Leiter S.L. Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre
Подождите немного. Документ загружается.
TACHIMAWARI • 381
but without musicians or dance is presented, the focus being the
beauty of the language and vocal music. Occasionally, there is no
jiutai and the other actors deliver its words. Su-utai is one of the
chief ways in which amateurs practice no
ˆ
and teaching it has long
been a source of income for no
ˆ
actors; moreover, its popularity with
amateurs during the Edo period was a prime reason for the publica-
tion of no
ˆ
scripts (utai bon).
T
TABI. The cotton (originally deerskin), bifurcated socks, generally
white, worn with Japanese clothing and seen in all forms of classical
Japanese theatre. In kyo
ˆ
gen, characters wear yellow or brown-striped
yellow tabi (called kyo
ˆ
gen tabi), although the jiutai and ko
ˆ
ken wear
white. Kabuki has black, purple, and yellow examples. See also
COSTUMES: KABUKI;COSTUMES:KYO
ˆ
GEN;COSTUMES:
NO
ˆ
; FOOTGEAR.
TABO. The arrangement o f back hair on kabuki wigs. The principal
types are abura tsuki and fukuro tsuki.
TACHIAI. A ‘‘competitive presentation’’ for actors or troupes ( za)
given during temple festivals in the days of sarugaku. Sometimes
several actors performed the same dance simu ltan eously , whi le at
other times the actors performed different dances in succession. Win-
ning a tachiai was vital to an actor and company’s standing.
TACHIMAWARI. In no
ˆ
, the various walking sequences with concrete
meanings, such as when the fisherman fishes in Akogi, the mountain
hag wanders in the mountains in Yamanba, the crazed mother
searches for her son in Sumidagawa, etc. The music is usually lei-
surely but may speed up on occasion. It may also be called iroe or
kakeri, depending on the school of no
ˆ
.
In bunraku and kabuki,
where
it is also called tate, it is the stylized
stage combats in which varying numbers of par ticipants engage,
as during military battles, killings, arrests, and quarrels. These are
choreographed in kabuki by the tateshi. When done on a large scale,
PAGE 381
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:41 PS
382 • TACHIMI
as in Hirakana Seisuki, where the hero battles a crowd of boatmen,
tachimawari can be quite spectacular. They are supported by musical
accompaniment, accentuated by the beating of tsuke, and filled with
special techniques, including somersaults (tonbo) and headstands,
mie and tableaux, a wide variety of weapons (both realistic and
greatly exaggerated), and many specific movement and poses. In
large-scale tachimawari, the focus is always on a single hero or hero-
ine battling with a band of identically dressed opponents. Among the
movements and poses are bunshichi, when a fighter thrusts his sword
to either side of his enemy; chidori, when the hero dodges a line of
attackers, as they pass by him one by one, in alternating patterns to
his left and right; giba, when a person who is struck leaps in the air
and lands on his rear end with legs apart, etc. See also BUDO
ˆ
GOTO;
KOROSHIBA; SHINUKI; TORITE; YOTEN.
TACHIMI. The ‘‘stand and see’’ section located at the rear of the top
balcony at Tokyo’s Kabuki-za. Spectators can purchase reduced
price seats here to see one act of an all day or evening program. Its
distance and angle prevent one from being able to see action on the
hanamichi.
TACHISHABERI. The ‘‘standing and speaking’’ convention in no
ˆ
that
contrasts with the seated or igatari type of aikyo
ˆ
gen.(See ASHI-
RAIAI; KATARIAI.) It features the ai delivering his monologue stand-
ing near the shite bashira in the jo
ˆ
za position (see STAGE: NO
ˆ
).
Unlike the igatari, there is no dialogue with the waki. In the massha-
ai (‘‘subsidiary-shrine interlude’’) variation, which often appears in
ceremonial hatsubanme mono,theai are secondary deities who
serve an important god and who enter to the spirited music called
raijo, speak of the main god, chant (utai), and dance; tengu goblins
and hermits also perform this kind of aikyo
ˆ
gen.
The other variation
is hayauchi-ai (‘
‘messenger interlude’’), which features messengers
who enter to music played in a quick tempo to make a report, as in
Hachi no Ki.
TACHIYAKU. Also tateyaku, the leading male roles in kabuki and their
actors. Since actors ‘‘stood’’ (tachi or tate), this word differentiated
them from the seated (ji) musicians, but it also came to separate
PAGE 382
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:42 PS
TAIKO • 383
male-role actors from female-role actors (onnagata) as well as from
various types of non-leading male roles (see YAKUGARA), such as
villains (katakiyaku), old men (oyajigata), and comic characters
(do
ˆ
kegata). Types of tachiyaku include aragotoshi (see ARAGOTO);
nimaime (see also SHIRONURI; WAGOTO); sabakiyaku,mature
men of judgment and integrity, such as Katsumoto in Meiboku Sen-
dai Hagi in Kanadehon Chu
ˆ
shingura; shinbo
ˆ
yaku, men who
patiently endure great psychological pressure, such as Mitsugi in Ise
Ondo Koi no Netaba; and jitsugotoshi, strong, capable, and wise men
who must navigate through unusually tragic circumstances, like Yur-
anosuke in Kanadehon Chu
ˆ
shingura.Someroletypes(yaku gara)
overlap in the same character, and there are specially mixed types,
such as the wajitsu who combines wagoto and jitsugotoshi qualities.
The truest tachiyaku representatives are the jitsugotoshi,sincethe
term was, historically, most often applied to men of righteous,
thoughtful, and practical natures.
TAIKO. A large, flat-looking drum, about eight and a half inches in
diameter, with a Zelkova wood body and cowhide drumheads struck
with two wooden drumsticks (bachi). It appears in no
ˆ
and kabuki.
The essential construction resembles that of the kotsuzumi and o
ˆ
tsu-
zumi but because its cords are very tight it cannot be tuned freely
during the performance; thus, variations in sound must be produced
by the way the drumsticks strike it. The taiko sits on a floor stand and
is struck on a small deerskin patch pasted at the drumhead center. It
is placed to face left on a 60-degree angle, with its left side slightly
higher than its right. The drummer kneels upstage of it.
In no
ˆ
, it appears mainly in plays whose shite is a supernatural
being, such as deity, a ghost, or some sort of demon, giving the name
taiko mono to such works. Thus, it is always used in hatsubanme
and gobanme mono,
where
it accompanies the shite’s second-act
(nochiba) dance. However, it may also be heard at the appearance of
ghosts in nibanme mono and for angels and other supernatural
beings in sanbanme mono. It is considered, for all its seeming sim-
plicity, an extremely difficult drum to master because of its two-
handed rhythm. Beating it with small, tightly controlled movements
is kizami, while striking it with large, dramatic overhand strokes is
kashira. See also MUSIC: NO
ˆ
; SHIBYO
ˆ
SHI.
PAGE 383
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:42 PS
384 • TAIKO CHU
ˆ
NO MAI
TAIKO CHU
ˆ
NO MAI. ‘‘Stick drum medium dances,’’ lively no
ˆ
dances
performed by female spirits. See also MAIGOTO; TAIKO CHU
ˆ
NO
MAI.
TAIKO CHU
ˆ
NO MAI MONO. A subdivision of the sanbanme mono
(‘‘third-group plays’’) no
ˆ
category containing three plays in which
there is a taiko chu
ˆ
no mai dance and little drama or realism. Num-
bers in parentheses indicate other groups to which these plays may
be assigned: Yoshino Tenjin (1, 4), about a heavenly female, and
Kocho
ˆ
(4) and Hatsuyuki (4), each about a nature spirit. See also
DAISHO
ˆ
CHU
ˆ
NO MAI; DAISHO
ˆ
JO NO MAI; IROE MONO;
TAIKO JO NO MAI MONO.
TAIKO JO NO MAI. A no
ˆ
‘‘introductory dance,’’ accompanied by the
taiko, that is livelier, brighter, and more joyful than a daisho
ˆ
jo no
mai, and is often a long dance by vegetation spirits, angels, youthful
male ghosts, and old tree spirits. See also MAIGOTO; TAIKO JO NO
MAI MONO.
TAIKO JO NO MAI MONO. A subdivision of the sanbanme mono
(‘‘third-group play’’) no
ˆ
category, containing one young woman play,
Seigan-ji; two plays about female deities, Kazuraki (1, 4) and Ha-
goromo (1, 4, 5); plays about nature spirits, Kakitsubata, Mutsura,
Fuji, Ume (1), Yugyo
ˆ
Yanagi, and Saigyo
ˆ
Zakura (4); two kijin mono
(‘
‘noblemen’s
plays’’: also otoko mono): Oshio, Unrin-in (4); and
one play about an old woman, Obasute. Numbers in parentheses indi-
cate other no
ˆ
groupings to which these plays sometimes are assigned.
These works, which include a taiko jo no mai dance, are considered
more colorful than those in the taiko chu
ˆ
no mai grouping. See also
DAISHO
ˆ
CHU
ˆ
NO MAI; DAISHO
ˆ
JO NO MAI; IROE MONO;
TAIKO CHU
ˆ
NO MAI MONO; TAIKO JO NO MAI.
TAIKO MONO. ‘‘Taiko plays,’’ no
ˆ
dances that use the taiko in their
accompaniment. See also MAIGOTO.
TAKADOMA. ‘‘Raised pit’’ box seats situated in front of the lower
sajiki on either side of an Edo-period kabuki theatre. They were
PAGE 384
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:42 PS
TAKEDA IZUMO • 385
lower than the sajiki but higher than the doma. See also SHIN TAKA-
DOMA.
TAKECHI KABUKI. Takechi Tetsuji (1912–88) was a stage and film
director and critic who, in the postwar years, staged a series of exper-
imental kabuki productions in the Kamigata area that came to be
known by this name. He produced mainly gidayu
ˆ
kyo
ˆ
gen in unique
interpretations based on thorough critical analyses of the play’s
social circumstances and psychological perceptions. The plays
emphasized texts over actors, and sought to pay respect to the origi-
nal scripts. In the troupe were the rising young Kamigata stars, the
future Jitsukawa Enjaku III, the future Nakamura Tomiju
ˆ
ro
ˆ
V,
and the future Nakamura Ganjiro
ˆ
III. They opened in Osaka in
December 1949 at Osaka’s Bunraku-za. In 1950, their management
was taken over by Sho
ˆ
chiku. Eventually, 25 plays were produced.
The influence on postwar kabuki was significant.
TAKEDA IZUMO. Three generations of bunraku playwrights. Izumo
I (?–1747) was a manager and playwright whose father produced
karakuri puppet shows in Osaka. In 1705, while still in his teens, he
succeeded Takemoto Gidayu
ˆ
as manager of the Takemoto-za. His
management helped the Takemoto-za not only to sur vive but to
flourish. He had a hand in Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s great success
with Kokusenya Kassen, altered the nature of puppet theatre perform-
ance from a primarily aural experience to a visual one, added kara-
kuri methods, introduced both degatari and dezukai, increased the
realism of scenery and bunraku costumes, and oversaw the develop-
ment of the sannin-zukai system. His othe r ach ievements inclu de
luring playwright Namiki So
ˆ
suke from the rival Toyotake-za. With
instructions from Chikamatsu, Izumo began to write plays in 1723,
composing 11 on his own, including Ashiya Do
ˆ
man O
ˆ
uchi Kagami,
as
w
ell as a dozen collaborations (gassaku). Nothing is known of his
work from1729–34 although he may have been working at another
theatre.
Izumo II (1691–1756), son of Izumo I, was also a playwright and
Takemoto-za manager. He is often called Takeda Koizumo. Working
with So
ˆ
suke and Miyoshi Sho
ˆ
raku, he collaborated on the three
greatest bunraku masterpieces, Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami,
PAGE 385
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:42 PS
386 • TAKEMOTO GIDAYU
ˆ
(1651–1714)
Kanadehon Chu
ˆ
shingura, and Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura. His other
collaborations include the classic Shin Usuyuki Monogatari, Hira-
kana Seisuiki, Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami, Shin Usuyuki Mono-
gatari, and Futatsu Cho
ˆ
cho
ˆ
Kuruwa Nikki. Questions exist regarding
his precise contributions, some bel ievi ng hi s name was added for
publicity purposes only. Izumo II helped formalize the gassaku sys-
tem and was instrumental in increasing the number of acts in a play
from the standard five, which led to rather complex plots. (See DRA-
MATIC STRUCTURE: BUNRAKU AND KABUKI.) He was
involved in the famous Kanadehon Chu
ˆ
shingura contretemps of
1748 (see TAKEMOTO KONOTAYU
ˆ
; YOSHIDA BUNZABURO
ˆ
).
TAKEMOTO GIDAYU
ˆ
(1651–1714). This foundational bunraku
chanter was raised as a farmer near Osaka’s Tenno
ˆ
-ji with the name
Goro
ˆ
bei. A student of Shimizu Rihei (a student of Inoue Harima no
jo
ˆ
), he debuted in 1674 in Rihei’s Osaka theatre. In 1677, he joined
the Kyoto company of ko jo
ˆ
ruri chanter Kidayu
ˆ
(the future Uji Kaga
no jo
ˆ
). That year he changed his name to Shimizu Ridayuˆ. He later
left the troupe and eventually fused the Harima and Kidayu
ˆ
styles,
while adding elements from other popular forms. Known for his
sonorous voice and perfect enunciation, he created the gidayu
ˆ
bushi
style, which eventually became a synonym for jo
ˆ
ruri.
He formed a partnership with shamisen player Osaki Gen’emon
(later Takezawa Gen’emon), puppeteer Yoshida Saburobei, and
producer Takeya Sho
ˆ
hei, and they performed at provincial locations.
He took the first character from the latter’s name and called himself
T
akemoto
Gidayu
ˆ
. In 1684, the trio opened the Takemoto-za in Osa-
ka’s Do
ˆ
tonbori district with Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s Yotsugi
Soga, a play originally written for Uji Kaga no jo
ˆ
.
In 1685, Uji rivaled the upstarts with his own theatre. After initial
success, the Takemoto-za did less well with its follow-up production.
However, Uji’s theatre burned down, leaving GidayuˆasOsaka’s
leading chanter. His partnership with Chikamatsu was cemented in
1686 with Shusse Kagekiyo, marking the transition from ko jo
ˆ
ruri to
shin jo
ˆ
ruri (‘‘new jo
ˆ
ruri’’) or to
ˆ
ryu
ˆ
jo
ˆ
ruri (‘‘up-to-date jo
ˆ
ruri’’).
In 1698, the emperor granted Gidayuˆ the honorary name Takemoto
Chikugo no jo
ˆ
Fujiwara Hironori. In 1703, Chikamatsu’s revolution-
PAGE 386
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:43 PS
TAKEMOTO HARUTAYU
ˆ
(1808–77) • 387
ary shinju
ˆ
mono, Sonezaki Shinju
ˆ
, was produced, saving the theatre
from ruin. Gidayuˆ soon retired from management.
Gidayu
ˆ
’s lack of business skills had put the theatre in jeopardy. He
also failed to retain the ser vices of the young chanter, Takemoto
Uneme, who left in 1703 to set up the rival Toyotake-za under the
name Toyotake Wakatayu
ˆ
. In 1705, the management was turned
over to Takeda Izumo I. Chikamatsu became resident playwright
and Tatsumatsu Hachirobei head puppeteer, with Takezawa Gen’e-
mon as master shamisen player. Their first production introduced the
important conventions of degatari and dezukai, as well as karakuri
puppets. Success ensued until Gidayuˆ’s death.
Gidayu
ˆ
also published collections of his work and treatises on jo
ˆ
r-
uri, one of which, Jo
ˆ
kyo
ˆ
Yonen Gidayu
ˆ
Danmonoshu
ˆ
(The 1687 Col-
lection of Gidayu
ˆ
’s Jo
ˆ
ruri Scenes), became a text for later chanters.
In it, he outlined the dramatic structure of a five-act play, basing it
on the structure of a no
ˆ
program.
Gidayu
ˆ
II (1691–1744), disciple of Gidayu
ˆ
I, disappointed at his
lack of opportunities, deserted to the Toyotake-za where he chanted
under the name Wakatake Masatayu
ˆ
, but returned to the Takemoto-
za in 1712. He became the chief chanter after Gidayu
ˆ
I died, calling
himself Takemoto Masatayu
ˆ
, and, in 1715, had an epochal success
performing Chikamatsu’s long-run hit Kokusenya Kassen, written for
him. He had a weaker voice than his master but was popular because
of his deep interpretive powers, psychological insights, and emo-
tional depth, especially in Chikamatsu’s shinju
ˆ
mono. He became
Gidayuˆ II in 1734 and, in 1735, was given the honorary name of
Takemoto Kazusa no shojo
ˆ
by the emperor because of his outstand-
ing performance of Chikamatsu’s Gosho Zakura Horikawa Youchi.
T
AKEMOTO
HARUTAYU
ˆ
(1808–77). A bunraku chanter and for-
mer sumo wrestler known for his physical bulk, powerful voice, and
remarkable breath control, which allowed him to perform long and
arduous roles while never relinquishing his vocal flexibility. Adopted
by Takemoto Harutayu
ˆ
IV in 1842, a year later he became Harutayu
ˆ
V. In 1872, he joined the new Bunraku-za, where he became chief
chanter (monshita). He retired in 1874 but returned to the stage in
1877 only to become fatally ill not long afterward. He is credited
with having saved bunraku from dire consequences when, after the
PAGE 387
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:43 PS
388 • TAKEMOTO KONOTAYU
ˆ
I (1700–68)
death of the great Takemoto Nagatodayu
ˆ
, he partnered the brilliant
shamisen player Toyozawa Danpei II and achieved enormous suc-
cess. Takemoto Settsu no daijo was a disciple.
TAKEMOTO KONOTAYU
ˆ
I (1700–68). A bunraku chanter, famed
for a voice that was beautiful but not very strong, yet outstanding in
scenes of deep emotion. Because of a famous dispute with puppe-
teer Yoshida Bunzaburo
ˆ
during the p remi er of Kanadehon Chu
ˆ
-
shingura in 1748, he left the Takemoto-za for the Toyotake-za and
changed his name from Mutsuitayu
ˆ
to Konotayu
ˆ
. A year later, he had
a major success with another play and received the honorary name
Toyotake Chikuzen no shojo
ˆ
Fujiwara Tamemasa from the emperor.
Five generations held the name.
TAKEMOTO KOSHIJIDAYU
ˆ
. See TAKEMOTO SETTSU NO
DAIJO
ˆ
.
TAKEMOTO NAGATODAYU
ˆ
III (1800–64). A bunraku chanter
gifted with a powerful voice and great versatility that helped him suc-
ceed in all genres. His career was centered in the Inari Shrine theatre
(see BUNRAKU-ZA), where he became the company’s leading per-
former. His appearance during bunraku’s period of decline was
instrumental in reviving the art. He trained many of the finest chant-
ers of the next generation, and had a defining influence on the revolu-
tionary shamisen player Toyozawa Danpei II, whom he made his
accompanist in 1856, and on the puppeteer Yoshida Tamazo
ˆ
.A
sign of his constant desire to improve was his practice of mingling
with the spectators while veiling his face so that he could listen to
their criticisms of his work. Invited to Edo in 1860, he declined to
perform in the Saruwaka-cho
ˆ
district for fear of competing with
kabuki. Instead, he performed in the city proper and had an unparal-
leled success.
TAKEMOTO O
ˆ
SUMIDAYU
ˆ
III (1854–1913). A bunraku chanter
who, having shown talent as a shamisen player, made his debut in
1872. A physically unattractive man of great size, he had tremendous
stamina in performance. Despite no formal education, his diligence
led him to gain attention in 1873 when given a major role. Following
PAGE 388
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:43 PS
TAKEMOTO SETTSU NO DAIJO
ˆ
(1836–1917) • 389
the death of Takemoto Harutayu
ˆ
, his master, he studied under the
future Takemoto Settsu no daijo
ˆ
, whom he accompanied to Tokyo,
gaining popularity there in a variety theatre (yose). Later, he and his
new master would be the leading chanters of the age, with O
ˆ
sumi-
dayu
ˆ
bettering the older man in his realism but losing out in pathos
and charm. He was in the first company at the new Hikoroku-za, and
soon received the attention of shamisen player Toyozawa Danpei II,
who gave him severe but worthwhile training. He was known for his
reckless offstage life. He performed mainly at theatres rivaling the
Bunraku-za or on tour. And he never entered a kabuki theatre for
fear of its bad influence. In 1894, he became O
ˆ
sumidayuˆ at the Inari-
za, and thereafter often partnered Danpei.
TAKEMOTO SABUROBEI. A bunraku playwright employed as a
puppeteer at the Takemoto-za from 1759 to 1768. After the Take-
moto-za went out of business, he moved to the Toyotake-za. His first
work was the collaboratively w ritt en (gassaku) Hidakagawa Iriai
Zakura, after which he wrote mainly in suppor t of Chikamatsu
Hanji, contributing to such plays as O
ˆ
shu
ˆ
Adachigahara, Honcho
ˆ
Niju
ˆ
shiko
ˆ
, O
ˆ
mi Genji Senjin Yakata, etc. Among his still-performed
work is Hade Sugata Onna Maiginui.
TAKEMOTO SETTSU NO DAIJO
ˆ
(1836–1917). A bunraku
chanter who began as a shamisen player but whose beautiful voice
convinced shamisen artist Nozawa Kichibei III that he should switch
to chanting. He was first known as Takemoto Nanbutayuˆ but, in 1860,
succeeded to Takemoto Koshijidayu
ˆ
II (Koshijidayu
ˆ
I was Kichibei’s
father). He gained popularity in Edo after appearing in a variety hall
(yose) there. After a period of struggle to find employment in Osaka,
wherehetrainedunderT
a
kemoto Harutayu
ˆ
, he joined the Bun-
raku-za in 1872, gaining success after Harutayu
ˆ
’s death and becom-
ing monshita in 1877; his par tner was the great shamisen player
Toyozawa Danpei II. He introduced the use, whenever possible, of
historical names for characters in jidai mono, forbidden during Edo
period. This was abandoned in 1891.
In 1885, he had a great success at Tokyo’s new Bunraku-za, and
in 1890 enjoyed a seven-month Tokyo engagement performing su-
jo
ˆ
ruri at a yose;ajo
ˆ
ruri craze soon swept the city. In 1902, Prince
PAGE 389
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:43 PS
390 • TAKEMOTO TSUDAYU
ˆ
III (1869–1941)
Komatsu conferred on him the honorar y name Settsu no daijo
ˆ
.A
year later, he became Takemoto Harutayuˆ VI. He was now the most
popular bunraku artist in Japan. Together with Danpei II and puppe-
teer Yoshida Tamasuke, Settsu no daijo
ˆ
was one of bunraku’s sans-
hoku (‘‘three colors’’) during the Meiji period.
Koshijidayu
ˆ
III (1865–1920), another brilliant chanter, joined the
Bunraku-za and became a star at 24. His frequent dalliances with
women did not prevent him from pursuing his art, and he was a star
in both Osaka and Tokyo. In 1915, he was made monshita.
TAKEMOTO TSUDAYU
ˆ
III (1869–1941). A bunraku chanter who
helped the art survive after the death of Takemoto Koshijidayuˆ III
(see TAKEMOTO SETTSU NO DAIJO
ˆ
). He joined the Bunraku-za
in 1884. In 1910, he became Tsudayuˆ III. In 1924, when bunraku’s
future looked bleak following Koshijidayu
ˆ
’s death, he became mons-
hita and led the company successfully through the troubled 1930s.
TAKEMOTO-ZA. One of the two principal Osaka bunraku theatres of
the 18th century. It was founded on the west side of the Do
ˆ
tonbori
theatre district by chanter Takemoto Gidayu
ˆ
in 1684, with the
backing of producer Takeya Sho
ˆ
hei, and the support of shamisen
player Takezawa Gen’emon and puppeteer Yoshida Saburobei.
The successful opening play was Yotsugi Soga by Chikamatsu Mon-
zaemon, originally written for UjiKaganojo
ˆ
(see also KO JO
ˆ
R-
URI). In 1686, the theatre witnessed the start of the revolutionary
collaboration between Chikamatsu and Gidayuˆ,withShusse
Kagekiyo.
In 1703, Chikamatsu, after working mainly for kabuki, provided
the epochal Sonezaki Shinju
ˆ
, which temporarily rescued the theatre
from difficulties. Business improved in 1705 when Gi dayuˆ turned
ov
er
the management to Takeda Izumo I and signed Chikamatsu on
as resident dramatist. Izumo’s management introduced various revo-
lutionary innovations and bunraku made rapid progress.
Meanwhile, the Takemoto-za, known for its restrained style of
realism, engaged in an intense rivalry with the more flamboyant To-
yotake-za (founded in 1703) that lasted until the 1760s. Because of
its location, the Takemoto-za was called the Nishi no Shibai (‘‘West-
PAGE 390
.................15687$ $CH1 12-20-05 11:07:43 PS