Nihon Buyo Mime – Yasukuni Shrine
At Tokyo’s famous Yasukuni Shrine earlier this year I saw a performance of Nihon Buyo, traditional Japanese dances, one of which was a rather funny mime dancer doing a near perfect fisherman routine. I have seen a lot of Nihon Buyo over the years but never something as funny as this. Unfortunately I didn’t get a program for the performance that day.
Few shrines in Tokyo has as great stages as Yasukuni shrine. Most weekends have something interesting being performed and since it is always free to watch it is always worth a visit. It is close to Kudanshita subway station or a not too far walk from Iidabashi train station.
Tokyobling's Blog 
Really wonderful photos! The second B&W is my fave.
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Thank you Koji! I appreciate your kind comment!
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BTW, I took my GF to the Yasukuni Jinjya just this last November. She had a very emotional time there…
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Many people do. It is always intereting/heart wrenching to watch.
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Just seeing these pictures make me smiLe 😀
Great photos!
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Thank you! I am glad you liked them! (^-^)
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More from Shimane! 😀 This is Dojo-sukui, the humorous loach-fishing dance from Yasugi-shi, famous around the country, and inspiration for all kinds of gifts and even manjuu here. The 5-yen coin on the nose is optional, but I rather prefer it with that addition. ^_^
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Haha… you are fountain of information! Even with my black belt in Google-fu I failed to find any information on this. Fantastic! Yes it was a great dance and he even had a little loach that wriggled around in his hands (oh the joys of rubber). He must have been a master of the dance dispatched to entertain us poor Tokyo yokels. Now I feel like visiting Yasugi-shi. Btw, when is the Shimane prefectural office going to recognize your role as international ambassador of the prefecture and hire you? (^-^)
I haven’t mentioned it but I LOVE that photo on your gravatar, I’m a huge fan of Nihongami and my poor friends in Tokyo always have to put up with me nagging them to try it out. (^-^)
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Haha. I’ve DONE the dance, so it’s hard to mistake it: http://saninstory.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/folk-dance-dojou-sukui/
As it turns out, they already do. ^^; I’m a CIR in the JET program for Matsue City, so yes, that’s why I started my blog, but I do honestly love and region and want to build up as much attention for it as I can. 😀
I rather like that photo too from a quick up-do we did to snap a photo, but getting nihongami done for kimono competitions can be quite complex and require getting to the salons before daylight. I’ll be in the world competition on the NHK stage in Shibuya this coming April, but I’ll have to get the frame of the hair done the night before, then have it fixed in the morning. I’m not really looking forward to having to sleep like that… I can’t imagine how Edo period women could stand it on those block pillows!
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Thank you for that link. How fantastic that you have actually done it! (^-^)
I think Matsue could never find a better Good will ambassador. I should try and recruit you to the Tokyobling project: you could start the Matsuebling blog and we could join forces in our love for Japan. (^-^)
I would love to see that NHK performance. Do post plenty of pictures. It sounds like you are getting the real deal. Personally (well not on my own hair, but with friend’s!) I have used the videos posted by this girl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0akH0MNYqg She teaches both the classic kimono look (as in he linked video) and in other she teaches the more modern Meiji style that you only ever see older geisha do on their off days these days. And sometimes, if you a lucky, you might catch a glimpse of it on a passing by hostess lady in Ginza…!
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My topics jump around a bit, but my friend’s Made in Matsue is a really nice photo blog. 😀 http://madeinmatsue.com/
Thanks for the link, I’ll have to check out the video later! As for the contest, it is on Sunday, April 6, and hopefully they’ll have tickets at the door if you’re available that day (prime seating is 3000yen, but it sounds like it fills up fast. Further back would be more like 1500). In the meantime, here are my entries and photos from regional competitions:
http://saninstory.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/shikoku-chuugoku-kimono-contest/
http://saninstory.wordpress.com/2013/12/12/chuugoku-shikoku-kimono-contest/
The first year I had hair past my waist and the poor stylist had to get creative will how to hide it all. This previous year it was just past my shoulders, and they had to use long black extensions (which you can’t see under my brunette hair) to get the right shape. I’ll be the stylist in Tokyo will have their own approach, too!
I haven’t spent more than a few weeks worth of time in Tokyo over the years, but the night I passed by the hostess clubs welcoming customers in Ginza was one of the most interesting. 😀 Didn’t notice the hair as much as the ballgowns, though.
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Thank you for all that information! I am sure it will come in handy!! (^-^) And you look fantastic in a kimono!
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I suspect his expressions gave the dance humor and joy. I know I was smiling just looking at the photos. Always enjoyable here.
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Thank you! (^-^) Yes, I am sure that the face is an important part of any dance…!
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