Kabuki Plus
God Sanja
The Sanja Festival is an annual festival of the Asakusa Shrine (nicknamed “Sanja” or Shrine of the Three Gods), located in today’s Sensoji Temple in Tokyo’s Asakusa district. The three gods refer to the two fishermen brothers Hamanari and Takenari and their master Hajinomatsuchi. The brothers hauled up a statue in their fishing net, and their master recognized this as Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The master later shaved his head and converted his house into a temple, dedicating his life to prayer and preaching. This became Sensoji Temple, and the three individuals were enshrined within in a shrine called Asakusa Shrine.
Akudama vs. Zendama (evil vs. good)
notable!During the 18th century, humans were supposedly good or evil due to spirits possessing their bodies. The evil spirit was personified in a dance, which was depicted by the famed novelist Santo Kyoden in Shingaku Hayazome Gusa. That was in turn transformed into a dance piece named Gannin Bozu by Bando Mitsugoro III in 1811. That piece proved so popular that it was used in a dance training book in 1815. The book shows lines for arm and leg movements illustrating the movements one by one, allowing readers to learn in on their own. It is a casual and easy-to-mimic text.
Dance by two male-role specialists
The dance is uniquely performed by two male-role specialists with equally important roles. In addition, the tempo is lively throughout and has no break for the musicians. The costumes are simple and revealing, especially for the leg lines. The actors’ skill is thus instantly visible.
