2015 Maizome

Sakazuki – Kineya Saritsu and Hanayagi Mitsujyuro

Sakazuki-goto is a ritual of exchanging sake cups as a means of pledging loyalty. On Sunday April 29, 2012, the natori of both the Hanayagi and Kineya schools gathered at Natsunoya Teahouse to welcome the newest members of their artistic families. Kineya Saritsu (Alyssa Erika Fujihara) and Hanayagi Mitsujyuro (Bryson Teruo Goda) both recently took their shiken (test) to receive their natori names and this ceremony officially welcomed them into the schools as a sister and brother to all the other members.

Introducing… Hanayagi Mitsujyuro!

Over the winter break, Bryson (Teruo) Goda traveled to the Hanayagi headquarters in Tokyo, Japan to take his natori (master performer) examination. He returned home last week as….Hanayagi Mitsujyuro!!!!!! Omedetou gozaimasu to Mitsujyuro-sensei and to his parents, Linda and Ben Goda!!!! We are all so very proud of our newest Hanayagi natori!

Teaching visit by Hanayagi Tomo-sensei

In order to keep our ties to our head schools in Japan strong, HDAHF is privileged to host teachers from Japan on a regular basis. This year, Hanayagi Tomo-sensei offered private dance lessons, not only to our two students studying to take their natori tests, but also to the other students and natori of HDAHF. On Saturday, she also taught two group lessons, one to the children and one to the adults, on perfecting some of the basic movements of the Hanayagi school seen in many dances. Tomo-sensei’s attention to details, clear explanations, and precise movements were both informative and inspirational, for which we can only say, domo arigato-gozaimashita! And to all the students and natori who studied with her, otsukaresama!

Bryson, Tomo-sensei, Stacie

The Shamisen Experience

On Saturday, August 22, Hanayagi Dancing Academy – Hawaii Foundation was honored to present ‘The Shamisen Experience,’ featuring Grand Master Kineya Sakichi VII along with top artists from the Kineya School of Nagauta and Shamisen Japan and HDAHF students. Most pieces were classical but there was also a special Hawaiian-Japanese fusion piece in honor of “our host culture.”

The shamisen is a traditional Japanese three-string instrument with a slender, un-fretted neck and a rounded rectangular body covered with skin to amplify the sound of the strings. Its three strings though traditionally made of silk are most often now made of nylon. The lowest string passes over a small hump at the ‘nut’ end creating a characteristic buzz known as sawari, much like the jawari sound of a sitar. One coaxes music from the shamisen with a large weighted plectrum called a bachi. More photos here.

Welcome the Year of the Rat

おめでとうございます。
Congratulations Hanayagi Mitsuaki-shisho!

Mitsuaki-shisho underwent an intense examination for her shihan (Master Instructor) license on December 5 and 6 at Hanayagi headquarters in Tokyo.

Oshisho-san was tested on Hokushu and Musume Dojoji, two classic dances which require a vast array of dance techniques. In addition
to the dance test, a written examination was given.

The passing of a legend – Hanayagi Jusuke III

The Hanayagi Dancing Academy- Hawaii Foundation would like to extend our deepest condolences on the passing of our Headmaster (Iemoto), Hanayagi Jusuke III on May 23, 2007 at 11:33 am. She was 72 years old.

Thousands of students and friends attended Iemoto-san’s funeral on June 28, at the Tsukiji Hongwanji. At the funeral, Chief Mourner, Hanayagi Yoshijiro V announced that he will be assuming the name of Hanayagi Jusuke IV and succeeding his cousin as Iemoto of the Hanayagi Ryu school of dance. A day before the funeral, on June 27, the Shumei Hiro recital was held for Hanayagi Yoshijiro V, Hanayagi Sosuke, and Hanayagi Asuka. Hanayagi Yoshijiro V assumed the name Hanayagi Kanou, Hanayagi Sosuke succeeded him as Yoshijiro VI and Hanayagi Asuka became Hanayagi Tsuru.

The kai was a spectacular event. The curtains opened to reveal 64 women in matching montsuki and obi from the Nagauta association, singing and playing “Ayatsuri Sambaso.” The unusual dance, mimicking Bunraku puppets, featured Jusuke IV as Okina , Asuka as Chitose, Yoshijiro VI as Sambaso and Miyake Ukon as koken.

The second number was “Hana no Dan” featuring Fujima Murasaki as Sachiko, Hanayagi Sumi as Yukiko and Hanayagi Tsuru as Taeko.

The finale was a fantastic production entitled “Ibaragi.” Ichikawa Danjuro danced the part of Watanabe no Tsuna and Jusuke VI, the role of the ogre, Ibaragi doji, who later appears as the hag, Mashiba.

The 76 year-old Hanayagi Yoshijiro V’s intentions were to retire and retreat from the limelight after naming his successor, Yoshijiro VI.

In a sad but phenomenal turn of events, Yoshijiro V will now become Iemoto, a life far from the quiet retirement he had dreamed of. He laments that he was Hanayagi Kanou for one day, but has awakened a new commitment and mission as Iemoto to preserve and perpetuate the ideals of classical Japanese dance and Japanese culture for present and future generations.

Mitsuaki Hanayagi II ~ Shumei Sakazuki

Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu and best wishes to all for a year filled with peace and happiness.

Our principal, Mitsuaki Hanayagi II’s shumei sakazuki was held on Saturday, January 13, 2007 at Kyoya restaurant in accordance with ancient tradition.

Shumei or name succession is widely used in the inheritance of traditional performing arts in Japan and is a way of heralding a succession by passing the name, artistic traditions and prestige down through the lineage. This practice increases the status of the performer who receives the name of an illustrious master. Shumei preserves and keeps Japan’s oldest traditions vibrant and popular, by introducing the new while affirming the old. The practice of shumei goes back to the Muromachi period (1333-1568), where it is documented in “Fushi-kaden,” written by the noh master, Zeami, that a family cannot be a family unless it has someone to inherit it, and a man cannot be a man unless he is a person of knowledge. This means talent is needed to succeed in carrying on the secrets of an art, even if one is the child of the master. A family name is inherited only after the knowledge of the art is passed down.
For the Japanese, sake is considered a sacred drink. The Shumei sakazuki ceremony is performed by partaking sake from the same sakazuki or sake cup to seal the bonds, in this case, between shisho and natori.

By exchanging sakazuki cups, the natoris pledge their loyalty and support to the new head of the organization. This is significant, because this ceremony bonds two people who are considered complete strangers as members of an artistic family.

The ceremony concluded with Hokushu, an auspicious dance, which is a shiken dance for Shihan Dance Master certification.

Omedeto gozaimasu.