nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: But "Sukeroku" is the only play that has a lot of titles, but commonly called by only one nickname.
Japanese: しかし本外題がいくつもあって、それらが共通の通称で束ねられているという例は、この『助六』をおいて他にはない。
English: It is a well-known Kabuki trivia that only the Naritaya family performed "Sukeroku" by the title "Sukeroku Yukari no Edozakura," but it can be more strictly said that "Sukeroku" is performed by the title "Sukeroku Yukari no Edozakura" only when Ebizo ICHIKAWA or Danjuro ICHIKAWA impersonates Sukeroku.
Japanese: 「『助六』を『助六所縁江戸櫻』という外題で上演するのは成田屋だけ」というのはよく知られた歌舞伎のトリビアだが、これをもうすこし厳密にいうと「『助六』を『助六所縁江戸櫻』という外題で上演するのは、市川團十郎または市川海老蔵が助六を勤める興行においてのみ」ということになる。
English: Originally, 'Yukari no Edozakura' was a title of 'Deha no Uta' by Katobushi and Danjuro ICHIKAWA VII (Ebizo ICHIKAWA V) had a patent on the song of Katobushi; therefore, when other families put "Sukeroku" on stage, they substitute Nagauta, Tokiwazu, or Kiyomoto for Katobushi for 'Deha no Uta' out of consideration for the Naritaya family.
Japanese: 「所縁江戸櫻」というのは、そもそもは河東節による「出端の唄」の曲名で、この河東節を七代目團十郎（五代目海老蔵）が成田屋の専売特許扱いにしてしまったため、他家が『助六』を上演するときは成田屋に遠慮して、この｢出端の唄」を長唄・常磐津・清元などに書き替えたもので行う。
English: The actors that played Sukeroku, the titles of the play, and the forms of the Joruri for 'Deha no Uta' are shown below.
Japanese: 助六を勤めるそれぞれの役者とその演目の本外題、および「出端の唄」の浄瑠璃形式は以下の通り：
English: These days, "Sukeroku Yukari no Edozakura" is written as "助六由縁江戸桜" by substituting '由縁' for ' 所縁' for 'Yukari.'
Japanese: ＊当初は「ゆかりの」の部分を「所縁」と書いたが、今日ではこれを「由縁」と書いて『助六由縁江戸桜』とすることがほとんどどなっている。
English: "Sukeroku" is a one-act play with the scene of in front of the lattice of Miuraya brothel' that usually lasts for two hours, and if it is performed without any omission, it lasts as long as three hours.
Japanese: 通常は2時間、まったく省略なしで演ずると3時間もの長尺となるこの歌舞伎は、たった一幕「三浦屋格子先の場」だけで成り立っている。
English: SOGA no Tokimune frequently visits the licensed quarters in Yoshiwara to search for the MINAMOTO clan's treasured sword 'Tomokirimaru' under the guise of a street knight named Hanakawado no Sukeroku.
Japanese: 花川戸助六（はなかわどすけろく）という侠客に姿をやつした曾我時致は、源氏の宝刀「友切丸」を探すため吉原に通っている。
English: As various men come to Yoshiwara, Sukeroku plots to make the customers draw their swords by provoking a quarrel with them.
Japanese: 様々な男が集まる吉原で、遊客にわざと喧嘩を吹っ掛けて刀を抜かせようというのである。
English: Agemaki, a courtesan and the lover of Sukeroku, and magnificent beard Ikyu, who are making approaches to Agemaki, enter the stage.
Japanese: そこに助六を情夫にしている花魁の揚巻（あげまき）と、揚巻に言い寄る髭の意休（ひげのいきゅう）が登場。
English: As Sukeroku suspects that Ikyu has the Tomokirimaru, he tries hard to make Ikyu draw his sword.
Japanese: 意休が友切丸を持っていると勘づいた助六は刀を抜かせようとするが、なかなかうまくいかない。
English: There, SOGA no Sukenari, an older brother of Sukeroku under the guise of a sake-seller, enters and scolds Sukeroku, but once he understands Sukeroku's intention, he begins to learn to provoke quarrels.
Japanese: そこへ白酒_(日本酒)売に身をやつした兄の曾我祐成がやってきて弟に意見するが、助六の真意を知った十郎は自らも喧嘩を売る稽古を始める。
English: Sukeroku tries to provoke a quarrel with the warrior, but to his surprise, the warrior is his mother Manko who came because she was anxious about her sons.
Japanese: 助六はその侍に喧嘩を売ろうとするが、驚いたことにその侍は、兄弟を心配してやってきた母の満江であった。
English: Manko puts a paper kimono on Sukeroku and warns him against having big fights, and returns home with Juro.
Japanese: 満江は助六に破れやすい紙子の衣を着せて、激しい喧嘩を戒めると十郎とともに帰ってゆく。
English: Ikyu knows that Sukeroku is SOGA no Tokimune, and ties to trick Sukeroku into betraying the MINAMOTO clan by drawing his Tomokirimaru sword.
Japanese: 意休は実は助六が曾我五郎と見抜いており、友切丸を抜いて源氏を裏切ることをそそのかす。
English: Needless to say, Sukeroku does not accept his words, and kills Ikyu who is a survivor of the Taira clan, IGA no Heinaizaemon, in fact, and escapes from Yoshiwara with Tomokirimaru.
Japanese: 助六はもちろん応じず、意休（実は平家の残党・伊賀平内左衛門）を斬り、友切丸を取り返して吉原を抜け出す。
English: All of the examples are from "Sukeroku Yukari no Edozakura," in which the head of the ICHIKAWA family plays Sukeroku with 'Deha no Uta' narrated in Katobushi.
Japanese: いずれも市川宗家が助六を勤め、河東節で「出端の唄」を語る、『助六由縁江戸桜』の場合である。
English: When Sukeroku is impersonated by Danjuro or Ebizo, Kojo is done by an actor from apprentice families of the head of the Danjuro ICHIKAWA family.
Japanese: 團十郎や海老蔵が助六を勤める場合は、この口上は市川宗家の門弟筋にあたる家の役者が行う。
English: For most of the program in which Danjuro ICHIKAWA XII impersonates Sukeroku, Danshiro ICHIKAWA IV performs Kojo.
Japanese: 市川團十郎(12代目)が助六を勤めた舞台では、そのほとんどで市川段四郎(4代目)がこの口上を行っている。
English: After the announcement to the spectators, the actor, with a humble attitude, calls to the Katobushi chorus who are behind the black bamboo curtain set up at the right of the stage from the spectators' viewpoint especially for the play, 'Please start' using the most polite expressions.
Japanese: 一通り客への挨拶を終えた後、役者は舞台上手に特設された黒御簾の中の河東節連中に向かって、ひれ伏すような低姿勢で「それでは河東節御連中様、なにとぞお始め下されましょう」と最大の敬語表現で呼びかける。
English: This proves that the Katobushi chorus are not merely performers, but essentially spectators, who are the best treated better than ordinary spectators.
Japanese: これは河東節が単なる出演者でなく実質的に客であることの証明で、それも通常の客よりもよほど大事にされる上客であることを示している。
English: Night guards used to enter on both of the hanamichi, harmonizing with Katobushi, but they were removed during the Taisho period.
Japanese: かつては両花道より金棒引きが登場し、河東節に乗って調子をとったが、大正時代を最後にして取り除かれた。
English: Here, from the Tenpo era to the early Showa period, a medicine peddler entered and delivered his sales pitch, but it was removed for a long time.
Japanese: ここで天保年間から昭和初期まで外郎売の言い立てがあったが、これも取り除かれて久しい。
English: Exchanges between Kanpera Monbei and Shiratama and between Shiratama and sake-seller were also removed--In fact, in the removed scene, sake-sellers were selling sake to make the spectators understood that he sold sake.
Japanese: くわんぺら門兵衛・白玉と、白玉と白酒売のやりとりも取り除かれている（この場面で白酒売は白酒を売り歩き、これで客はこの男が白酒売であることがわかるわけだが、それが取り除かれているのである）。
English: It is from Manko SOGA, the mother of Sukeroku, appealing strongly to Agemaki to make Sukeroku stop haunting the gay quarters.
Japanese: 差出人は助六の母・曾我満江（そがのまんこう）からで、廓に入り浸っている息子を何とかしてほしいと懇願する内容だった。
English: This scene was originally a scene where Manko appears in person to make an appeal to Agemaki for help, which was replaced by this scene of receiving the letter at the end of the Taisho period.
Japanese: 本来は満江が実際に現れて揚巻に直接会って懇願するのだが、大正末期にはそれは廃され手紙だけになった。
English: Shiratama warns Ikyu 'Do not cheat on Agemaki, she will hate you.'
Japanese: あなたのような浮気者は、揚巻さんは嫌がります、と白玉は意休に注意をする。
English: Ikyu seeks to win Agemaki's heart, and vexed himself at Agemaki who lost her heart to Sukeroku.
Japanese: 意休は、揚巻をものにしたいが、揚巻は助六に夢中であることを知っており、それが悔しくてたまらない。
English: They say that Sukeroku enthusiastically examines the swords other persons bear--which means, they keep their purses nearby.
Japanese: 助六が他人の刀（＝腰のあたり、財布のある場所でもある）を調べまくっていることを話題になった。
English: Sukeroku and You may be compared to SNOW and INK. Both Umi, the water container, of ink stone and Naruto no Umi, the straits of Naruto, have the same words Umi, but the former is a shallow and the latter is deep just like my feelings toward you, one of my customers, and Sukeroku, my lover. With no real lover, the life of a courtesan is dark, but I would not take you for Sukeroku-san even in the dark.'
Japanese: 「たとえていわば「雪」と「墨」、硯の海も鳴戸の海も、海という字は一つでも、深いと浅いは客と間夫（まぶ＝本命の男）、間夫がなければ遊女は暗闇、暗がりで見てもお前と助六さんを取りちがえてよいものかいナァ」。
English: Danjuro ICHIKAWA IX instructs disciples that, technically, this scene should be performed as a 'narration' instead of a dance.
Japanese: もっとも厳密には踊りであってはならず、「語り」でなければならないという口伝がある（九代目團十郎）。
English: The women in the quarters acclaim to him 'Wow. Wow.' and Sukeroku greets them saying 'How are you?' while swaggering into center stage.
Japanese: 女形が「やんや、やんや、」と褒めちぎり、助六は「どうでんすな。どうでんすな。」と得意満面で舞台中央に出る。
English: Upon entering a big bath, one used to say to preceding bathers 'I'm a cold one.' as an etiquette.
Japanese: 大浴場に新たに入るときに、先客に対して「（自分の体は）冷えもんでござい」と挨拶するというマナーがあった。
English: Pretending to be a bather, Sukeroku sits on a stool saying 'I'm a cold one.'
Japanese: それを真似て助六は「冷えもんでござい」と言いながら長椅子に腰を掛ける。
English: The courtesans crowded around Sukeroku to hand him their 'lighted pipe' as a sign of affection.
Japanese: と、居並ぶ傾城十何人が一斉に「吸いつけ煙管（きせる）」を助六に手渡すではないか。
English: Ikyu requests the courtesans to light a pipe for him, but nobody can meet his request.
Japanese: 意休は居並ぶ傾城たちに、自分も吸いつけ煙草が欲しいと言うが、誰一人それに応じない。
English: Sukeroku says 'I have a shower of pipes!,' and to Ikyu, 'If you want a pipe, I'll lend you one' and offers a pipe by holding it between his left toes.
Japanese: 「煙管の雨が、降～るようだ！」「（意休に対して）煙草の用なら一本貸して進ぜよう」　長椅子に腰をかけた助六は、なんと自分の左足の指の間に煙管をはさみ、意休にそれを吸わせようとするではないか。
English: Sukeroku does not listen and says 'Hogwash!' in a dialect of Yamanashi Prefecture, the home of Danjuro ICHIKAWA I.
Japanese: 助六はそれを聞かずに「エエ、つがもねえ」（初代團十郎の出身地・山梨県の方言）。
English: On the contrary, Sukeroku derides Ikyu as a very queer snake, for he does not tire of being reviled.
Japanese: 反対に意休に対して、女に振られてもなお執着する姿は、あたかもヘビのようで気色が悪いとからかう。
English: Monbei is infuriated at a courtesan in Miuraya, as Monbei offered a large sum of money to monopolize the girl's love, but she has sold her favors to another guest.
Japanese: 彼は三浦屋の客で、大金にあかせて女を独占しようとしたが、実際には他にも客を取っていたことを知り激怒しているのだ。
English: Fool! Noodle-brain!,' here, the vendor boldly makes a sharp retort.
Japanese: タレ味噌野郎の、だしがら野郎め」　福山のかつぎはここで威勢のいい啖呵を切る。
English: Sukeroku warns Monbei 'Let the noodle vendor go, or the noodles will softened and lose their taste,' but Monbei does not forgive the noodle vendor.
Japanese: 助六は、早くうどん屋を通してあげないと、うどんが延びるではないかとくわんぺら門兵衛に注意をするが、くわんぺら門兵衛はうどん屋を許さない。
English: Sukeroku says to the vendor, 'Don't you use fish broth in this?'--the vendor answers 'Yes, we use fish broth'--To Monbei, 'I don't know if you abstain from fish or not, but I'll serve them to you!,' and eventually brings the noodle box up over Monbei's head and dumps it upside-down on his head.
Japanese: （かつぎに向って）「こりゃあ精進料理か（出汁に魚などを使っていないだろうな？）」「いえ生臭うございます（だしに魚を使っています）」「ご精進かは知らねども、わしが給仕じゃ、（くわんぺら門兵衛に向って）一杯あがれ」とやりとりあって、最終的に、うどんをくわんぺら門兵衛の頭からかけてしまう。
English: Monbei thinks his head was broken, taking the noodles and the broth for his blood, and makes a great fuss about it.
Japanese: くわんぺら門兵衛は自分の頭を割られたものと勘違いして、うどんを流血と取り違えて、こんなに血が出たと大騒ぎをしている。
English: Senbei says to Monbei 'It's killing me' in a cautioning tone, and starts a verbal attack on Sukeroku, also advertising the rice cracker brand Asagao Senbei, and together with Monbei demands Sukeroku identify himself.
Japanese: 仙平は「ええ、おかっせえ」とたしなめ、助六に他の商品名の煎餅も言い立てて啖呵を切る、そこに門兵衛も加勢、二人が「そもそもうぬは何奴だエエ」と詰め寄る。
English: No one, but an ass who sets foot in this district Gochome, does not know my name. Hear it well.'
Japanese: 「いかさまナァ、この五丁町へ脛を踏ん込む野郎めらは、おれが名を聞いておけ。」
English: Write my name three times on the palm of your hand as you pass through this quarter's Great Gate as your incantation and no whore can refuse you.'
Japanese: 「（吉原の）大門をずっと潜るとき、おれが名を掌へ三遍書いて舐めろ、一生、女郎に振られるということがねえ。」
English: My fights have always been talked about by everyone from the charcoal-sellers of Hachioji and toothless rustic old men in the fields to old madams of a brothel and hags in this gay quarters.'
Japanese: 「遠くは八王子の炭焼　田圃の歯っかけじじい、近くは山谷の古遣手、梅干婆に至るまで、茶呑み話の喧嘩沙汰。」
English: Look through my glued up topknot, you can see Awa Province and Kazusa Province like a Ukiyoe print.'
Japanese: 「ソーレ、はけ先の間からのぞいてみろ、安房国上総国が浮絵のように見えるわ。」
English: I liken myself to a dragon that comes to life in water when I come to life as my enemies increase. My name is well-known from the guest hall of Senso-ji Temple to Ryusen-ji Temple, in the eight-hundred-and-eight districts in Edo, anybody knows me for my peonie-crest-adorned kimono I wear under the cherry blossoms of Nakanocho, they call this youth Sukeroku in Hanakawado or Agemaki's Sukeroku, bow before this face!'
Japanese: 「相手がふえれば「竜に水」、浅草寺の客殿から瀧泉寺まで御存じの、大江戸八百八町に隠れのねえ、杏葉牡丹の紋付も、サクラに匂う仲ノ町、花川戸の助六とも、また揚巻の助六ともいう若え者、間近く寄って面相拝み奉れ！」
English: Sukeroku intones a prayer 'Joze chikusho hosshin bodaishin ojo anraku… Donganchin, Yah Yah! Great Beggar King of Hades!'
Japanese: 「汝是畜生発菩提心往生安楽…　どんがんちん　ヤァーヤァー　乞食の閻魔様め！」
English: With a strange intonation, Sukeroku asks 'What on earth is this?' and sees the face of the sake-seller Shinbei, the man who called him, Alas, it is SOGA no Juro Sukenari, that is, an older brother of Sukeroku.
Japanese: （節をつけて）こりゃまた何のこったい」　呼び止めた男、白酒売新兵衛の顔を見ると、なんとそれは曾我十郎祐成、すなわち五郎の兄ではないか。
English: Shinbei scolds Sukeroku, who is Shinbei's younger brother SOGA no Goro Tokimune, for doing nothing everyday, but outrageous fighting.
Japanese: 新兵衛は、助六（曾我五郎時致）が無法な喧嘩三昧の日々を送っていることを指摘し、いさめた。
English: Sukeroku reminds Shinbei that their family MINAMOTO clan's treasured sword Tomokirimaru is still missing.
Japanese: 助六は、源氏の宝刀・友切丸が紛失したままになっていることを指摘した。
English: Sukeroku reveals that all of his fights were for checking for the treasured sword, that is, he picked a quarrel with them to make them get angry, to make them draw their swords, in order to check their swords.
Japanese: その刀を詮議するため、他人に刀を抜かせる、抜かせるために相手を怒らせる、相手を怒らせるために喧嘩を吹っかけているのだ、喧嘩は全て宝刀の捜索のためであると、真実を明かした。
English: Shinbei, who is polite and a typical character of the gentle acting style called Wagoto, tries to pick a quarrel with others following Sukeroku's example, but he completely lacks the power.
Japanese: 上品で和事の極致にいるような兄が見よう見まねで喧嘩のまねごとをするが、まったく迫力がない。
English: The dandy ad-libs his performance incorporating contemporary topics or news to make the spectator laugh.
Japanese: 通人は当世風の当て込みやくすぐりを即興劇で言い客席を大いに沸かせる。
English: You dumped noodles over a person's head, placed a clog on a warrior's head, how outrageous.'
Japanese: 「先刻も人の頭にうどんを掛けたり、下駄を載せたり、無法と言おうか。」
English: Not a day passes without me hearing about your fights.'
Japanese: 「ほんにやれカラスの鳴かぬ日はあれど、そなたの喧嘩の噂を聞かぬ日とてはない。」
English: Sukeroku repeats the same explanation he gave to his brother, explaining that he inevitably picks a quarrel with others to search for the 'Tomokirimaru'.
Japanese: しかし助六はさっきと同じ説明、つまり「友切丸」捜索のためにやむなく喧嘩をしているのだと説明。
English: That is to say, as the paper kimono is fragile, it will break if Sukeroku fights again, and if it breaks, Manko will disown Sukeroku--This paper kimono is used to parody the Kamigata version of Sukeroku.
Japanese: 和紙で作った服なので破れやすい、もしやぶれば勘当という意味である（助六の着る紙子は上方版助六を茶化したものある）。
English: This Act requires the Agemaki role to act as a devoted wife in serving her lover's mother.
Japanese: この幕では、揚巻は恋人の母である満江に尽くす世話女房としての部分を見せなければならないとされる。
English: After the war, Taganojo ONOE III, now Tanosuke SAWAMURA VI, was perfect for the role.
Japanese: 戦後は尾上多賀之丞(3代目)が、現在では澤村田之助(6代目)が得意としている。
English: Sukeroku hides behind Agemaki's skirt under a campstool--This scene also parodies the Kamigata version of Sukeroku.
Japanese: 助六は揚巻の内掛けの裾を陰に長椅子の下に隠れる（ここも上方版助六の風刺である）。
English: Ikyu sits besides Agemaki and start murmuring words of love in her ear, but every now and then someone pinches Ikyu's leg.
Japanese: 意休は揚巻の隣に座り、愛を語るが、そのたびに意休の足をつねる者がいる。
English: Is it Agemaki's mischievous young girl attendant? No, even the attendant has left, there is still someone pinching his the leg.
Japanese: 子供（禿）のいたずらだろうか？　否、禿をひっこめてもつねる手はどこかから出てくる。
English: You, chicken SOGA no Goro Tokimune!' Ikyu said the real name of Sukeroku, which was a secret he must keep.
Japanese: ここな（曾我五郎）時致の腰ぬけめ」　意休は確かに助六の本名を、隠さなくてはならない秘密を口にした。
English: Here, Ikyu tricks Sukeroku into betraying MINAMOTO no Yoritomo as three SOGA brothers, saying 'If you do that, I will support you.'
Japanese: このとき、助六に対し、曾我三兄弟で源頼朝を裏切れ、そのときは自分（意休）も力を貸す、と助六をそそのかす。
English: If the brothers lack harmony, all of you will be defeated this', Ikyu draws his sword and cuts the burner into two.
Japanese: もしも兄弟がバラバラになるとこの香炉台のように（と刀で香炉台を真っ二つにして）倒れると諭す。
English: Wait Ikyu, I've got this sword' Sukeroku enthusiastically exits onto the hanamichi.
Japanese: 待て意休、この刀は確かにもらうぞ、と助六は意気込みながら花道にひっこむ。
English: When the people happen to pass and find Ikyu's body, Sukeroku cuts the paper lantern that passerby holds.
Japanese: たまたま通りかかった人が意休の死体を発見するが、助六はその通行人の提灯を切り落とす。
English: Agemaki has Sukeroku take a rest and hugs him for a while--Love scene.
Japanese: 揚巻は助六に気付けの水を含ませて、肌と肌を合わせ、じっと抱きしめる（濡れ場。
English: The Zenshinza Theater Company attempted to revive this scene, but it was censored as "obscene" by police, and could not be revived before the war.
Japanese: 劇団前進座はこの場面を復活させようとするが、警察の検閲で猥褻とされ、戦前はかなわなかった。
English: After the war, Zenshinza succeeded in reviving the scene at the Osaka Kabuki theater in July 1946.
Japanese: 戦後になって復活させることができた（1946年7月、大阪歌舞伎座以降）。
English: At last, Tomokirimaru returns to Sukeroku, and then, the scene ends with a collective dramatic pose performed by pursuers who have just entered onto the stage, Sukeroku, and Agemaki.
Japanese: 友切丸は助六の手に入り、捕り手がでてきて助六、揚巻による引っ張りの見得で幕となる。
English: When good-looking Danjuro ICHIKAWA VIII performed Mizuiri, all the women and girls wanted to buy the water in the barrel.
Japanese: 美男の八代目市川團十郎が水入りを演じた際、天水桶の水を江戸中の婦女子が買いもとめたという。
English: Sukeroku' is the name of a package of pouches of seasoned fried tofu stuffed with sushi rice called Inarizushi and bite size cuts of sushi roll called Makizushi including a roll with various ingredients in the center called Futomaki and a roll with cooked gourd in the center called Kanpyomaki.
Japanese: 稲荷鮨と寿司巻寿司（太巻きや干瓢など）を折り詰めた箱寿司のことを「助六」という。
English: This name was a pun on the name of Agemaki, the lover of Sukeroku, for 'AburaAGE', material of Inarizushi, and 'MAKIzusi.'
Japanese: これは助六の愛人・揚巻の名が稲荷の「油揚」と「巻寿司」に通じることを洒落た命名。
English: The Kumano-fude is a writing brush produced in Kumano-cho, Aki County, Hiroshima Prefecture.
Japanese: 熊野筆（くまのふで）は、広島県安芸郡(広島県)熊野町で生産されている筆。
English: The name 'Kumano-fude' is registered as a regional organization trademark in 2006, and therefore its use without permission from the Kumano-fude Cooperative is prohibited.
Japanese: 「熊野筆（くまのふで・クマノフデ等）」の名称は、平成18年に団体商標に登録されており、熊野筆事業協同組合の許可なく使用することは禁止されている。
English: The Kumano-fude is broadly divided into four categories, which are generally-used writing brushes for calligraphy, painting brushes for painting, cosmetic brushes for makeup, and birthday brushes as mementos.
Japanese: 熊野筆は大きく四種に分かれ、一般的に使用される書道用筆、絵画を描く際に使用される画筆、化粧に使用する化粧筆、記念品として作られる誕生筆がある。
English: The fur as material is imported from China and Canada, and the stem is made of bamboo from various areas in Japan and imports from China and Taiwan.
Japanese: 原料の毛は中華人民共和国やカナダから輸入され、軸は国内各地の竹と中国や台湾からの輸入品が使用されている。
English: The number of the Kumano-fude craftspeople is currently said to be 1,500-plus, including 19 traditional craftsmen certified by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry as of April, 2008.
Japanese: 熊野筆を製造する技術者は現在1500人余りいると言われ、そのうち経済産業大臣が認可した伝統工芸士は平成20年4月現在19人いる。
English: The origin of the Kumano-fude is said to be that, at the end of the Edo period, farmers who worked as seasonal migrant workers in Yamato Province during the agricultural off-season purchased writing brushes and ink in Nara Prefecture on the way back home and then peddled them, as well as produced them on their own to sell, and later its manufacturing developed with the help of incentives for industry from Hiroshima Domain.
Japanese: 江戸時代末に農閑期を利用して大和国へ出稼ぎに行った農民が帰りに奈良県で筆や墨を仕入れ、行商するとともに自ら製造し販売したことが始まりと言われ、広島藩の生産奨励も手伝って発展した。
English: Painting brushes and cosmetic brushes started to be produced after WWII and were certified as a Traditional Craft in 1975.
Japanese: 戦後は画筆や化粧筆も生産されるようになり、1975年に伝統的工芸品の指定を受けた。
English: On the other hand, recently, there are several issues on the Kumano-fude, such as imported writing brushes from China or other countries and a limited number of successors.
Japanese: しかし一方で、近年は中国などからの輸入筆や後継者問題など抱える問題も多い。
English: Kyoen Kankan is mokkan (a narrow strip of wood on which an official message is written) of the Former Han and the Later Han periods, discovered in the Kyoen Hosui site covering from Ejin Banner of Inner Mongolia, China to the northeastern region of Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, China.
Japanese: 居延漢簡（きょえんかんかん）は、中国、内モンゴル自治区エチナ旗から甘粛省酒泉の東北部にある居延烽燧遺跡から発見された前漢代・後漢代の木簡。
English: The expedition of the western regions of China centering on Dunhuang City and Tibet as well as the excavation and research of sites were conducted by many explorers in the Chinese continent since the end of the 19th century.
Japanese: 19世紀末から中国大陸では、敦煌市やチベットを中心とする西域の探検と遺蹟の発掘・調査が多くの探検家によって行われていた。
English: Sven Hedin (Swedish geographer) who was one of these explorers often organized an expedition to conduct investigation since around 1899 and had a track record of discovering mokkans and so on in large amount.
Japanese: そのような探検家の1人であったスウェーデンのスヴェン・ヘディンは、1899年頃からたびたび探検隊を組んで調査を行い、木簡などを大量に発見した実績があった。
English: The ages of mokkans ranged from the Former Han period to the Wei-Jin-Nanbeichao period, but the amount was not more than several hundreds.
Japanese: その年代は前漢代から魏晋南北朝時代までにわたったが、その数はせいぜい数百本程度であった。
English: In the meantime, 'The Sino-Swedish Expedition', a collaboration of Sweden and China, under the leadership of Sven Hedin was dispatched to the western regions of China in 1930.
Japanese: その中で、1930年からヘディンを団長とするスウェーデン・中国合同の「西北科学考査団」が西域入りすることになった。
English: The expedition was excavating the site of Boro (watch tower) while crossing the Gobi Desert and at that time mokkans of the Han period were discovered.
Japanese: 同団はゴビ砂漠を横断中、望楼の跡を発掘していたのであるが、この際に漢代の木簡が発見された。
English: Since then mokkans have been continuously discovered one after another, and as a result of the research conducted over the following year 1931, approximately 10,000 mokkans were found; this is an unprecedented number for those which belonged only to the Han period.
Japanese: ここから芋づる式に木簡の発見が相次ぎ、翌1931年にかけて調査した結果、漢代のものだけ約1万枚という未曾有の量の木簡が出土するに至ったのである。
English: The ages of Kyoen Kankan were all in the Han period and it ranges from the period when the Emperor Wu (Han) of the Former Han established Kyoen Prefecture to the middle of the Later Han period.
Japanese: 居延漢簡の年代は全て漢代で、前漢の武帝(漢)が居延県を置いてから後漢中頃までに及ぶ。
English: Specifically, the oldest one was used in B.C. 102 and the latest one in 98.
Japanese: 具体的に使われている紀年で最古のものは太初(漢)3年（紀元前102年）、最新のものは永元(漢)10年（98年）である。
English: Many of its contents were official documents and especially most of them were the records of stationing by Choekigun Kyoen Toi (The chief of Kyoen of Choeki County) and Kensui Toi (The chief of Kensui) who guarded the area, but some of them included law, medical books, calendar and so on of the time.
Japanese: その内容の多くは公文書で、特にこの地を警護していた張掖郡居延都尉や肩水都尉の駐屯の記録が大半であるが、一部当時の法律や医学書、暦などが含まれている。
English: Kyoen Kankan was highly valued as a primary historical material which revealed the actual state of administration of the western region in the Han period.
Japanese: 居延漢簡は、漢代における西域統治の実態を明らかにする第一級の史料として高く評価された。
English: The key factor is that most of the contents were the records of stationing.
Japanese: その大きな要因は、駐屯の記録が内容のほとんどを占めているということにある。
English: That region was an outlying area and it was always exposed to the threat of different ethnic groups around the region.
Japanese: この地域は辺境の地であり、常に周囲の異民族からの脅威にさらされていた。
English: It was therefore the militarily important area and the fact that the records remained will directly indicate all of administration of the western region of the time.
Japanese: そのため軍事的に重要な土地であり、その記録が残されていることは、すべて当時の西域経営を直接的に物語ることになるのである。
English: All of transliterated documents and the study of these documents were published as "Interpretation of Kyoen Kankan" by LAO Kan in 1943.
Japanese: その全釈文と考証は、労（ろうかん）によって1943年に『居延漢簡考釈』としてまとめられた。
English: After the war, "Kyoen Kankan Kohen" (The first volume of Kyoen Kankan) was published by the archaeology research institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1957 and "Kyoen Kankan Kootsuhen" (The 2nd volume of Kyoen Kankan) by Institute of Archaeology of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 1980.
Japanese: 戦後にも1957年に中国科学院考古研究所から『居延漢簡甲編』が、1980年に中国社会科学院考古研究所から『居延漢簡甲乙編』が出版されている。
English: In addition, the excavation and investigation been continued in parallel, and Kyoen archaeological team started to re-examine the Ejin river area in 1972 and more than 20,000 mokkans have been discovered since 1973 (Kyoen Shinkan).
Japanese: また並行して発掘調査も続いており、1972年から居延考古隊がエチナ河流域の再調査を行い、1973年以降、さらに2万枚以上の木簡が発見されている（居延新簡）。
English: The days when Kyoen Kankan was written correspond to the period when the calligraphic style changed from tensho (seal script) to reisho (clerical script), but very few Kinsekibun (words written on metal or stones) such as stone monuments remained when such change, i.e. reihen (change in calligraphic style), occurred in the Former Han period and therefore reihen was only presumed on the basis of a very small number of penmanship.
Japanese: 居延漢簡の書かれた時代は篆書から隷書へと書体が変化する時期に当たっているが、ちょうどその変化＝隷変のあった前漢代にはほとんど碑などの金石文が残されておらず、ごくわずかな書蹟から推測するだけの状態であった。