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Paper short abstract

I explore two local genres in Kyoto, related to Buddhist performance culture: nenbutsu kyōgen and rokusai nenbutsu, within the systems of power and representation, demonstrating how the communities on the city's margins have used performance as an identity formation tool and social empowerment.

Paper long abstract

Spanning centuries, the deep-rooted relationship in Asia between political power and performing arts is multifaceted, and Japan is no exception. Kyoto, the political and cultural center for most of history, has developed a complex performance culture, closely interwoven with societal power relations. From the eighth century onwards, the imperial court adopted as its representative art the solemn bugaku dances, introduced from the continent and exhibiting Chinese and Indian influence. From the fourteenth century onwards, the samurai aristocracy similarly developed their own representative form - the noh drama, to display cultural sophistication and aesthetic sensibility, equaling imperial court culture. In the premodern period, kabuki evolved as the prevailing entertainment, representative of the blooming merchant class, whose increasing influence also found expression in the exquisite cultural performance of Gion festival.

Simultaneously, Kyoto was likewise the birth place of several folk genres, created by communities on the city's margins. This paper focuses on two forms, originating in the nenbutsu "Buddhist prayer" performance, conceived as a means to communicate the Buddhist faith to the common people in early medieval time. The first is nenbutsu kyōgen - short comic plays, pantomimes or with spoken lines, staged by troupes associated with three temples: Mibu, Seiryōji, and Senbon Enma-dō. The second is rokusai nenbutsu - dances, accompanied by chanting of prayers that gradually incorporated various performative elements, thus evolving into rokusai geinō. Currently, fourteen troupes are active but many more existed until the early twentieth century when rokusai was very popular in agrarian neighborhoods. It is predominantly staged during Obon in August and frequently includes door-to-door ritual performances, aiming to secure ancestors' protection and bring prosperity for the community. Both nenbutsu kyōgen and rokusai have intentionally referenced stories and acting patterns used in the somber noh dramas and the comic interludes kyōgen in the same playful manner, typical of kabuki. I explore these two genres within the systems of power and representation, arguing that the marginal communities have used performance not only for entertainment but also as an important identity formation tool and social empowerment within the rich cultural milieu of Kyoto.

Key words: performance, empowerment, Kyoto