Ichimaru: The "Color" and "Shame" of Women in Edo Kouta (1969)

Ichimaru: The "Color" and "Shame" of Women in Edo Kouta (1969)

In the spring of 1969, Ichimaru, a master of Edo kouta, spoke about his art, which was imbued with an aesthetic of "shame," the essence of the performing arts. Ichimaru is a female singer who has been active since the early Showa period (early 20th century), singing kouta quietly but sharply in kimono and on the shamisen.

At that time, the "exposure" of the performing arts, including the movie industry, was becoming more and more intense. French films were becoming popular for their nude scenes, and nudity was now considered an "art form". Ichimaru's theory was that "sex appeal lies in what is not shown.

According to Ichimaru, in the world of Edo kouta, "smelling" color was vital, and showing it was considered uncouth. The pursed lips, the swivel of the shoulders, the red of the lintel peeking out from between the fingertips--all were "beauty not to be shown. She asserted that the foundation of her art was "to feel sexy and to wrap oneself in shame.

The "shame" that Ichimaru speaks of is not mere modesty, but an intelligent performance technique that draws out the audience's imagination by "daring to restrain it. While the modern performing arts tend to "stimulate by showing," she says that "the art of art is to make people imagine," and that "exposing is the most tactless thing you can do.

What is also interesting is the coexistence of "pride" and "anger" in her words. She is harsh in her criticism of the corruption of the entertainment industry, saying, "I don't want to see the art of a woman who has thrown away her shame. Her words can be described as her pride as a female performer who lived through the Showa period (1926-1989) and her quiet resistance to the trend toward the commercialization of her art.

At that time, Japan was in the midst of its rapid economic growth, and television and movies were rapidly expanding as entertainment for the masses. With the evolution of visual technology and production effects, there was an atmosphere in which "direct expression" that transcended "shame" was praised. Ichimaru, however, remained committed to the pride of the classical performing arts, which is to contain emotion in the "narration" and "pauses.

This storytelling is not mere art talk. It is a story of the subtle psychological and social boundaries between "being a woman" and "acting," as well as what the performing arts are and what it means to express oneself in public, all told from one body.