Kodan by Ichiryusai Teisui
The National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo has been engaged in the recording of actual kodan performances since 2002 with the cooperation of Ichiryusai Teisui and Takarai Bakin.
We have asked Ichiryusai Teisui, a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property, to record two long, serial kodan pieces: jidaimono (story of historical figures) and sewamono (story of the common people). The recording of Midori no Hayashi Gokanroku, a sewamono, was completed on February 13, 2008. This was the twenty-first recording session for Ichiryusai Teisui, and it took 7 years to complete the project since the first session was held on June 11, 2002.
Midori no hayashi refers to thieves. Midori no Hayashi Gokanroku is a grand story of the lives of five chivalrous thieves like Robin Hood told one after another; their deeds leading to their execution are recounted.
As for jidaimono, Tenmei Shichidan was completed on December 26, 2005. Now Sengoku Sodo is being recorded.
Recording of a new, long sewamono is scheduled to begin next fiscal year.
A scene from the public lecture
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage held a public lecture on December 12, 2007 at the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka. Hoping to choose a theme appropriate to Osaka, the place where the lecture would be held, it was decided to choose Hayashiya Tomi (1883-1970) who was designated in 1962 as a player of kamigata yosebayashi (music played in rakugo of the Kansai area), an intangible cultural property for which measures for documentation should be taken. Details of the program can be retrieved from the web site of the Institute (http://www.tobunken.go.jp/ich/public/lectures).
If the public lectures given from the days of the former Department of Performing Arts are counted, this would have been the 38th one, but this is the first time that the lecture was held outside Tokyo. In the future we hope to hold such lectures throughout the country.
Lecture at Beethoven Hall during the Iranian Artist’s Forum (Aug. 22)
Performance at the City Theatre Café (City Theatre of Tehran BF1) (Aug. 25)
Researchers of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage were asked by the Dramatic Arts Center of Iran to give lectures at the International Seminar for Traditional and Ritual Theatre during the Iranian Artist’s Forum (August 20-22, Tehran). Ijima Mitsuru spoke on “Bunraku: Traditional Japanese Puppet Theatre” and Hyoki Satoru on “Folk Performing Arts and Traditional Festivals in Japan.” They also attended an informal discussion at the Iranian Academy of the Arts and exchanged opinions on such matters as future cooperation in research.
The Seminar was held prior to the 13th Tehran International Ritual-Traditional Theatre Festival (August 23-28). During the festival, various performing arts were presented at many places in Tehran by players from different places, mainly from Iran and neighboring countries. Various performing arts of the Middle East that cannot be seen by foreigners were presented. In this sense, too, it was very meaningful.
