Here I thought I was going to go see a traditional Japanese dance (is what my electronic dictionary translated kyogen as), I was wrong. After going, and now looking it up in my Japanese culture book the definition of kyogen is as follows:
Kyogen is classical Japanese comic theater established in the Muromachi Period (1392-1573). Masks are only used in a few roles, and no makeup is put on. Except for the special roles of deities and orgres, the costumes are the daily clothing worn in the fifteenth century. Kyogen plots have an affirmative human spirit and do not draw thieves and the like as truly wicked people. Kyogens outstanding characteristic is the spoken lines accompanies by dramatic movement.
Whew, still with me?
So as the show started a man came out in a beautiful kimono and explained to the audience how to understand the old Japanese that was going to be used, he talked for 15 minutes. But regardless of my efforts, I couldn't understand a word of the play. But the two plays were funny non the less, and an interesting experience to say the least. Ah culture. Oh, and the picture of the set bellow was the set for the entire two shows. And the plays themselves usually only consist of two to three characters at a time and they walk around in circles a lot. Strange. But the attire was really neat. Amazing to watch something that has roots older than the country I was born in, felt really amazing.
Oh, and I found out once we got there that she had spent $75 for each ticket. Yowza. So in trade I bought her supper. Yeah, it was nice for her to invite me, but she makes as much money as I do and well $150 to show me Japanese culture seems a bit expensive.
(*side note: for those of you who don't know what she I am talking about, her name is Megumi Oshima. I work with her at the Suzukawa elementary school. She is a young teacher, and there are only about 20 young people in this small village town of mine and so that is the bond. Our age and what we do for a living. She is really nice in a very nervous sort of way, a scared field mouse sort of. Anyway, that is who she is. Oh, she is also the teacher who had the Christmas eve party last year. Good times.*)
After the show we went and got dinner at a favorite of mine, Sinner cafe. The Japanese version of Mexican, classic really. She had never been there and enjoyed herself. We were both starving after not eating since noon and it was now 9pm. And it could have been the genki drink that I had before leaving Kimobetsu, but I was still feeling great.
Regardless, we headed back home around 10:30pm to the asparagus town. Anticlimactic to be sure, but it was nice to get back.
Once I got back, my stomach was still very full and for some unknown reason I broke into a yoga session, which turned into a handstand session, which in turn ended with a broken bullentin board. Oops. I had removed the bullentin board off the wall to have some wall space for a kick up which was great, but once I discovered I could walk around on my hands I fell and landed right on the bullentin board. Unfortunately for it, it got the worst of it. Me, well, I was only surprised. I moved it out of the way and kept going. So finally at 3am I went to bed.
And now it is the choice to either go back to Sapporo for a party at Laura and Tim's, or go the music festival and have a bbq at hirafu. Ahh choices.
Blessings to you all.
The set for Kyogen
Kyogen is classical Japanese comic theater established in the Muromachi Period (1392-1573). Masks are only used in a few roles, and no makeup is put on. Except for the special roles of deities and orgres, the costumes are the daily clothing worn in the fifteenth century. Kyogen plots have an affirmative human spirit and do not draw thieves and the like as truly wicked people. Kyogens outstanding characteristic is the spoken lines accompanies by dramatic movement.
Whew, still with me?
So as the show started a man came out in a beautiful kimono and explained to the audience how to understand the old Japanese that was going to be used, he talked for 15 minutes. But regardless of my efforts, I couldn't understand a word of the play. But the two plays were funny non the less, and an interesting experience to say the least. Ah culture. Oh, and the picture of the set bellow was the set for the entire two shows. And the plays themselves usually only consist of two to three characters at a time and they walk around in circles a lot. Strange. But the attire was really neat. Amazing to watch something that has roots older than the country I was born in, felt really amazing.
Oh, and I found out once we got there that she had spent $75 for each ticket. Yowza. So in trade I bought her supper. Yeah, it was nice for her to invite me, but she makes as much money as I do and well $150 to show me Japanese culture seems a bit expensive.
(*side note: for those of you who don't know what she I am talking about, her name is Megumi Oshima. I work with her at the Suzukawa elementary school. She is a young teacher, and there are only about 20 young people in this small village town of mine and so that is the bond. Our age and what we do for a living. She is really nice in a very nervous sort of way, a scared field mouse sort of. Anyway, that is who she is. Oh, she is also the teacher who had the Christmas eve party last year. Good times.*)
After the show we went and got dinner at a favorite of mine, Sinner cafe. The Japanese version of Mexican, classic really. She had never been there and enjoyed herself. We were both starving after not eating since noon and it was now 9pm. And it could have been the genki drink that I had before leaving Kimobetsu, but I was still feeling great.
Regardless, we headed back home around 10:30pm to the asparagus town. Anticlimactic to be sure, but it was nice to get back.
Once I got back, my stomach was still very full and for some unknown reason I broke into a yoga session, which turned into a handstand session, which in turn ended with a broken bullentin board. Oops. I had removed the bullentin board off the wall to have some wall space for a kick up which was great, but once I discovered I could walk around on my hands I fell and landed right on the bullentin board. Unfortunately for it, it got the worst of it. Me, well, I was only surprised. I moved it out of the way and kept going. So finally at 3am I went to bed.
And now it is the choice to either go back to Sapporo for a party at Laura and Tim's, or go the music festival and have a bbq at hirafu. Ahh choices.
Blessings to you all.
The set for Kyogen
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