Dōjōji (Noh play)
Encyclopedia
is a famous Noh
play of the fourth category ("miscellaneous"), of unknown authorship. Traditionally it is said to be written by Kan'ami and revised by Zeami, while others assign it to Kanze Nobumitsu
; there are many variations in different texts, and a popular adaptation for kabuki
theatre. It is practically the only Noh play to use a substantial prop — a huge bell.
, in Kii Province
, has had no bell for many years. But today is an auspicious day, and the Abbot of Dōjōji has arranged for a new bell to be raised into the belfry. With a great deal of effort, the temple servants succeed into hoisting it into position.
For reasons the Abbot will not explain, the dedication service requires the absence of all women from the temple grounds. But a female dancer approaches the gate and, by giving an impromptu performance, persuades the servant to admit her.
Continuing to dance before the hypnotized onlookers, she slowly approaches the bell, then starts to strike it viciously.
She stands under the bell, and jumps; the bell simultaneously falls to the ground with a tremendous crash.
The servants rouse themselves as though from a trance, and see that the bell is on the ground. Only with difficulty do they remember what happened. They go to tell the Abbot, who comes in great haste. He scolds the servants, and tells them the story of what happened to the previous bell. Many years before, a priest from the northern provinces would make an annual trip to the shrine of Kumano, stopping at the house of a steward each time. He would bring gifts for the steward's daughter, Kiyohime. She had a crush on the priest, and the steward once told her, as a joke, that when she grew up she would be his wife.
Not realising that it was a joke, one year she finally confronted the priest and demanded his hand in marriage. When he saw that she would not take no for an answer, he sneaked out of the steward's house, crossed a swollen river to Dōjōji and asked them to hide him, which they did — under the bell. The girl ran after him, but could not cross the river. In her towering rage she transformed into a giant serpent and swam to the temple. She coiled herself around the bell, which turned white-hot and burnt him to death inside.
On hearing this, the servants resolve to perform an exorcism of her malevolent spirit. They pray to the five myōō, or Guardian Kings of East, South, West, North and Centre. Then they chant part of the Vow of Fudō. With great difficulty they lift the bell, and the demon jumps out from beneath it. The priests pronounce invocations to three of the five Dragon Kings. Using prayer and brandishing their rosaries they succeed in driving the monstrous serpent away. She leaps into the River Hitaka and vanishes beneath the waves.
Dōjōji is thought to be derived from a more substantial play called Kanemaki, which is still occasionally performed.
is located in the town of Hidakagawa
, Wakayama Prefecture
.
The bell is very heavy and, if lowered improperly, can hurt the actor, thus requiring that the attendant lowering the bell be in sync with the performer. On some occasions, actors have been beheaded by an improperly lowered bell.
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
play of the fourth category ("miscellaneous"), of unknown authorship. Traditionally it is said to be written by Kan'ami and revised by Zeami, while others assign it to Kanze Nobumitsu
Kanze Nobumitsu
Kanze Kojiro Nobumitsu 観世小次郎信光 was a Japanese noh playwright and secondary actor during the Muromachi Era, from the house of Kanze. He was the grandson of Noh playwright Zeami Motokiyo, and is considered one of the last important playwrights of the golden age of Noh.-Selected plays:* Ataka*...
; there are many variations in different texts, and a popular adaptation for kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
theatre. It is practically the only Noh play to use a substantial prop — a huge bell.
Plot summary
The temple Dōjō-jiDōjō-ji
is a Tendai school Buddhist temple in Hidakagawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 701, it has given name to a number of plays, the statues of Senjū Kannon, Nikkō Bosatsu, and Gakkō Bosatsu are National Treasures, and there are a number of other Important Cultural Properties.-Buildings:*...
, in Kii Province
Kii Province
, or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Provinces. The Kii Peninsula takes its name from this province....
, has had no bell for many years. But today is an auspicious day, and the Abbot of Dōjōji has arranged for a new bell to be raised into the belfry. With a great deal of effort, the temple servants succeed into hoisting it into position.
For reasons the Abbot will not explain, the dedication service requires the absence of all women from the temple grounds. But a female dancer approaches the gate and, by giving an impromptu performance, persuades the servant to admit her.
Continuing to dance before the hypnotized onlookers, she slowly approaches the bell, then starts to strike it viciously.
She stands under the bell, and jumps; the bell simultaneously falls to the ground with a tremendous crash.
The servants rouse themselves as though from a trance, and see that the bell is on the ground. Only with difficulty do they remember what happened. They go to tell the Abbot, who comes in great haste. He scolds the servants, and tells them the story of what happened to the previous bell. Many years before, a priest from the northern provinces would make an annual trip to the shrine of Kumano, stopping at the house of a steward each time. He would bring gifts for the steward's daughter, Kiyohime. She had a crush on the priest, and the steward once told her, as a joke, that when she grew up she would be his wife.
Not realising that it was a joke, one year she finally confronted the priest and demanded his hand in marriage. When he saw that she would not take no for an answer, he sneaked out of the steward's house, crossed a swollen river to Dōjōji and asked them to hide him, which they did — under the bell. The girl ran after him, but could not cross the river. In her towering rage she transformed into a giant serpent and swam to the temple. She coiled herself around the bell, which turned white-hot and burnt him to death inside.
On hearing this, the servants resolve to perform an exorcism of her malevolent spirit. They pray to the five myōō, or Guardian Kings of East, South, West, North and Centre. Then they chant part of the Vow of Fudō. With great difficulty they lift the bell, and the demon jumps out from beneath it. The priests pronounce invocations to three of the five Dragon Kings. Using prayer and brandishing their rosaries they succeed in driving the monstrous serpent away. She leaps into the River Hitaka and vanishes beneath the waves.
Sources
The earliest known version of this story is in Honchō Hokke Reigenki (c. 1040), a collection of Buddhist miracle stories.Dōjōji is thought to be derived from a more substantial play called Kanemaki, which is still occasionally performed.
Location
The temple Dōjō-jiDōjō-ji
is a Tendai school Buddhist temple in Hidakagawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 701, it has given name to a number of plays, the statues of Senjū Kannon, Nikkō Bosatsu, and Gakkō Bosatsu are National Treasures, and there are a number of other Important Cultural Properties.-Buildings:*...
is located in the town of Hidakagawa
Hidakagawa, Wakayama
is a town in Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. It resulted from the May 2005 merger of the town of Kawabe and the villages of Nakatsu and Miyama. As of January 1, 2007, Hidakagawa has a population of 11,478 and an area of 331.61 km² for a population density of 34.613 people per...
, Wakayama Prefecture
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
.
Bell
Due to the bell in this play, dedicated Noh stages have a hook used for holding this bell in the center of the roof, and a metal loop at upstage left to hold the rope when lowering it; these are used only for this play. The part calls for a change of Noh costumes inside the bell, which is very challenging, due to being done alone, in the dark, in cramped quarters – normally a Noh costume is put on by several attendants. Accordingly, this role is reserved for senior actors.The bell is very heavy and, if lowered improperly, can hurt the actor, thus requiring that the attendant lowering the bell be in sync with the performer. On some occasions, actors have been beheaded by an improperly lowered bell.