Kanami
Encyclopedia
Kan'ami Kiyotsugu was a Japan
ese Noh
actor, author, and musician during the Muromachi period
. Born Yūzaki Kiyotsugu (結崎 清次) in Iga Province
, Kan'ami also went by the names 'Miyomaru' and 'Kanza Kiyotsugu' (観世 清次).
when he founded a Sarugaku
theater group. The troupe moved to Yamato
and formed the Yuzaki theater company, which would eventually become the school of Noh theater
. He grew in popularity, and began making trips to Kyoto
to give performances. In 1374, the shogun
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
was in the audience of a performance and was so impressed by it that he became Kan'ami's patron.
Kan'ami was the first playwright to incorporate the Kusemai
song and dance style and Dengaku
dances from rustic harvest celebrations. He trained his son Zeami Motokiyo
in his style, and was eventually succeeded by him as the director of the Kanze school of Noh. Kan'ami died in Suruga Province
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Noh
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...
actor, author, and musician during the Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
. Born Yūzaki Kiyotsugu (結崎 清次) in Iga Province
Iga Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today western Mie Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Iga bordered on Ise, Ōmi, Yamato, and Yamashiro Provinces.-Geography:...
, Kan'ami also went by the names 'Miyomaru' and 'Kanza Kiyotsugu' (観世 清次).
Theater
Kan'ami's career began in ObataObata, Mie
was a town located in Watarai District, Mie, Japan.On November 1, 2005 Obata, along with the town of Futami, and the village of Misono, all from Watarai District, was merged into the expanded city of Ise and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
when he founded a Sarugaku
Sarugaku
Sarugaku, literally "monkey music," was a form of theatre popular in Japan during the 11th to 14th centuries. It originated from "sangaku," a form of entertainment reminiscent of the modern-day circus, consisting mostly of acrobatics, juggling, and pantomime, sometimes combined with drum dancing...
theater group. The troupe moved to Yamato
Yamato Province
was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in...
and formed the Yuzaki theater company, which would eventually become the school of Noh theater
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...
. He grew in popularity, and began making trips to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
to give performances. In 1374, the shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
was the 3rd shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who ruled from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was the son of the second shogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira....
was in the audience of a performance and was so impressed by it that he became Kan'ami's patron.
Kan'ami was the first playwright to incorporate the Kusemai
Kusemai
Kusemai was a popular Japanese form of song and dance with a strong irregular beat - emphasis is placed on the beat at the expense of the melody....
song and dance style and Dengaku
Dengaku
Dengaku Dengaku Dengaku (田楽）were rustic Japanese celebrations that can be classified into two types: dengaku that developed as a musical accompaniment to rice planting observances and the dengaku dances that developed in conjunction with sangaku. The dengaku celebrated for rice planting was...
dances from rustic harvest celebrations. He trained his son Zeami Motokiyo
Zeami Motokiyo
Zeami Motokiyo , also called Kanze Motokiyo , was a Japanese aesthetician, actor and playwright.-Acting:...
in his style, and was eventually succeeded by him as the director of the Kanze school of Noh. Kan'ami died in Suruga Province
Suruga Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka prefecture. It was sometimes called . Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay.-History:...
.