Celebration Beyond Celebration—The Mechanics of Okina and Fūryū

By OKIMOTO Yukiko

Okina is the root of Nohgaku, but it is a mysterious entity, sometimes described as being "Noh, yet not Noh." It has no definite story, and its forms of music and dance differ greatly from other Noh plays.

Well before Zeami (c. 1363–c. 1443) established the world that led to modern Noh, Okina was already a popular centerpiece of Sarugaku in the late 13th century, more than 150 years earlier. During the Edo period, it was invariably performed at the beginning of the day’s program, before the standard five Noh plays. Today, it is danced on special occasions like New Year’s or the inauguration of a new stage, to purify the surroundings and to bless the new beginnings of the place and the people gathered there. That is why Okina was chosen for this commemorative event celebrating the relocation of the Kyoto City University of Arts.

Its original name was Shiki Sanban, meaning a three-part ritual featuring three old men. In the past, the three figures of Chichi no Jō (the Father Elder), Okina, and Sanbasō appeared. However, by the early Muromachi period, Chichi no Jō was omitted from most performances, except for special Shinto ceremonies, creating the current form featuring two old men, Okina and Sanbasō. Nevertheless, the name "Shiki Sanban" was retained. Since Zeami’s time, the role of Okina has been performed by a Noh actor, and the role of Sanbasō by a Kyōgen actor.

The modern Okina is best understood as a kind of ritual. The sacred object of worship (goshintai) is the mask. The Noh actor playing Okina serves as the priest who presides over the ritual. All performers, including the musicians (hayashikata) and the chorus (jiutai), are dressed in formal kamishimo garments and eboshi hats, rather than in costumes befitting their characters. Before performing "Okina," the actors purify themselves for a period of time. Prior to going on stage, an altar (called an okina-kazari) is set up in the mirror room (kagami no ma), upon which the sacred masks are placed. Offerings of sacred sake, washed rice, and other items are made. The performers then partake of the sake, place some of the washed rice in their mouths, and purify themselves with salt. Finally, they head to the stage after sparks are struck from flint (kiribi) for purification. The mask box bearer (omo-bako-mochi), holding the box containing the sacred masks, leads the procession of formally attired performers, headed by the lead actor (tayū), onto the stage.

A unique feature of Okina is that the actors don the sacred masks on stage, allowing the audience to witness their transformation into the aged gods Okina and Sanbasō. On the audience’s part, even those who arrive late are not permitted to enter the seating area until the actor playing Okina has exited the stage. It is considered a deeply sacred ritual, pervaded by an atmosphere that cannot be violated.

That said, the sacred Okina mask has a friendly, gentle smile. In contrast to the harsh, severe faces of the jōmen (old man masks) in Noh, it is in fact much closer to the gods of Kyōgen, like the God of Fortune or Daikoku. Its appearance is that of a familiar, common old man, not a sublime, unapproachable deity. Furthermore, the music is also distinctive, consisting of a flute and three kotsuzumi (small hand drums). The ōtsuzumi (large hip drum) is added for Sanbasō’s part, but the rhythmic form is completely different from that of Noh and is highly repetitive. For the audience, it has a delightful quality that makes one want to tap along with the rhythm. The dance features frequent foot stamps (ashibyōshi) and moments of leaping, creating a dynamic and brisk performance.

This gap between its strict, deified state and its folksy appearance and straightforward joy is the very charm of "Okina," and likely the key to unlocking its mysteries.

1: The Structure of the Modern Okina

Let us first examine the progression of a standard, modern performance of "Okina." The actor playing the priest makes a deep bow on stage and sits in his designated position. The box containing the sacred masks is placed before him, and its lid is opened.

The Noh actor playing Okina, first in his role as priest, begins to chant "tōtō tarari tararira..." without a mask. The sounds, said to derive from a form of solfege, are sung like a spell, without forming words. Interspersed within this incantation is the following passage:

> Tokoro chiyo made owashimase
Warera mo senshū samurawau
Tsuru to kame to no yowai nite
Saiwai kokoro ni makasetari

>

May this place last for a thousand generations, and may we humans also attain a lifespan of a thousand years. Following the long lives of the crane and the turtle, may happiness continue for a thousand, ten thousand years, just as we wish.

This is a short prayer. Afterwards, the white Okina (Okina) and the black Okina (Sanbasō) appear in sequence, but before each of the two aged men appears, a herald’s dance is performed. Before the white Okina, Senzai (a youth, despite his name meaning "a thousand years!") dances bare-faced. It is a brisk herald’s dance that seems to wash and purify the surroundings with the song and sound of a waterfall. During this, the white Okina dons a white elder mask (jōmen) and performs a shamanic dance centered on foot-stamping, praying for "peace throughout the land and tranquility for the nation."

Meanwhile, before the black Okina appears, the Sanbasō actor himself, unmasked (and thus appearing as an actor, not as Sanbasō), performs a herald’s dance with powerful calls and foot stamps. After a brief dialogue with Senzai, the black Okina receives a string of bells, which he shakes as he circles the stage with fierce foot stamps.

A simple outline of the structure is as follows:

Opening Chant (Priest's Prayer) Herald's Dance 1 (Senzai no Mai) White Okina's Prayer and Dance (Okina no Mai) Herald's Dance 2 (Momi no dan) Dialogue between Senzai and Black Okina Black Okina's Dance (Suzu no dan)

The structure thus consists of repeated purifications through dance, as two Okinas, one white and one black, offer prayers and dances.

It should be noted that in the Kamakura period, the name "Senzai" did not exist; the role was simply called "Tsuyuharai" (Herald). It is likely that originally, only one herald’s dance was performed at the very beginning for the entire "Shiki Sanban," which included Chichi no Jō. The later arrangement of placing a herald’s dance before both the white and black Okinas is thought to be a later development. It is also suggestive that "Chichi no Jō," which was dropped from standard Okina performances during Zeami's time, is not accompanied by a herald. This can be interpreted as a means to further elevate the divine status of the white and black Okinas. Moreover, the fact that the white Okina has a different person (Senzai) perform the herald’s dance, while the black Okina’s actor dances it himself, is likely intended to position the white Okina as a higher-ranking deity.

Furthermore, in the modern "Okina," Okina (the white Okina) has been elevated to "Okina as being." He offers a grand prayer on a national scale for "peace throughout the land and tranquility for the nation," but he does not do so with elaborate words. Though he performs shamanic foot stamps (representing heaven, earth, and humanity) at three points on the stage, he performs no real dance. At the end, he says, "Let me dance one dance, manzairaku," but he only exchanges the words "manzairaku" with the chorus and finishes without dancing. While "Manzairaku" is a dance piece popular since the Heian period, here the prayer seems to be entrusted to the short phrase itself ("ten thousand years of joy"). He has become a great god who can bestow blessings through his very existence, hardly speaking or dancing at all.

On the other hand, Sanbasō (the black Okina) is prompted by Senzai to dance "auspiciously for a thousand autumns and ten thousand years." Accepting this, he vigorously stamps his feet, rings his bells, and moves about the entire stage. He is the "dancing Okina" who bestows blessings through the form of dance. It is said that shaking the bells represents the sowing of seeds, and the strong foot stamps represent the firming of the earth, but his figure can also be seen as one who meticulously purifies the space with the power of the sounds from the bells and stamps, awakening new energy. The structure can also be interpreted as him dancing at the prompting of the white Okina, who says, "Let me dance one dance."

However, when we examine older forms of "Okina," we see the possibility that in the past, Okina and Sanbasō were neither "Okina as being" nor "dancing Okina."

2: The Editorial Art of Okina—The Departure from the "Narrating Okina"

To state the conclusion first, it is highly likely that Okina, Sanbasō, and even Chichi no Jō (who is not seen in standard modern performances) were once "narrating Okinas." Evidence for this can be seen in the masks themselves. Unlike Noh masks, which are carved from a single piece of wood, the masks for Okina, Sanbasō, and Chichi no Jō are all made with a split jaw (kiri-ago), where the lower jaw is detached from the upper part and connected with cords. In terms of durability, a single piece of wood would naturally be better. Today, the cords are tied tightly so the jaw cannot move, but this defeats the purpose of the split jaw. The function of a split-jaw mask was to be tied loosely, allowing the jaw to move and make it appear as if the wearer is speaking. This suggests that the original significance lay in the Okinas' narration.

Indeed, the Okinas in folk performance arts, which are thought to preserve the ancient form of "Okina," are invariably talkative. The Okinas in the Okina Mai at Kamikawazumi Sumiyoshi Shrine (Hyōgo Prefecture), said to be a remnant of Kamakura-period Sarugaku, and those in the Nesoneso Festival in Mino-Hokkata (Gifu Prefecture), speak at length, sometimes humorously, narrating the origins of Sarugaku. Furthermore, the Okinas in the Dengaku and Hana Matsuri festivals widely found in the border region of Nagano, Aichi, and Shizuoka prefectures also perform hall blessings and worship of the four directions. They engage in boasts of longevity so absurd they become humorous, such as having eaten the peach of the Queen Mother of the West, which fruits only once every 3,000 years, three times, or having seen Lake Biwa dry up seven times and become a lake again eight times.

A common feature among these folk Okinas is the "takara-kazoe," or "counting of treasures." An impossibly long-lived and auspicious Okina arrives from across the sea by boat, bringing various treasures which he bestows upon the land. Just before this, the Okina requests music and, in a lively, rhythmic manner, lists every imaginable treasure from India, China, and Japan, declaring that he has brought them to this very spot. He is an Okina of celebratory words (kotohogi), who transforms invisible treasures into blessings through the power of speech. The "takara-kazoe" is an old form of prayer also found in the performance traditions of Tōka and in Dokōjin ritual texts, which Okina likely inherited.

Although the modern Noh Okina appears entirely different from this "narrating Okina," a special performance version called Jūnigatsu Ōrai contains the line, "The treasures of tribute you see, let us Okinas count them for you." Although no treasures are actually counted afterwards in this version, it suggests that takara-kazoe was once a part of Okina.

Furthermore, consider the exchange just before the Okina no Mai in the current Noh Okina:

Okina: Ariwa-raya, najo no okinadomo. jiutai: Are wa najo no okinadomo, soya izuku no okinadomo.

The meaning is obscured with phrases like "ariwa-raya," and the fact that the Okina himself addresses multiple Okinas ("najo no okinadomo") makes it difficult to interpret. The original form was likely that the jiutai would ask of the Okinas who had appeared from nowhere, "Who might those Okinas be? From whence have they come?" and in response, the Okinas would begin their narration.

In folk performances, the respective Okinas respond to such questions by recounting their origins or beginning their boasts of longevity. This seems a more natural flow. It appears that Noh's Okina has attempted to depart from the straightforward "narrating Okina" by retaining only a fragment of the original words, thereby making it more enigmatic.

On the other hand, the style of folk Okina is to end these long narrations by declaring they will dance manzairaku, which is also common to the Noh Okina.

It can be said that the current highly abstract Okina was created by drastically cutting ritualistic elements like hall blessings and four-direction worship and the treasure-listing passages found in older celebratory arts like the takara-kazoe. The Okina was thus elevated into a great, laconic being who prays for "peace throughout the land and tranquility for the nation" and solemnly stamps his feet. Sanbasō, too, had his comical narration removed and was sublimated into a being who performs prayer through "dance." This completed the set of white and black Okinas in their highly abstract form today.

Okina is a root of Sarugaku, but it is thought to have reached its present form through a major editorial process. That is why it is difficult to pursue the meaning of the text or to translate it. This was a strategy of Sarugaku, what might be called the "re-magicalization" of "Okina."

3: Fūryū—A Device to Amplify the Auspiciousness of Okina

Now, into this abstract and ritualized modern "Okina," a very accessible, short celebratory play is sometimes inserted. This is the "fūryū," which is added for special celebrations. Since the modern era, it is sometimes referred to by the academic term "Kyōgen Fūryū."

It is performed by Kyōgen actors. Deities, Buddhas, or the spirits of auspicious symbols like pine, bamboo, cranes, and turtles appear to offer celebratory words. They are classified as either Senzai Fūryū or Sanbasō Fūryū, depending on when they appear and with whom they interact. Both include celebratory songs and dances. It is a lively performance featuring a drum and a chorus of ten Kyōgen actors (eight in this particular performance) singing together.

It is thought to originate from the "yose fūryū" of the Muromachi period (a simple celebratory song and dance performed by Kyōgen actors to the accompaniment of a drum, "attached" to "Okina," according to the Kōshō Noh Kuden-sho), but it is also reminiscent of ancient celebratory arts such as the New Year’s matsubayashi and the ennen fūryū of temples.

During the Edo period, it was performed at Edo Castle to celebrate a shogun's investiture, wedding, or coming-of-age ceremony, and at the Imperial court for enthronements and the Daijō-e festival. It also appears to have been performed at temple and shrine festivals and for subscription Noh performances. However, since the modern era, it has been performed only rarely, on special occasions such as the opening or anniversary of a Noh theater. It is a lavish production, requiring a dozen or so additional performers, including the chorus, for a short sketch of about ten minutes.

This performance of "Okina with Fūryū" was specially planned to carry on the legacy of the 750th memorial service for Shinran Shōnin, held every 50 years by Higashi Honganji, which could not take place in 2011 due to the Great East Japan Earthquake. In Kyoto during the Edo period, Honganji was a major venue for Noh performances, second only to the Imperial court, and was a great patron to Noh actors. Among its events, the 50-year memorial was the largest, a multi-day spectacle featuring numerous Noh and Kyōgen plays. It was for this reason that fūryū were performed. According to records, the first was a "Shōchiku Fūryū" (Pine and Bamboo Fūryū) for the 600th memorial in 1861. A lavish version of Okina including "Shōchiku Fūryū" was also performed for the 650th memorial in 1911 and the 700th in 1961. The 750th memorial was also supposed to feature "Shōchiku Fūryū," and this performance was realized to carry on that tradition.

In "Shōchiku Fūryū," as the name suggests, the spirits of the pine and bamboo appear. These spirits wear crowns adorned with models of pine and bamboo. Other types of fūryū include "Tsurukame Fūryū" (Crane and Turtle), "Hōō Fūryū" (Phoenix), "Daikoku Fūryū," and "Mochi Fūryū" (Rice Cake), which are based on the crane and turtle as symbols of longevity, the phoenix as a symbol of peace, Daikoku as one of the Seven Lucky Gods, and the auspicious food of rice cakes, respectively. The essence of all is their straightforward auspiciousness.

The oldest extant record of a Kyōgen fūryū performance is the "Ari Fūryū" (Ant Fūryū), performed on May 2, 1602, by the Konparu tayū at the Imperial Palace under the order of Tokugawa Ieyasu (from Bunroku Keichō Nenkan O-Nōgumi, held in the Kanze Bunko archives). According to extant libretti, the premise is a pun on the syllable ari, linking the ants to Senzai's line taezu tōtari ariudō (Izumi school) or Sanbasō's line yorokobi ari ya ("is there joy?") (Sagi and Ōkura schools). Such puns and playfulness are also an essence of fūryū. It is worth remembering that Okina is an art form that accommodates puns, and that laughter itself was an important element of celebration. It is believed that in the past, in the spirit of fūryū as a one-off, elaborate entertainment, new pieces were created for each occasion, offering a fresh style of blessing.

When one thinks about it, the modern Okina has been edited to distance itself from such straightforward celebratory arts. Yet, there is an interesting pendulum-like swing in how these simple celebratory plays are now inserted back into the performance—even if they are unrelated to the progression of Okina (or are connected only by a forced pun). With as many as ten Kyōgen chorus members and brightly attired spirits appearing to tell cheerful and auspicious tales, the celebratory mood is amplified. It is a production that aligns with the simple human feeling that festivity enhances auspiciousness. It might even be said that it restores the elements of celebration through narration and laughter that have been lost from the modern Noh Okina.

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