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Paper short abstract:

This presentation examines how Nagauta (traditional chanting accompanied by shamisen) survived through challenges by revising its lyrics while focusing on Tsuyu-no-kotobumi, a collection published in 1875 (Meiji 8). ts, Nagauta

Paper long abstract:

Since Kabuki was run by private capital, the impact of the Meiji Restoration to it was small compared to other performing arts such as Nōgaku (Noh and Kyogen) which lost patronage of the bakuhu who were previously dominant during the Edo Period. Thus, the Kabuki performances continued, but were faced with orders from the Meiji government to change the content of their lyrics.

In both February and April of 1872 (Meiji 5), the Meiji government issued two notices to Kabuki related groups. They requested that the vulgar lyrics in Nagauta (traditional chanting accompanied by shamisen) be replaced by stories with a more educational approach that would be tolerated by aristocratic and foreign audiences. To respond to that request, Nagauta composers partially corrected vulgar wordings and errors. Tsuyu-no-kotobumi, a revised addition of the Nagauta lyrics was published by Nagauta performer and composer, Kineya Kangorō, the 3rd in 1875 (Meiji 8). Later in the 1880s, another revision of the Nagauta lyrics was conducted by one of the Meiji government agencies, Ongaku-torishirabe-gakari (the division of music investigation). During the Sino-Japanese War in 1939, yet another revision was conducted by the Nagauta-kakyoku-shingikai (inquiry commission of Nagauta lyrics). However, Tsuyu-no-kotobumi was the only revised lyrics that become widely accepted. As stated in the explanation of Tsuyu-no-kotobumi, this is probably due to its strong efforts to revise the lyrics so as to most accurately replicate the original musical phrases. Nowadays, Japanese public broadcast agencies also revise discriminatory terms to inoffensive ones, but only informally. Through reform, war, and conflict, Nagauta has survived.