Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
would allow the townsfolk to see one of the performances. Surviving records show that
the lords of Tottori were great patrons of the
nō
when they were doing their obligatory at-
tendance upon the Shogun. The
daimyō
himself played the chief role in many of the plays,
which were put on to entertain his guests, often other
daimyō,
at parties, in the latter part
ofthe seventeenth century.Actors andmusicians were paid with money orclothing, and,if
asked to travel, were given special allowances and an escort.
Kabuki
and the puppet-plays
werealsotobeseenintheresidence, butlessoftenthanthe
nō,
thepuppetsbeingspecially
for the diversion of the lower ranks of the household.
Another,andmuchmorepersonal,recordisadiaryleftbyalordknownasMatsudaira,
GovernorofYamato(aprovincehehadnothingtodowith,histitlebeingapurelynominal
one granted by the Imperial court), who died in Edo in his fifty-fourth year, in 1695. He
was interested in artistic pursuits and entertainments of all sorts, including calligraphy,
perfume-discrimination,
nō
plays and their comic interludes
(kyōgen),
puppet and
kabuki
plays,painting,poetryofallkinds,dancing,wrestling,andhunting.Hewasinalmostdaily
touch with events in the theatre district, often sending men there to see performances and
reportonthem,orinterrogatingthosewhohadpassedbythetheatresaboutwhatnewsigns
were up and what the gossip was. His circle of acquaintances was apparently composed of
admirers of the puppet-plays in particular, for he often mentions going to parties at other
mansions and being entertained by famous performers, besides putting on similar perform-
