Chuo-ku Tourism Association correspondent blog

On May 21st (Saturday), I saw the east at Shimbashi Enbujo.

Higashidori is a traditional performance that Shimbashi Hanayanagikai performs once a year, celebrating its 92nd anniversary this year.
At first glance, you can get a glimpse of the Hanayanagi world, which usually refuses.
I was really looking forward to it.

In a nutshell, it was "glamorous, beautiful, and cool."
I'd like to go again.

This year's schedule is for four days from May 19 (Thu) to 21 (Sun).
There were two performances on weekdays and three on Saturdays and Sundays, and what I saw was the first Saturday.
It was almost full and I felt how high my interest in traditional culture was.

The performance starts at 11:30 and you can enter from 11:00. In the lobby from the basement to the second floor
You can buy related souvenirs, and on the second floor there are Don Perinion Bouths and Docha seats.
You can enjoy the atmosphere of the Hanayanagi world. I have a matcha tea in front of a geisha at a tea ceremony.
I had some sweets made from Toraya.

In addition, advance reservations are required, but Rokuryotei (Tokyo Yoshicho, Shinkiraku, Kanada Naka, Matsuyama, Yonemura, etc.)
You can enjoy the taste of Yamane, wanofu at once, "Shokado Bento" (Tokyo Yoshicho, menu)
You can also get it at the underground dining room "East" (decoration of Shinkiraku).
(Next time, I would like to try this too.)

These events in the lobby can be enjoyed 30 minutes before the stage and 30 minutes before the intermission.

By the way, as for the stage, this year, under the theme of "Shimbashi Farmtajia"
Mr. Jusuke Hanayagi was in charge of the overall production.

The first half is "Plum Spring" and "Umbrella exhaustion", and the second half is "Kumikyoku Kasazukushi" with the intermission.
Following "Koi no Tsujizori", it becomes the finale after mouth.

The stage where the decoration of the back harmonizes between the cube (Tatakata / Dance) and the region (Jikata / Song / Shamisen) is the stage where the decoration of the back is in harmony.
It has a magical power that makes you want to see again when you actually see and feel it.

The first half of the performance had the impression of "glamorous" with emphasis on color, and the second half was black and calm.
The impression of "tradition" based on color, and I think both were wonderful.

I saw the east for the first time this time, but I feel that I was able to touch something really good.
It was a fulfilling day.

(↑ Click to see a large display.)

Then, in order to enjoy the east more, those who have had preliminary knowledge about Shimbashi Hanayanagi world.
I think it's good. For example,
　・It seems that Shimbashi Hanayagikai started as a gold spring geisha at the end of the Edo period.
　・From the end of the Tokugawa period to the Meiji period, it developed greatly as Shimbashi Hanamachi due to the favor of key figures.
　　In particular, it was a first-class flower district called "Gei no Shimbashi" with an emphasis on improving arts.
　・The name of the bridge over the Shiodome River (old) was "Shimbashi", so it was "Shimbashi Hanayanagikai".
　　The place is the whole area from Ginza to Tsukiji.
　・The restaurants that make up the Hanayagi world are scattered around theater to Tsukiji.
　　The number of the geisha is on the street at Ginza 8-chome.
　・Shimbashi Geisha was a fashion leader in Ginza from the Taisho era to the Showa era.
　　They actively used long-established products that remain in the neighborhood of Shiseido and Ginza 8-chome.
　　It was well known

　
There are a lot of interesting history and episodes.

　Oita time has passed, but on March 12, a tour limited to correspondents of Chuo-ku Tourism Association on March 12
"Let's learn the vaudeville characters from Master Tachibana rightmon!" I've been participating in this event and have shown intellectual curiosity.
I'd like to write on my blog so that I don't forget it.

　The venue is the Yomiuri IS building in Ningyocho, which is called Ningyocho Suehiro until 1970.
It's the place where there was a vaudeville.
Since it was the place where Ningyocho Suehiro was located, the Yomiuri IS Building has been around since 2011.
It seems that "Yomiuri Aies Rakugo" is held once a year.

　By the way, it is a vaudeville character, but this is one of the four Edo characters.
It is a character that decorates the world of rakugo as if you read it.
The four Edo characters are the Kantei-ryu, which is used in Kabuki, sumo wrestling, and shrines.
There are "Edo characters" in a narrow sense that are used in Sensha bills and Japanese lantern, etc.
(in a broad sense) It seems to be called "Edo character".
※Only Kabuki's Kantei-ryu is a name for the school as "XX-ryu", so please explain the explanation of the teacher right gate.
After hearing, I was finally able to organize "Edo characters four" in my head.

　Edo character (wide sense) - Yoseki character (for yoseki)
　　　　　　　　―Kantei-ryu (for Kabuki)
　　　　　　　　―Sumo character (for sumo)
　　　　　　　　―Edo character (narrow sense: Senshafuda)

　The features of the vaudeville characters are 1 brush thickness, 2 rising right, 3 small margins, 4 roundness, and 5 rounds.
That said, "customers are vaudents without gaps" and "industry is rising to the right"
I'm going to do it.

In addition, the origin of the vaudeville characters is the Konya craftsman named Eijiro (Eijiro) in Tenpo 7 (1836).
It seems to be a typeface called "vira character" made by eclecticing Japanese lantern character and Kantei style.
The leaflet was so called because it was used for the vaudeville.

After that, "Bira Kiyo" and "Birashin" wrote leaflet characters, but they were masters of leaflet characters.
After the death of the second generation Villa Tatsuno, who was called, Ukon Tachibana was influenced by the villa character, and added ingenuity.
It seems that he has established the "Yoseki character".

The current vaudeville characters are said to have been handed down to the orthodox by the Tachibana style vaudeville characters.
Umon Master is the 16th direct disciple of Iemoto Ukon Tachibana (above).
(Because Master Ukon has died), he will be the last disciple.

On the tour, there was also an experience of actually writing vaudeville characters myself.
Of course, the vaudeville characters (although I think other Edo characters are probably the same) are written with brush and ink.
But it's completely different from calligraphy.
The calligraphy is written with the elbow raised (floating), but the vaudeville characters are like a pencil with the back of the hand on the desk.
I'll write it on. Also, the writing order is different from the calligraphy one, and the font has changed.
It looks like a completely different kanji. According to the teacher, "painting" rather than "writing"
He said it was a "draw" sensation.

I will put the example character and the character I wrote in the picture.
"I'm writing just one. 。 。 。 。 The upper two in the third row from the left are the teacher's character.)
(The other characters are written only "4" and "5", but the teacher who says "First from the horizontal bar"
　I followed the teachings and practiced "one" in a straightforward manner.)

Photo of vaudeville characters (example)

Photo of vaudeville characters (for your own)

　　
It would be boring if the only letters I wrote on the tour were my own, so Mr.
The following is a handwritten vaudeville characters written on the spot as demonstration.
Please take a look at the beautiful and powerful characters of the Tachibana-ryu Honke.
According to the teacher, some of the women who saw the letters are fainted by the beauty.
The female participants this time seemed to have barely escaped the faintness.

　Also, I often use the font of the computer to "Yoseki character font"
I think there are things like this, but these are not really "vaude characters" in the true sense.
It was drawn by a font designer in a similar way.
It cannot be called "Yoseki character". Please be careful. (From the teacher)

　
After all, the actual "vaudeville characters" are "spaces" and "thick brushes" on a specific space such as paper.
A human being actually painted beautifully with a brush, conscious of "stretching right".
I understand that there is a taste.

　Throughout the course, when you look at Edo characters in the city, as well as the vaudeville characters, what are the differences?
I became aware of it. Thank you very much for your precious tour.