writer Tsubouchi Shōyō proposed changes to the performance of kabuki theater, resulting in a new style of dance known as shin-buyō (lit. 'new dance'), performed by artists wanting to experiment with a new form of expression. ²

In the narrow sense, nihon-buyō (日本舞踊) refers solely to kabuki-buyō (歌舞伎舞踊). The term nihon-buyō dates to the Meiji period. Until then, kabuki-buyō was referred to by various names such as shosagoto (所作事), keigoto (景事), furigoto (振事) or more simply odori (踊). The choreographers of shosagoto, whose first appearance dates back to around 1673, founded schools to teach this dance to amateurs. Kabuki-buyō, listed as an important intangible cultural property since 1955, is performed by both a kabuki actor and a nihon-buyō dancer. ²

Unlike Noh, kyōgen, kabuki and bunraku theater, which feature male performers, nihon-buyō is also performed by women. There are two different dance styles taught in nihon-buyō: onnagata, "female roles", and tachiyaku, "male roles". Thus, a woman can play a male role, and a man can play a female role. Nihon-buyō has three main elements: mai, odori and furi. Mai is a static and abstract movement with an emphasis on the ritual aspect, which is often present in the adaptation sequences of the nô theater; odori is a dynamic and rhythmic movement resulting from nenbutsu-odori, a dance invented by a Buddhist monk around the 10th century; furi includes theatrical, dramatic and figurative body language (such as writing a letter, drinking sake, etc.), representing the actions of everyday life in the Edo period. ²

Nihon-buyō schools were founded by choreographers (who were originally kabuki musicians or actors), or by actors. These two backgrounds mean that both still share the same dance repertoire. ²

There are many nihon-buyō plays which are inspired by Noh theater plays. The three major series of nihon-buyō - sanbasō mono, dōjōji mono and shakkyō mono - are adapted from the Noh plays Okina, Dōjōji and Shakkyō, as well as the matsubame mono repertoire series, adapted from Noh during the Meiji period, with inspiration taken from the approach of kabuki adapting Noh dramas. For these plays, Noh dance (mai) is integrated into the choreography. ²

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Nihon-buyō”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ²

nihon-buyō is classical Japanese performing art, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ¹

The source record links this tradition to 3 external registers, which can be verified through the citation. ¹