Portrait of Hosokawa Sumimoto (1489–1520), by Kanō Motonobu (1476–1559); inscription by Keijo Shūrin (1440–1518), Japan. Muromachi period (1392–1573), 1507. Hanging scroll; ink and colors on silk. Eisei Bunko Museum, 466. © Eisei Bunko, Japan.

For more than 800 years the Samurai helped lay the foundation of Japanese culture and that legacy is explored in “Lords of the Samurai,” the Asian Art Museum’s stunning summer exhibition of over 160 rare objects from the collection of the Hosokawa family, one of Japan’s most elite warrior clans.  The exhibition, in its final three weeks (ends September 20) includes priceless armor, several breathtaking swords and other weaponry, paintings, lacquer ware, ceramics, costumes and other rare objects from Tokyo’s renowned Eisei-Bunko Museum and in the Hosokawa family’s former home, Kumamoto Castle on Kyushu island, Japan.  The objects reveal that the samurai and their daimyo (hereditary feudal) lords of pre-modern Japan were much more than just skillful military strategists and fighters; they were also artists and patrons of art and culture in its highest form.  The show is organized by the Asian Art Museum and the Eisei-Bunko Hosokawa collection, Tokyo.  This is the first time the Hosokawa’s precious collection of weaponry and artifacts have been shown in the United States and the Asian Art Museum is the sole venue for this exceptional show.  Due to the light sensitive nature of roughly 50 of the initial artworks on display, the show is now on its second rotation and new artworks have replaced those that were rotated out.   

Samurai—from loyal followers to fierce and principled elite warriors

The term “samurai” comes from the Japanese word saburau, meaning “to serve,” and was first used in A.D. 702 to describe mid-to-low-ranking court administrators and, later, armed imperial guards. Their title, mostly metaphorical, referred to their loyalty to the emperor.  By the 10th century, when provincial governors began offering heavy rewards for military service, the samurai as we know them came into being.  By the end of the 12th century, samurai became synonymous with the term “bushi” and were closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class.  The term “Samurai” held strong aristocratic overtones and brought great prestige to the samurai’s lineage—so much so that warriors would recite their ancestry on the battlefield.  The distinguished lineage of the Hosokawa clan, which can be traced back seven centuries, trumps that of the imperial family whose history extends back only a few hundred years.

Hosokawa Clan, weilding power for centuries

The Hosokawa clan descended from Emperor Seiwa (850-88) and a branch of the Minamoto clan, via the Ashikaga clan.  It wielded significant power over the course of the Muromachi (1336-1467), Sengoku (1467-1600), and Edo periods, and over the centuries moved from Shikoku, to Kinai, and then to Kyūshū.  The first generation of lord of the Hosokawa clan, Hosokawa Yūsai (1534-1610), came of age in the “envisioned age” of Seven Samurai and fought valiantly in eight major battles.  The samurai’s role in life was to follow a code of conduct called the Bushidō or “Way of the Warrior” and to follow the Way of Poetry.  Poetry was studied and used among the samurai as vehicle of exchange and cohesion.  Yūsai was the third person in history to have been taught the entire 15^th century Kokin denju tradition, an orally transmitted commentary on the first Imperial anthology of Japanese waka poetry (kokin wakashū).  As the sole possessor of this vital key to waka tradition, Yūsai was entwined with Japanese culture.   Yūsai is renowned because the emperor intervened in one of Yūsai’s long battles to save him proving that Kokin denju was more important than military victory.   The literary ethos of this great warrior-gentleman, who also mastered cultural, artistic and spiritual pursuits, has carried on through the ages.

The samurai maintained their elite status into the mid-1800s when Western influences started to take hold.  The question of how and when Japan’s modernization occurred is still debated but after Japan opened its port to foreigners in 1854, it went on to modernize its military forces and did away with many of the samurai’s special rights.  Following the abolition of the feudal class in 1871, the Hosokawa clan and its branches were made part of the Kazoku, the Meiji era’s new nobility.  They were given the hereditary title of Marquis (kōshaku); the title became obsolete in 1947.  The present head of the main family line, Morihiro Hosokawa, former Prime Minister of Japan, is a descendant of the Hosokawa of Kumamoto.

Ōyoroitype armor (replica), white cord lacing with diagonal corner accents (tsumadori), replica of a suit worn by Hosokawa Yoriari (1332–1391), Japan. Edo period, 1829 (after 14th century original). Iron, gilt bronze, metal, tooled leather, lacquer, braided silk, fur. Eisei Bunko Museum, 4082. © Eisei Bunko, Japan.

Armor—object and symbol

Lawrence Ellison, Oracle founder/mogul, who in the 1980’s liked to call himself ”the Silicon Samurai”–has been a passionate collector of Samurai antiquities, including an extensive armor collection.  He frequently remarked that he treasured Samurai armor for its beauty and strength and because “it encapsulates the fundamentals of Japanese character.  As comprehensively as any people on earth, the Japanese know that while we are predators, we are also constantly trying to capture our humanity through a code of ethics and a sense of honor. (Forbes 156, n.7 (September 25, 1995). 

The show opens with a 19^th century reproduction of the Ōyoroi armor worn by Hosokawa Yoriari, founder of the Hosokawa clan, in the battle of Kyoto in 1358.  This reproduction is basically a synthesis, containing parts that are historically accurate as well as parts that have been reinvented.   The exhibition also includes five other full sets of armor of different styles that span several eras, up until the end of the shogunate in the mid-1800’s.  Painstakingly handcrafted by leading artisans of the day, it is hard to imagine these ever being bloodied in combat.  In fact, most of the suits on display in the exhibition have not seen actual battle, nor have most of the battle trappings, but some objects, even ornately lacquered stirrups, do show moderate signs of wear.

Ōyoroi armor (big armor) is the most formal armor and was used from the late Heian period (794-1185) to the Kamakura period (1185-1333) in one-on-one mounted combat.  The suit weighed about 60 pounds and consisted of a helmet (kabuto), cuirass (dō), tassets (kusuzuri which are overlaced with lames) to protect the hips and shoulder guards (sode).  It had great aesthetic value and is called “shikisei no yoroi,” the right ceremonial armor.  Because a warrior’s armor became his funeral attire if he was defeated, a great deal of attention was paid to decorative details and ornamentation and it was very costly and time-consuming to produce.  An early 10th century legal compendium discussed in Karl Friday’s Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan indicates that the production of Ōyoroi required between 192 and 265 days, depending on the season and length of day.  Modern-day craftsmen normally require ten months to two years of full-time labor to construct Ōyoroi replicas.  It has been documented that this reproduction, begun in 1824, took five years to complete.  This stunning suit of armor, with its combination of white cord lacing with diagonal accents of multicolored lacing in the shoulder guards and tassets, was popular in Yoriari’s time for its exquisite refinement.

Swords—deadly and stunning

Ceremonial long sword (tachi) blade, signed “Moriie zō” (Made By Moriie), Japan. Kamakura period (1185–1333), 13th century. Forged and tempered steel. Eisei Bunko Museum, 1784. © Eisei Bunko, Japan.

It has been said that the samurai’s sword was his soul.  The legendary katana, or curved sword, invented a millennium ago, remains a marvel of aesthetic beauty and skillful engineering.  The katana embodies the perfect melding of form and function.  While most bladed weapons were designed to either pierce or slash, the katana’s two different types of steel gave it optimum qualities for both, making it a highly versatile weapon in battle.  Human bone-cutting qualities were tested and refined during actual executions.  Delivered with the proper single blow by a trained warrior, the very finest swords were able to slice but through as many as five human bodies at once. (“Secrets of the Samurai Sword,”  NOVA, an exceptional tv program airing in Sept., goes into the history of samurai swordmaking and visits contemporary Japanese metalworkers as they craft a sword from scratch using ancient techniques. )   The exhibition includes several highest quality examples of ceremonial long blade, long blade and short blade swords that were either used directly or collected by the Hosokawa clan as evidence of their family status.   

A supreme 13^th century ceremonial long blade, crafted by Moriie, has been designated an Important Cultural Property.  Moriie (active from 1249 to 1256) was from Hatada, which was near Osafune, the greatest sword-making center in the Bizen region.  This area is currently known as the southeast Okayama prefecture.  In addition to the superb workmanship on its surface steel and edge, this tachi sword (designed for cavalry combat) exhibits Moriie’s hallmark temper lines– irregular clove-shape (chōji midare) lines alternating with tadpole (kawazugo) lines.  The sword would have been sheathed with the blade edge pointing downward and slung from a waist belt.

Equally valuable were the sword’s guards and mountings which were often embellished lavishly, elevating them to works of art.  The sword guard balanced the blade and hilt and protected one’s hands from slipping onto the blade while using it.  The imperial sword guard mounting pictured here was made in late Edo period. 

Mounting for a ceremonial long sword (tachi) with nine planet family crests and gold fittings, Japan. Edo period (1615–1868), 19th century. Lacquered wood with sprinkled gold (makie) decoration, gilt bronze, gold, ray skin, leather. Eisei Bunko Museum, 29241. © Eisei Bunko, Japan.

Its scabbard is decorated in the makie lacquer technique, with nine-planet Hosokawa family crests in gold on a sprinkled pear skin (nashiji) background; variants of the family’s cherry blossom crest adorn the hilt.  Other works include exquisite fans, costumes, helmets, saddles and stirrups.

The Osher Gallery contains the workmanship of Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) the greatest Samurai swordsman of his day, perhaps of all time and a renowned painter.  Musashi was sword instructor to the Hosokawa family and founded the Niten Ichi-ryū School of swordsmanship “the school of the strategy of two heavens as one” that uses the long and short swords together.  In 1645, he wrote his great book Gorin no shô (A Book of Five Rings), a martial arts strategy manual, that is in the exhibition as a set of five scrolls.  The original of the book was lost but his trusted disciple made a copy and it has remained with the Hosokawa family.   During the 1980’s, Musashi’s popularity stateside soared as American businessmen, eager to penetrate the Japanese mind, consumed his Book of Five Rings.   Can adroitness with a sword carry over to brushwork?  Not to be missed are Musashi’s stunning folding set of two six-paneled folding screens “Wild Geese and Reeds” designated “Important Cultural Property.”  In the left screen, gracefully-rendered light-featured geese rest beneath a tree and in the right screen, dark-featured geese rest and feed.  Throughout the work, he achieves economy in brushwork while conveying energy and movement.  

Dog-Chasing: a sport for mounted Samurai 

Of the many antiquities in the Hosokawa family collection, dog lovers, archers and equestrians will be fascinated by a late 17th century Edo period six-panel folding screen depicting inuoumono (dog-chasing)– a samurai archery drill that originated in the Kamakura period during the reign of Emperor Gohorikawa (r. 1222-32) and evolved into a very popular spectator sport.  The dogs were not harmed: the goal was to shoot the running dogs with heavily padded arrows, a task that challenged the samurais’ skill as horsemen and archers.  The event typically took place in the center of an open riding ground where two concentric rings were formed with ropes. The warriors were divided into teams, and the teams waited outside the larger circle until the dogs were released from the smaller circle by a dog-handler.  Each archer the same number of padded arrows; skill and accuracy were judged according to the length of the chase and the location of a hit.  Closely codified rules governed the size of the field and the number of dogs and archers participating. 

Left 6 panels “Inuoumono” (Dog Chasing Event), Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, colors, and gold foil on paper, H 139.9 cm x W 351.8 cm (each), Japan; Edo period (1615-1868), Eisei-Bunko Museum, 4005.

Only when a dog passed over a rope was it a target and then, the only shots that counted were torso shots; shots to the head or limbs drew penalty points.  This screen is typical of early 17^th century folding screen compositions of the sport which emphasized mounted archers around the concentric ropes, watching or chasing a dog.  The brilliant colors and detailed action figures are set against a gold leaf background.   Today, only about a dozen of these folding-screen compositions are known to exist and most date to the 17th century.  Interestingly, as genre painting took hold, artists’ compositions of inuoumono changed somewhat, with increased emphasis on the spectators in attendance–their clothing, gestures, so forth.

 An Adopted Son becomes a Samurai

Other scrolls in the show range from albums of flower paintings to portraits of Hosokawa daimyos.  An exquisite hanging silk scroll portrait of Hosokawa Sumimoto (1489-1520) by Kano Motonobo has been designated “Important Cultural Property.”  Hosokawa Sumimoto, distant ancestor of the Hosokawa lineage was a warrior who experienced continual conflict and was engaged in war most of his life.   He was adopted into the line of Hosokawa shogunal deputies and into a family that already had an adopted son from the powerful Kujō family.  The Warring States period (late 15^th and 16^th centuries) was an extremely brutal time when warriors were consumed by ambition, suspicion and jealously and many members of distinguished warrior families turned against their own family members in a grab for power.  The two adoptees quarreled over succession to the Hosekawa line and Sumimoto’s brother was killed by one of Sumimoto’s supporters.  An attempt was made on Sumimoto’s life but he fled Kyoto to the Ōmi province and remained there until his position as head of one branch of the Hosokawa clan was secured.  His victory was short and he was unseated in 1508 and failed in subsequent attempts to regain his power.  He died disappointed and alone.   The portrait depicts him at age 19 mounted on his grand horse, wearing haramaki armor, a helmet with a horn like crest, his sword mounting is slung at his left side.  He carries his halberd blade up, a whip in his right hand and his reins in his left hand.  A short sword is tucked in his belt.  An inscription in fine calligraphy by Keijo Shūrin of the Nanzenji temple in Kyoto dates the portrait to 1507.  A portion of the inscription reads—“Hosokawa Sumimoto, a great archer and horseman, is far above other humans.  He is also versed in waka and appreciates the moon and the wind….Outside the citadel he takes bows and arrows; in meditation and reading of sacred books he protects Buddhism…”

Teabowl entitled “Otogaze,” black Raku ware, Raku Chōjirō (d. 1589), Momoyama period (1573-1615), 16th century, glazed earthenware, H. 8.2 cm x Diam. 10.8 cm (mouth), Diam. 5.0 cm (foot), Eisei-Bunko Museum, 1297.

Samurai Tea Practitioners—Ritual with Awesome Cups

It might be easy to dismiss this humble raku tea bowl, but this 16^th century object, called “Otogaze,” bears the designation “Important Cultural Object” and is attributed to Japan’s most famous potter, Raku Chōjirō, and as such bears rock-star status.  The bowl takes its poetic name from the jovial female deity Otafuku, also called Otogaze, and it’s thought that the bowl’s volumptuous shape inspired the name. In early raku wares like this, the raw clay was coated with a lead glaze and then fired in a small-scale kiln.

The Hosokawa family’s meticulous  records of art objects and tea utensils mention this bowl by name and indicate that it was beloved by Hosokawa Sansai (1563-1646).   Sansai was one of the family’s most important tea practitioners and one of seven disciples of Sen Rikyu (1522-1591), the tea master who perfected the Way of  Tea (chanoyu).  Rikyu composed a poem which is still quoted “Though many people drink tea, if you do not know the Way of Tea, tea will drink you up.”  Without any spiritual training, you think you are drinking tea but actually tea drinks you up.  The age-old tradition of chanoyu has been maintained throughout many generations of the Hosokawa family and is observed today.  Former prime minister Hosokawa Morihiro (born 1938), the eighteenth generation head of the Hosokawa family, is a celebrated tea practitioner and an acclaimed ceramist and calligrapher.  A number of his tea bowls and implements for the Japanese tea ceremony, no doubt inspired by ancient ones are included in the show. 

The show concludes with a series of works relating to Zen Buddhism whose emphasis on obtaining inner autonomy and self-awareness by learning to control the body through the mind and the mind through the body appealed to the highly-disciplined samurai warriors.

Ticket prices for the exhibition show include a $5 surcharge over regular museum admission.  A fully illustrated catalog of the exhibition published by the Asian Art Museum is available at the museum store, $30 softcover, $45 hardcover.

I was mindlessly watching a ridiculous AirTran commercial in which two marketing assistants or maybe interns were trying to come up with an idea for a promotion. They were randomly selecting dictionary entries. This got me thinking, weeks later, because I was certainly not at the time, that I should do something similar as a post or even a series of posts for my blog. Inspired by this insipid commercial, I grabbed my copy of Webster’s New Explorer Dictionary (yes, I have one and refer to it from time to time when too lazy to log on to my slow computer) opened it to a random page and with eyes closed pointed to an entry on the Heian period, page 546 in between Hegira and Martin Heidegger. I would prefer to write about Hejira or Heidegger but must respect the integrity of the challenge…and so the Heian period.

Did you know the Heian period named for the capital city Heian-kyo (Kyoto) spans the years 794-1185 of Japanese history? This epoch is best remembered for its aristocratic culture committed to “aesthetic refinement through poetry and calligraphy”. I would have been an outcast in this culture. My calligraphic skills do not exist – my handwriting is a frenetic mix of cursive and print. My poems, if you can even call them poetry, lack refinement.

The Kyoto Protocol, a treaty designed to combat global warming was ratified by most countries in 1997, but not the US of A, the world’s biggest producer of carbon dioxide emissions. Thanks to the Bush administration and pressure from the U.S. Senate, the USA officially does not take global warming seriously, that is until now. The Obama administration has made climate change a priority, along with health care, immigration, national security, the economy, cash for clunkers, Afghanistan….and has pledged to work with international negotiators to craft a new treaty that would be more effective than Kyoto.

Hey, maybe AirTran will be the first commercial airline to power its fleet of planes with plug-in electric batteries. And why not have poetry slams and calligraphy lessons aboard all domestic flights.  Can you picture the flight attendants handing out free AirTran quills and inkwells to deboarding passengers?

Ooe-yama Shuten-dôji / Demon of Mt. Oe

As usual these old covers make absolutely no sense to me

Director: Tanaka Tokuzo
Writers: Kawaguchi Matsutaro, Yahiro Fuji
Date: 1960

Genre: Jidaigeki, Kaiju eiga
Description: Demon mountain, Minamoto no Yorimitsu and the gang, protecting the people, fight against bandits, funny monster

Cast: Ichikawa Raizo, Hasegawa Kazuo, Katsu Shintaro, Hongo Kojiro, Nakamura Ganjiro, Nakamura Yutaka, Yamamoto Fujiko, Hidari Sachiko, Hayashi Narutoshi, Shimada Ryuzu

Crew of note:

Runtime: 115 mins.
Color: Color
Trivia:

summary
Minamoto no Yorimitsu (or Raiko for short) and his fantastic four must stop Shuten-dôji and his crazy bandits and sorcerers (including a Tsuchigumo, or spider demon) from their evil plan of overthrowing the Mikado (the emperor and his empire) and stealing all their chicks.

review

Rundown of characters!
=The Good Guys=
Minamoto no Yorimitsu – Played By Raizo; famous military general of the Fujiwara, subject of many stories and legends; badass
Watanabe no Tsuna – Played by Shintaro; one of the Four Guardian Kings; uses a sword and bow; likes flirting with demons
Sakata no Kintoki – Played by Hongo Kojiro; one of the Four Guardian Kings; uses a battle axe; mountain man extraordinaire
Urabe no Suetakeand and Usui Sadamitsu – The two other Guardian Kings who aren’t featured as much in the film–sorry dudes

=The Bad Guys=
Shuten-dôji – Played by Hasegawa Kazuo; formerly known as Bizen; leader of the Mt. Oe bandits; hates the Mikado; wears a funky wig
Ibaraki-dôji – Lady vixen sorceress who turns into a really ugly demon-woman. Major turn-off.
Tsuchigomo – A creepy sorcerer who throws string to tie people up; turns into a giant spider when pissed off
A dude that turns into a giant bull, forgot his name; has bad breath
Lots of bandits with bad hair?

For more info (and spoilers): This website has a pretty detailed story or just use wikipedia?

Movies based on famous plays/novels and history always create a special spectacle especially when they involve legendary characters. Few are more famous than Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his Four Guardian Kings. For the most part, the film follows the legend very well, from Ibaraki-dôji’s encounter with Tsuna, down to the final plan Minamoto no Yorimitsu hatches in order to defeat the bandits. However, Tanaka chooses to sympathize with Shuten-dôji and gives him ample screen time (well they should considering how much they probably paid Hasegawa). They develop his character and his reason for becoming the leader of the bandits, and from the opening scene we can see Tanaka’s condemnation of the abusive Mikado. Sure, Raiko and the gang are the heroes of the film, and they’re on the Mikado’s side, but the Mikado is portrayed as, perhaps, the greater evil here. This humanization of the the villain leads to a more interesting conflict, and certainly a more interesting final showdown (which of course is always inevitable).

The main spectacle here, of course, is the idea of putting two cool things together and making them kill each other: samurai and monsters + bandits. A large battle in the mountains with hundreds of extras, elaborate sets, flaming giant rocks, a giant spider, a giant bull, bandits with terrible hair, cool battle armor, a glowing sword, and cheezy 60’s special effects are just some of the things you’ll see in this extravaganza. They certainly went all-out in trying to recreate the legend, and for the most part the movie succeeds. It does not encumber itself with life lessons and overt political nonsense and never tries to be anything more than a retelling of this memorable tale.

conclusion
If you like samurai, history/literature lessons, and 60’s monster movies, this has it all. With a superb cast of superstars and an interesting interpretation of the famous legend, Demon of Mt. Oe is both educational and fun. Always a good combination if you ask me.

things to take note of
The funny yokai/monsters
The all-star cast

best moment
Raizo vs. Kazuo
Hongo Kojiro heaves his battle axe
Samurai vs Giant Spider

why you should watch this
An all star cast of jidaigeki STARS (not just regulars)
Learning about Japanese culture/folklore is always fun when supplied by movies

rating: 8.1

scorecard
Plot: B
Cast: B
Cinematography: B
Music: C+
Entertainment: B+

similar movies, maybe:
Honestly haven’t watched many Kaiju-jidaigeki

Jigokuhen / Portrait of Hell

It just screams of horrors of hell doesn't it

Director: Toyoda Shiro
Writers: Akutagawa Ryonosuke, Yasumi Toshio
Date: 1969

Genre: Horror
Description: Painting a picture of hell, stubbornness, Heian period, living hell, really really scary and depressing, insanity

Cast: Nakadai Tatsuya, Nakamura Kinnosuke, Naito Yoko, Amamoto Eisei, Oide Shun

Crew of note:

Runtime: 95 mins
Color: Color
Trivia:

summary
Poverty, cruelty and evilness in general during the Heian Period have disillusioned Yoshihide, a famous painter, of life in Japan. Lord Hosokawa, aware of his talents, employs him to make fabulous painting. Yoshihide declines, however, stating that he sees nothing worthy of painting, that all he sees is.. hell on Earth. The lord, at first, is angered by his callousness, but soon decides to challenge him to make a painting so frickin’ amazing and real that even he will be impressed. Painting and crazy shit ensue.

review
I labeled this as a horror movie, because any film about hell on Earth should be considered pretty horrific, right? I suppose a more appropriate description might be “freaky psychological inquiry into suffering and obsession that will make you very depressed, or possibly want to paint.”

Okay, so it isn’t so much about a physical hell on Earth (no demons, no monsters, not even a sexy mistress of destruction) as it is about obsession and cruelty. Nakadai’s character isn’t really a bad person, and when compared to Nakamura, Nakadai is an absolute bambi. But all men are capable of some evil–can painting be evil, too?

It’s a very interesting premise, one that could have gone very far, especially with the right music, appropriate set design, and frames that subtly emphasize this hell on Earth–crowded rooms, sharp objects, shadows, fire, etc. The movie, though, is but average in 2 of those 3, only excelling in set design. The music fails to create an atmosphere that is haunting/scary yet beautiful, opting to stick with instruments and perfectly progressing harmonies and neglecting found-sounds and odd unnerving notes. This hell on Earth sounds more like a stuffy oldtimes concert. I also don’t think that sliding transitions and a spinning upward-tilted camera works in this context.

Despite my gripes, there is enough in this movie to warrant seeing. The dynamics between Nakadai and Nakamura carry the film, and their respective talents shine. Not quite a horror, not quite a drama, not quite a psychological thriller, but probably something in between.

conclusion
For some reason, whenever a Japanese film contains the word “jigoku” (such as Jigokumon and the aptly titled Jigoku), I feel compelled to see it, even though I hate being scared out of my pants by movies. With an intriguing premise and two great leads, there is enough to recommend even to those who are chickens in the theater like me.

things to take note of
The painting
Nakadai’s cameleon-like face
Hell on Earth?

best moment
The fire. Crazy.

why you should watch this
Stars two of the most popular actors of the day
Nakamura Kinnosuke in his craziest role
Nakadai in his wimpiest role

rating: 7.25 +.25 for Nakamura’s obnoxious expression + .25 for Nakadai’s facial hair = 7.75

scorecard
Plot: B
Cast: B+
Cinematography: C+
Music: C+
Entertainment: B

similar movies, maybe:
I generally don’t watch movies that will freak me out, so I’m not sure? I guess other films with “jigoku” in the title.

ballad [...] [(O) Fr. ballad f. Prov. balada to dance] n. 1. A light, simple song; spec. (a) a song intended to accompany a dance; (b) a sentimental or romantic composition of two or more verses each sung to the same melody. [...] A popular song, esp. one attacking persons or institutions. [...] A popular narrative song in slow tempo. 2. A proverbial saying, usu. in the form of a couplet. [...] 3. A lively poem in short stanzas, in which a popular narrative is graphically told [...].

— The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, Volume 1, A-M, (1993) pg. 173

Welcome to “the history of Japanese music”, a feature in my blog which will appear every once in a while documenting the several periods in Japanese music, beginning with the Nara Period (710-794) and ending with modern music.

Part One: The Nara and Heian Periods

Although Japan is an archipelago cut off completely from the Asian mainland, much of its musical influence began with the cultural waves of the Yamato Period (250-710) and the Nara Period (710-794), originating in the by then already well-established and long-lasted Chinese Empire and Korea. The Yamato Period, which saw the first national unison on the Japanese archipelago, and is the beginning of the Japanese Imperial Court, the longest lasting monarchy in the World, also saw the “importation” of Buddhism in the sixth century. Wanting to seem prestigious, rich and powerful, the Imperial Court decided to have temples, statues and works of literature made.

1. “Song”: The Beginning of Japanese Music

The word uta, although it can be written with many characters, always means song. It is a unique connection of two syllables, compared to the sound ji which can mean temple, hour, samurai, and many others. To begin this series of documentary blog articles about the history of Japanese music, we will analyze three of the many characters which can be used to write uta:

• 唄 is formed of the kanji for “mouth” and “shell”. The kanji for “shell”, kai, is found in the kanji for “to buy”, as shells were an ancient for of currency. As such “mouth shell” can designate something which comes out of the mouth which is of a certain value.
• 詩 is formed of the kanji for “to say” and “temple”. Songs were at first Buddhist chants, and as such were “words from the temple”.
• 詠 is formed of the kanji for “to say” and “eternity”. Indeed, songs, or poems, as they were first known, were texts whose sayings usually had a global lesson: sayings of eternal truth.

From these three kanji, we can deduce that to the time when the first kanji were “imported” from China, the sense of uta was not song but poem, and has only in more recent times taken the meaning of song. Of course, this counts for other languages as well, since the poem is predecessor of the song, but kanji generally make it very easy to define Japanese culture and the manner of thought of ancient Japan.

2. Heijo-kyo, the “capital of the castle on plains” and Heian-kyo, the “capital of the peaceful plains”

In 710 AD, the Emperor of Japan moved the capital to Nara, then known as Heijo-kyo, as was customary to do after the death of an Emperor (this was a custom founded on the Buddhist belief that the place of death of a person is filthy). The capital would only be moved in 794 AD to Heian-kyo, later Kyoto, where it would stay until 1868. These two perids, the Nara Period and the Heian Period, mark the beginning of the creation a unique Japanese culture.

During the Yamato Period, the main focus of the Imperial Government was to adopt the culture of a country seen higher, and in turn grow to challenge it—eventually. But with a growing ego and self-confidence, it was almost inevitable that Japan attempt to develop a culture which would make it different from China. Arguably, they failed, the fundaments of Chinese culture still lying deep within Japanese culture, but there remains a massive divide between the Chinese and Japanese cultures.

Most of the important elements of Japanese culture were created during the Nara and Heian Periods, and writing was a field almost strictly reserved the Court Nobility, who controlled virtually all of “Wakoku”, Japan. The use of verses and stanzas, metaphors and other standards in poetry were set. The first novel written in Japanese, equally the oldest novel of the world, Genji Monogatari, the Tales of Genji, written by Lady Murasaki Shikibu, arguably the most famous author in Japanese history, was written, much like Beowulf, partially in prose. These poems and tales then had influence on the earliest musical arts, notably Gagaku (“beautiful music”, orchestral court music), koto and biwa, as well as the dances which sometimes accompanied them.

Since Chinese characters, kanji, had come to be the official language used in legal documents, it was another challenge to get rid of this in order to help the unique Japanese culture further develop. As such, the writers of the Nara and even more of the Heian Period tried to avoid the use of Chinese as much as possible. They did not completely succeed, as these kanji, even though there are only 2000 compared to the several thousand Chinese characters that now exist, still compose the fundament of Japanese writing. 

3. Early Musical Theory

China is of a complicated culture, and part of separating oneself from it was simplifying this culture and building up those fundaments. The result was a very simple, elegant culture based on the Chinese culture yet visibly different. Nonetheless, music was, like in China, a “commodity” reserved almost strictly to the highest levels of the state.

One of the most important milestones in Japanese music is the concept of jo, ha, kyu: begin, break and hurry. This dictated the style in which music was to be written: a gentle opening, then an acceleration, and then ending with a very fast section followed by a gentle ending. This is present in modern music as verse, chorus and bridge.

A closing note: the most prominent styles of music during the Nara and Heian Period

• Gagaku (“elegant music”) is orchestral court music. There are two types of Gagaku: Kangen (“wind instrument and chords”), instrumental music, and Bugaku (“dancing music”), Gagaku accompanied by a dance.
• Kagurauta (“god’s music”), Azuma-Asobi (“eastern entertainment”), and Yamatouta (“Japanese music”) are indigenous song styles.
• Togaku (“Tang music”) and Komagaku (“Korean music”) originate in music from the cultural waves of the Tang Dynasty in China.
• Shomyo (“voice of enlightenment”), Buddhist chanting.

The second installment of “The History of Japanese Music” will appear in January and will focus on the development of music during the pre-Sengoku Feudal Period (1185-1476).

Hotta, Yumi & Obata, Takeshi. (2004-) Hikaru no Go (Andy Nakatani, Trans.). San Francisco: Viz Media.

Twelve year old Hikaru was just minding his own business, looking around his grandfather’s attic for stuff to pawn (ok, maybe not minding his own business) when he stumbled on a go board haunted by the thousand year old ghost of go enthusiast, Fujiwara no Sai. Only now that Sai’s met Hikaru, he has no intention of staying in the attic – he wants to play more go - and drags Hikaru with him, into a world of competitive and passionate people, where he makes friends, rivals, and enemies.

If you asked me if I’d like this series before I read it (and people did) the answer would have been “hell no.” It’s about go, which as far as I was (and still am) concerned is like chess, but with little round stones. So, the series had to be really boring, right? Wrong. This series is excellent – the art is wonderful, the story telling is compelling, and the overall experience is addictive. The story follows Hikaru from 12 to 18, from Sai’s reluctant proxy, to an enthusiastic professional player, using his own strengths and abilities.  Once I started, I couldn’t stop reading (and I was lucky, because I had the entire series, but American readers should be aware that only half of the series has been published as of now.) The manga doesn’t take a microscopic, obsessive view of the game itself, but uses it as a tangible object around which the characters act out obsession, competition, rivalry, pride, revenge, and triumph like any great story. The result is that you may not learn a hell of a lot about go, but you definitely enjoy the ride.

For me, the most compelling part of the story is (antihero?) Akira Touya. Akira is the rising young progidy of the go world, with his title-winning father and his heaps of natural talent and careful training. And all of that crashes around his head when he tries to make (his first!) friend in Hikaru and ends up totally smushed at go by Sai. Of course, he doesn’t know it’s Sai, prompting Hikaru from the shadows, all he knows is that he’s suddenly got a rival his age – a rival that’s strangely reluctant to face him. And he doesn’t handle it well – but he handles it interestingly. (Stalking, among other things, is involved.)

Booktalk Hook: Did you ever think it would be kind of cool to be haunted by a ghost? Poor Hikaru probably hadn’t thought anything like that at all – but when it happened to him, it wasn’t cool, because all the ghost wanted to do was make him play a really boring old game. But – was it really that boring?

If you like this: Check out the movies Onmyouji and Onmyouji II, for more Heian era ghosts. Although these ghosts aren’t friendly, harmless, go enthusiasts – they’re dangerous. And only Abe no Seimei’s powers and Hiromasa’s – uh – flute, are standing between them and total destruction. Or if you want the younger, friendlier version, try Shonen Onmyouji instead.