The sun., 1915-10-17

Toyotake declined, and the marionette
and epical drama fourished princi-
pally In Yedo. Hiraga Gennai. 1729-
1919. was the chief Of the Yedo epical
dramatists. lie was the eldest son Of
samura, OF low rank in Sanuki
province. He gave up his birthright
and went to Nagasaki. where he stud
led Dutch botany and physics. In
Yedo he studied the Chinese and Jap
anese classics. lie made several in
dustrial inventions" but could not get
financial assistance for their develop
ment. He chose wise way "of giving
vent to his discomfort" for. as Mr..
Miyamori says. II was with this pur-
pose that he took to writing humor-
Gus essays and epical dramas" lie
IN represented in this book by an ex-
tract called "The Miracle at the
Ferry Of Yaguchi." II was performed
at the Hizen Theatre in 1910. In 1879
Gennai went mad and killed man;
was thrown into prison. and died
there. miserably enough.
Now the kabuki shibai, the old popu-
lar theatre. has the strong hold on
popular favor, SO that the marionette
Asakusa Park in Toxic attract few
spectators. though Osaka still supports
two marionette theatres. The kabuki
shibai are said TO have been originated
by the priestess O kuni Of the great
shrine at Kizuki in the province Of
Izumo. about 1905. In that year
though allowance must be made for
the inexactness OF Japanese chronol-
ogy) the priestess went to kioto with
her lover, Nagoya Sanzaburo. who
wrote songs to which q kuni. the ex-
priestess, and other women danced on
a rough stage built over the dry bed OF
the Kaneo River. These performances
were so popular and their reputation
travelled so fast and far that girls
copied them professionally In several
provinces. In 1907 q kuni went to
Yedo and repeated her first triumph.
In Yedo, Osaka and kioto theatregoing
became fashionable. But in 1929 the
acting OF women was forbidden in be-
half OF the public morals. and the new
ly established theatres had male ac-
tors In women's roles. called as a pro-
fessional class onna- gaia. The law
prohibiting the appearance OF women
parts OF the country. until the middle
Of the nineteenth century. Although
In recent years "many educated girls
have taken to the profession the
modern actresses ARE generally con-
sidered much infcror to the onna- gaia
Of the old school,
In the era Of Monzayemon and
Kaion there were prosperous kabuki
theatres In Osaka, Yedo and kioto.
but neither their performers nor their
dramas could compete with those OF
the marionette shows. then at their
best. When they ceased to make "the
actors everything and the playwrights
their slaves" then "able authors OF
independent spirit" began to write for
them. and by the middle OF the eigh-
teenth century the kabuki theatres had
begun to perform the most popular
Of the epical dramas. They now di-
vide Japanese interest with the new
theatres. where translations Of Euro
pean plays. Shakespeare. Ibsen. Mae
terlinck and Shaw. are presented. The
new" native plays Mr.. Miyamori calls
common place and unpopular The
translations are very popular among
the younger generation"
The epical drama is still extensively
used for chanting. In the $50 or SC
variety halls Of Toxic one or two
chanters perform each evening. and
there are several halls where women
are heard. Mrs. Rosho II the most
famous drama chantress. The author
says:
| Gidayu chanters. both professional and
amateur. when they chant In public veal
| kataEinu. a sort OF cape. and hakama
| !os~e trousers. and sit IN respectful atti
tude before a kendall. or bookstand. on
| which a book containing the text printed
| In large characters Is placed. Then Will
| their hands on their laps and with all theii
| energy concentrated on their abdomeni
| they chant forth loudly and musically tt
the accompaniment Of the samisen.
at is STILL" says this interesting ac-
count. "the performances OF the epica
dramas in the old school theatres
which appeal most strongly to the
ina agination Of the nation at large