Rakugo: Performing Comedy and Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Tokyo by Lorie Brau

Author:Lorie Brau [Brau, Lorie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 2008-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 5.1. Zenza Shunpūtei Shōtaro and Poppo Fold Kimono and Haori at the Suzumoto Gakuya

Courtesy of Kokontei Kikumaru

Because a hanashika’s physical appearance, including his choice of kimono and the way that he wears it, may influence the reception of his performance, he is concerned that it be as clean, fresh, and wrinkle-free as possible. Thus, when folding the kimono one aims to touch it as lightly as possible. Custom-made silk kimonos cost thousands of dollars, and it is difficult to remove stains caused by dirty or even normally oily fingers.

There are several ways to fold kimono, and storytellers tend to be partial to their customary style. I had to fold Engiku’s kimono differently from Shōchō’s. In an expression of group loyalty, most performers use the method associated with their ha (e.g., San’yūtei, Yanagiya), but individual storytellers may adopt a given method simply because it makes the furoshiki-wrapped bundle easier to fit into their overnight bag. A kind of sympathetic magic may come into play in the choice of folding style as well. Kikubō said that sometimes hanashika adopt the folding styles of colleagues whom they admire or performers who are selling well.

Until Western clothing came to replace the kimono in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the yose audience dressed like the performers, in kimono. For most Japanese, the kimono has become associated with special events, such as weddings or New Year’s Day, life cycle or calendrical rituals at which one expresses cultural identity. In rakugo’s performance culture it remains a marker of hanashika status as practitioners of a koten geinō, or classical performing art.35 Even though most hanashika only wear kimono in performance, they cultivate their knowledge of this traditional garment. Some of them deliberately wear kimono on occasions associated with Japanese cultural activities, such as watching sumo or Kabuki. The Ikebukuro Engeijō yose encourages the wearing of what has become in a sense “heritage” dress among the audience by offering a discount on the ticket for people who wear kimono to the yose. The other yose offer discounts during set periods as well.

Today, zenza must learn how to wear the kimono that is their work uniform. It is a point of pride to look good in one. Constantly readjusting their obi and straightening their hems, they struggle to maintain a neat appearance as they move about the gakuya. Most wear relatively inexpensive polyester kimonos, but sometimes their elder brothers hand down their used silk kimonos. Not only through daily wear, but also by dressing their shishō, zenza develop appreciation for kimonos. In the summer months, they are permitted to work backstage in the more comfortable cotton kimono called yukata, but of course they may not appear on stage in this informal garment, which is frequently worn to relax at home or outside in the summer.

Kōza gaeshi, turning over the zabuton on stage between sets, compares to kimono folding in its emphasis on performing the action in “one breath.” As a novice to rakugo culture, I sat in

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.