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Hoshinoya Kyoto Enjoy Kyogen in the bright green garden! Held “green turquoise Kyogen” to learn “laughter” from Kyogen masters

2020.06.05

“Ryokan Aozora Kyogen” will be held every Monday from June 8th to June 22nd, 2020 at the river-view ryokan Hoshinoya Kyoto in Arashiyama, Kyoto Prefecture. In this activity, you watch Kyogen and laugh for a while, then follow the “laughing pattern” and laugh with your entire body. The instructor who plays Kyogen and teaches the type of laughter is the Kyogen master of the “Shigeyama Chigoro family” who has a history of 400 years and is active mainly in Kyoto. The Kyogen laughter of the Chigoro Shigeyama family is a soothing and relaxing expression. In the morning, when the refreshing air and the fresh and vibrant greenery of early summer are pleasant, you can feel a radiant mood by observing the gentle Kyogen and laughing with your whole body.

Laughter in fresh green Kyogen and welcome a refreshing morning

We will hold “Fresh green blue sky Kyogen” at “Oku no Niwa” in Hoshinoya Kyoto facility. Fresh green blue sky Kyogen is an activity that heals daily fatigue by observing and laughing at Kyogen on the morning of dazzling green. It has been reported that laughter has effects such as improving immune function and stress reduction*1,2, and it is said that laughter also has the same effect on forest bathing*3. The back garden, which has a maple tree that is over 300 years old, is a garden with a sense of liberty where you can look out over the trees of Mt. Kyogen has a history of more than 600 years, and is recognized as a traditional Japanese art “Nohgaku” along with Noh as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage*4. Dialogue is not much different from modern language, and it is a familiar entertainment art that humorously depicts satire and failure stories in the lives of the common people. In the morning, when the fresh greenery and the refreshing air are pleasant in early summer, you can feel radiant by watching Kyogen and laughing with your whole body.

Enjoy the Kyogen of the historic Shigoyama Chigoro family

In this activity, you will appreciate the masterpiece “Boshibari” that represents Kyogen. Before you watch, there is a commentary about Kyogen and the performance you are watching, so you can feel familiar with Kyogen. The one who plays Kyogen is the Kyogen master of the “Nogakushi Okura style Kyogen, the Shigoyama Sengoro family.” The Shigoyama Chigoro family has a history of about 400 years since the early Edo period, and is currently active in the 14th generation, mainly in Kyoto, throughout Japan. The Shigoyama Chigoro family describes laughter as “softening.” Kyogen’s laughter is not a laugh of slander (hibou) slandering or laughter, but a laughter of a warm heart. This is also due to the fact that the Shigeyama Chigoro family developed not a samurai style Kyogen but a soft laughter in the Kansai area*5. You can enjoy laughing while watching the humorous movements and interactions of sticking.

[Synopsis *5 to be viewed]

The master, who burns hands to Taro and Jiro who steal alcohol when they are out, hangs them on a stick and goes out. The remaining two managed to think about drinking and finally succeeded in drinking while being bound by a stick. The owner returned scolded them, but it was a refreshing and refreshing feeling as they enjoyed the sake in a cramped manner.

Follow the pattern of laughter and laugh from the bottom of your stomach

After laughing for a moment while watching stick-tie, the Kyogen teacher will follow the basic posture and vocalization called “Kamae” and practice the “Laughing” type of god and daimyo laughing. Laughter is a type of laughter that lowers the center of gravity of the body and makes a loud voice from the bottom of the stomach. In Kyogen, to express the emotions of the characters exaggeratedly, the whole body is used extensively in the laughing acting. Correct the posture in the refreshing green, and all participants laugh loudly.

References:

*1: Shunichi Ishihara (2007) “Experimental Study of Spontaneous Laughter on the Autonomic Nervous System”, “Human Science Research” 29, p.51-59, Faculty of Human Sciences, Bunkyo University
*2: Yu Miyake and Mie Yokoyama (2007) “A Review of the Effects of Laughter on Health”, “Bulletin of the Department of Health Sciences, Okayama University” 17, p.1-8, Department of Health Sciences, Okayama University
*3: Sir Lee (2007) “Effect of forest bathing”, “Anti-aging medicine”, VoL.5, No.3, p362-367, Japan Society for Anti-Aging Medicine
*4: Agency for Cultural Affairs
*5: The Shigeyama Sengoro family, Masao Miyatsuji (2015) “Waden: Kyogen: The Gentleness of the Shigeyama Sengoro family”, Shigeyama Sengoro family, club SOJA supervision, Tankosha

Overview of "Fresh green blue sky Kyogen"

Period: Every Monday from June 8th to June 22nd, 2020
Price: Free
Reservation: (official site) or
Reservation required at the front desk by 20:00 the day before
Location: Hoshinoya Kyoto’s inner garden
time: 9:30~10:30
Target: Guests only
定員: 15名
Remarks: The schedule, time, and performance may change depending on the situation.

Hoshinoya Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, where the Heian noble family set up a villa. A waterfront private residence that appears when you board a boat from Togetsukyo Bridge and trace the Oyan River. A resort where you can enjoy the traditional Japanese techniques of living in Kyoto, Japanese cuisine that freely expresses the five tastes, and the extraordinary world of the beautiful scenery and tranquility of the four seasons.

>Hoshinoya Official Website

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