Kumano is famous as a place good brushes are handmade. Mei-Shun has thought it means the city accommodates the ancient shrine for a long time, that is a big misunderstanding. This city belongs to Hiroshima Prefecture. She learned it at a shop in Ginza lately.
Wrapping
Portable brush
Meaning a preparation for a stage, it is also called katsura (=wig) awase (=fitting). Contracted staffs start arranging items for respective dancers. Those who are in charge of wigs take the longest time to make metal bases from scratch. Kimono fitters are in close contact with small properties shops, so Mei-Shun asked them to lend her the spear two weeks before performance.
Thanks, Mr. O. His sudden phonecall reminded us of it. Yes, our duty to let Ms. Piano have tuning once a year. Her “doctor” visited us with a big, heavy bag as usual. It was just when he finished her up that Mei-Shun remembered a slight trouble; the damper for one of D keys did not work well. However, he took just a few words before he opened the lid to show her the fixed part. Applause to this real piano master.
Thank you so much, Professor S. She kindly sent Mei-Shun a delicacy of handmade again. Truly amazing is her technique and sense of beauty to employ such cute rose-shaped crystal beads. And this jade rose represents her warm regards. That must be why it just fits on the little cup behind Mei-Shun’s collarbone.
Purrr … I love it, too.
Japanese hairstyle for women had 4 basic 髷 (mage=bundling); 兵庫(hyogo)髷, 島田(shimada)髷, 勝山(katsuyama)髷 and 笄(kogai)髷 in Edo Period. Suisen-Tanzen normally employs a 島田髷 wig, yet our ex-head Onoe Kikugoro VII uses a 兵庫髷 one. And that is why Master Mei-Shu chose the latter, looking very handsome with a gorgeous 打掛 (uchikake=long kimono). Mei-Shun would like to look like her on the stage soon, at least in style.
Master Mei-Shu kindly showed her Suisen-Tanzen performance of 23 years ago, commemorating Kikunoe-Ryu foundation. It was just excellent. Actually too brilliant for Mei-Shun to do the same. She found that the spear in her left hand must have looked almost sleeping so far. Such item symbolizes what the role has in mind. From now, her challenge to wake it up starts. Thank you so much, Master.
Mei-Shun had taken piano lessons from 4 to 17 years old. Her last instructor always told her to keep short nails. She never allowed her students’ nails to touch keys of her piano — such noise must be a kind of torment for her sensitive ears. Now, Mei-Shun is swaying between fashion and hobby.
Master Mei-Shu stays in Tokushima, her hometown, to enjoy watching Awa Odori tonight. She has grown up in ever-dancing culture, that would be a big envy among Japanese dance fanciers including Mei-Shun. And Tokushima people share a nice ground to welcome any dancer on the stage, shown in their manner to give warm applause at the beginning of each performance.
It is no easy to avoid mistakes in playing piano. Touching wrong keys is out of question for professional pianists, while sounds uncomfortable to normal ears. What is the most important to enjoy beautiful flow of tones? Correct reading of scores seems the first. Picking up parts difficult to play smoothly would follow for concentrated practice.
This vase is made by 辻常陸 whose works of simple beauty attract us. It is Professor S. who first informed us on him — she gave Mei-Shun a mug to celebrate her late recovery. Not only drawings but also the kind-to-hand shape of his work lets you feel really refreshed after tea. Now, a thistle joined our table while full blossom of wisteria and three little butterflies wait for white flowers to top them.
meishunkikunoe 