Crash Course of Japanese Arts

One of the areas in Kyoto is Gion, which is also known as the Geisha district. One of the things that I saw in Gion which made me shudder and want to shake a tourist and tell them that they are embarrassment to America was when they went running and screaming after a taxi that had a geisha in it. About 4 minutes after they did this then about 6 of their friends followed doing the same thing, seriously people stop embarrassing my country.

Also in Gion is Gion Corner; Gion Corner has a 50 minute show that is an introduction to foreigners of the arts in Japan. It was a great Cliff Notes version/ crash course of Japanese arts. I highly recommend it. You saw:

Chado: a tea ceremony, remember the first tea ceremony I saw all those weeks ago in Tokyo!


Koto: A Japanese Harp. The Koto shares a common ancestor with the modern Chinese guzheng. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. They are 71 in in width, and made from kiri wood. They consist of 13 strings that are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the string pitches by moving these bridges before playing, and use three finger picks (on thumb, index finger, and middle finger) to pluck the strings.



Kado: Flower Arrangment.



Kyomai: Kyoto Style Dance. There are two styles of dance in Japan: Odori and Mai. Odori originated in the Edo period and grew out of Kabuki drama and is more oriented toward male sentiments. Mai originated in the western part of Japan and is traditionally performed in Japanese rooms instead of on the stage. It was influenced by the Noh Drama. A variation of the Mai style of Japanese dance is the Kyomai or Kyoto Style Dance. Kyomai developed in the 17th century Tokugawa cultural period. It is heavily influenced by the elegance and sophistication of the manners often associated with the Imperial Court in Kyoto.





Gagku: Court Music. It is a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial Court in Kyoto for several centuries. It consists of three primary repertoires:(1) Native Shinto religious music and folk songs and dance, called kuniburi no utamai. (2) A Goguryeo and Manchurian form, called komagaku (named for Koma, one of the Three Kingdoms). (3) Togaku: a Chinese and South Asia form (specifically Tang Dynasty).





Kyogen: Traditional Comic Play. There really isn't that many props in a Kyogen play. The one we watched was about a master who ties up his servants so they wouldn't drink his alcohol when he was out in town but don't worry they got it anyway!!




Bunraku: Puppet Play. It is a very interesting thing to watch but hard to describe so here is more info.