Gigaku


, also known as, refers to an extinct genre of masked drama-dance performance, imported into Japan during the Asuka period.

History

Records state that was introduced during the 20th year of the reign of Empress Suiko by a certain Mimaji from Kudara kingdom, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. According to accounts, Mimaji arrived in Sakurai and taught to the Japanese youth. It is said that he had studied in Wu, showing that the origins of can be traced back to China, as during the Suiko period, the Japanese court took heavy influence from Chinese and Korean culture. The regent at the time, Prince Shōtoku, played a decisive role in allowing and diffusing Buddhist culture within Japan; this spread of culture allowed to be performed and viewed by many Japanese individuals, as it promoted the religion. peaked during the first half of the 8th century, but began to disappear when took over as the official entertainment of the imperial palace, though was still performed and taught in areas far from the capital and continued to play a role in Japanese entertainment until up to the 14th century. Many wooden masks were painted at this time, most dating from the Nara period, and are now preserved at the Hōryūji and Tōdaiji temples and the imperial treasure house, all in Nara. Masks were an integral aspect of theatre and represented various characteristics and properties and later influenced other parts of Japanese theatre.
The history of is often widely debated, as there is no documentation of in mainland Asia aside from a few extant masks. This lack of strong evidence often makes it difficult for researchers to decipher the true origins of, and its processes, characters, plots, and performances.

Performance

was performed in silent mime, to the accompaniment of music. The flute, waist drum, and, a type of gong, were the three instruments used in the Nara period, though the gong was superseded by a type of cymbal in the early Heian period.
About the only surviving description of the performance comes from the musical treatise forming a part of the authored by . According to this, the, or tuning of instruments, signals the start, followed by a prelude of instruments. Then there is a parading of the whole cast, both dancers and instrumentalists. It has been speculated that the character mask named Chidō probably took position at the front of the parade, especially as this mask is listed first off in the assets ledgers for some of the temples that house masks. The program opens with the Lion Dance, and solo dances by the Duke of Wu, wrestler, the birdman, and the Brahman priest.

Archetypes

There are two wrestler archetype characters, the Kongō or "Vajra-yakṣa" who is open-mouthed, and the Rikishi who is closed mouthed. These two are said to be analogous to the two Niō or guardian gate statues, who respectively form the open and closed A-un shapes in their mouths. Rikishi and Konron masks are often mixed up due to their similar features, they possess a darker complexion, bulging eyes, large mouths and jutting teeth. These masks can be differentiated through their facial expressions as the Konron is less aggressive than Rikishi.
With the exaggerated features of many of the masks, the content of the play is described as being farcical. Indeed, the two-part play of the Kuron and the Rikishi is outright obscene.
In the ribald performance, the lascivious Kuron falls in lust for the Gojo, and expresses his desire by holding up his phallic prop called, and beating it with his hand fan. The comic dance maneuvers are referred to as. In subsequent development, the Kuron is subdued by the Rikishi who binds the Kuron by his equipment, and drags him along by the noose around his manhood.

Masks

  • Chidō "Govern the way" – Leads the procession part. This mask has been suggested as precursor of the depiction of Tengu masks; it was a red headed mask with a wide mouth, long nose, wide bulging eyes, dark brows and sometimes contained few whiskers on the chin.
  • Shishi "lion" – Lion mask with movable jaw, ear, eyes, similar in appearance to the mask from Shishimai lion dance. The mask contained tiny ears applied to a large circular face, a red tongue and snout, white teeth, brown, red, or green.
  • Shishiko "lion tamers" – Usually two tamers accompany each lion
  • Gokō "Duke of Wu"
  • Kongō "Vajra-yakṣa)" – Topknotted wrestler, wide-eyed and flexed eyebrows, open-mouthed. Serves Lord of Wu.
  • Karura "Garuḍa"
  • Kuron "Kunlun "
  • Gojo "Wu woman" or "Chinese maiden"
  • Rikishi "wrestler" or "Strong Man" – Topknotted wrestler like Kongo, but closed-mouthed.
  • Baramon – "Brāhmaṇa" priests
  • Taikofu "old widower"
  • Taikoji "old widower's child"
  • Suikoō "drunken Persian king" or "Drunken Hu barbarian"
  • Suikojū "drunken Persian's followers" – about 6–8 of them accompany the drunken Persian king.

    Influence

Many of these masks also influenced other Japanese theatre forms; Noh, for example particularly has masks very similar to the masks of and. The well resemblance of can be seen in the well known Noh mask of Koomote as well as Chido and Konron to the ghost and demon masks with their stark, exaggerated, and frightening features. Though these masks share similarities it is important to note that there are also differences with them, for example the masks of Noh are much smaller in comparison to, this is also the case with .