Kikunoe Ryu

Japanese Culture@holiday

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This is 三蓋傘 for 汐汲. Although a bit old and broken, not the real one to perform on the stage with Mei-Shun soon, you have made a good debut on real Culture Day. Thank you so much, Master Mei-Shu. She kindly called a property shop over and over on behalf of her student to rent it. Her connection works well on such occasion: the longer you communicate with stage staffers, the more convenient things would be. Now, since it rained hard yesterday, let’s wait for practice until the roof floor is completely dried.

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Trichosanthes cucumeroides

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Master Mei-Shu had a sudden stomachache the other day. It made a lesson canceled on the way, while her mouth never stopped chatting. Mei-Shun takes it a duty of student to listen to, yet if Master starts to complain, she intends to wander in concentration looking aside.

物言えば　唇寒し　秋の風

MATSUO, Basho said that speaking ill of others makes yourself lowered in above haiku poetry. So did 烏瓜=karasu-uri, Japanese snake gourd it seemed when Mei-Shun left Master’s house.

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Fountain View

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乙戸沼 Park always makes walking Mei-Shun relaxed. As water towers dance this morning, however, they reminded her of 娘道成寺, musume-dojoji. On the stage, this title accommodates a temple bell as enormous as one of these water ones. She must learn how to act the role of 花子, hanako by dancing for examination to promote toward 師範, shihan meaning a tutor of 菊ノ上流 next year. All right, she finished making a round of the pond. Now it makes Mei-Shun a little tense.

噴水＠乙戸 (2)

Shio-Kumi:1

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Here is a handmade pair of pails for Shio-Kumi practice. Thank you so much, Master Mei-Shu. That story features pretty sisters named 松風 and 村雨, who were involved in sea salt making at a small, remote village. One day, they saw a noble guy in a banishment penalty and fell in love with him.

shio-kumi

First Lesson

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Mei-Shun’s 2016 performance would be 汐汲: Shio-Kumi. She is so excited with the work, one of her most admired. Actually, she had planned to play a role of young guy after a lady of narcissus. However, Master Mei-Shu recommended her to do it because the younger a performer is, the better for roles of beautiful ladies.

Not a Weapon

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So it is one month before 邦楽発表会. Here is a handmade spear for practice — thank you, Master Mei-Shu. Several of her students have performed Suisen-Tanzen. Well, it seems difficult for normal citizens to keep such items new and clean. Mei-Shun would use it on the roof floor, never to hit Mikan-chan full of curiosity.

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Necessary Costume

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… for horseback riding includes a helmet, a vest, slim pants called culottes, boots and gloves. Mei-Shun ordered all (thanks a million, Shin), has not yet received any except for a pair of culottes. She is so much looking forward to seeing them soon. On the other hand, Japanese dance requires at least one cotton yukata, made with a texture on which a pattern of school where a dancer belongs to is dyed. Kikunoe Ryu has chosen this one, a pair of chrysanthemum profiles bound in calyx.

Daki-hiraki-kiku

Daki-hiraki-kiku

Wig Choice

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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.

Shocking, but …

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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.