audience members watch from a covered pavilion across from it. For both shrines it seems that, due to the age, fame, and infrequency of the performances, outside interest in the puppets has imposed some burdens on the locals charged with caring for the form. The shrine priest at Hachiman Kohyo Jinjya very generously gave us a lecture about the tradition and a demonstration of the puppets, but with his many other duties, was pressed for time, and we probably unduly imposed on him. We were very grateful for what he shared with us and are sorry for inconveniencing him. At Koyo Jinja, the locals shared that, with so many researchers and news crews coming to their event when it takes place, it has become difficult for people from the area to get a spot on the viewing platform and enjoy their own tradition done by their own young family members. The COVID cancellations have led to even longer delays in performance of these rarely done events, and in Nakatsu there was concern about a young generation missing out on the puppetry training and performance opportunity. These shows begin with the dance of goddesses representing the morning and evening Venus followed by some shi-shi mai puppets. The main event that follows is an elaborate wrestling match with numerous bouts between various gods. It ends with the god Sumiyoshi victorious over each of the others and then all of them at once when the other gods all charge at him together. The puppets here are relatively simple, carved out of wood, with the wooden handle for operating them tapering down from the carved character. They have some moving parts: the arms of the dancing goddesses go up and down together, operated by a string that gets pulled from behind; the sumo puppets have similar arm movement and one jointed leg that swings back and forth as the wrestlers engage in battle. Soga Toshihiro of the Nakatsu History Museum kindly took out a replica of one of the Venus puppets for us to try out. This tradition, legend has it, originated as a performance to appease the spirits of enemy soldiers killed in battle who were apparently defeated by the victors’ ruse of distracting their opponents with a similar puppet show, probably the first and only incident of a battle victory achieved through puppetry.While in Fukuoka, we also visited the Kintabaru bunraku troupe. Troupe members showed us their puppets, demonstrated their unique hasami zukai manipulation style, and shared videos of some of their performances. They do an impressively vigorous Sanbasō puppet dance - 69 -
元のページ ../index.html#71