revealing why Fushimi has long been understood as a symbolic origin of Japan itself.
The passage highlighted in red above is an excerpt from the nō chant (shōdan) of Fushimi, which speaks to the spiritual origins of the land and why this place came to be chosen by the gods:
“How mistaken it is to think of Fushimi as merely a place—
Fushimi is, in essence, the name of Japan itself.
It is the land discovered when the divine ancestors,
Izanagi and Izanami, bowed down upon the moss of the Heavenly Rock Seat.
Thus, Fushimi is the very name of Akitsushima, this land of Japan.”
The third and final event of the Fushimi Traditional Performing Arts Project brings together an exceptionally rare constellation of Noh and Kyōgen performances, all deeply rooted in the land of Fushimi.
Since forming a connection with Kinsatsugu Shrine, it had long been my dream to present the Noh play “Kinsatsu” in Fushimi. I hoped to do so with performers of the Kanze school, whose lineage is closely tied to this region.
A turning point came through an unexpected coincidence. On the very day I was introduced to the members of the Yodogawa Sanjikkoku-bune Boat Song Preservation Group, I happened to watch an NHK program featuring a rare solo Kyōgen piece, “Kenbutsu Zaemon – Fukakusa Festival,” performed by Nomura Manzō.
Learning that this work is set at Fujinomori Shrine in Fushimi, I immediately felt that the third event should unite “Kinsatsu” and “Fukakusa Festival.” I soon contacted Mr. Nomura, and was honored by his acceptance to appear.
Further discoveries followed. In 2023, I learned of a performance of “Kinsatsu” by a female shite of the Hōshō school, presented not as the commonly staged abridged version, but as a complete Noh including the rarely heard first half (maeba).
When I attended with the priest of Kinsatsugu Shrine and his family, I realized that this opening section—explaining why the gods chose Fushimi—was profoundly moving, especially for local audiences.
With the understanding of the previously scheduled Kanze-school performers, I invited the Hōshō-school grand master and members from Tokyo, asking Naomi Seki to perform the shite once again in Fushimi.
At the same time, I wished to include artists connected to Fushimi itself. I was therefore deeply grateful that Ippei Shigeyama, a Kyōgen actor of the Ōkura school who also resides in Fushimi, agreed to participate, bringing a work associated with Gokō Shrine into the program.
Another concern was the absence of a performance directly linked to Fushimi Inari Taisha. This is beautifully complemented by a special exhibition: textile artist Sayoko Hayashi, who has enriched all three events with her quilts depicting Fushimi, is creating a monumental tapestry of Fushimi Inari Shrine, developed over two years for her 25th anniversary.
Because this is a three-year project, the final event is not meant to stand alone. Leading up to it, we hope to create opportunities for audiences to deepen their understanding—such as learning sections of the chant together for “Kinsatsu,” or exploring the text and meaning of the Hōshō-school version in advance—so that the journey toward the performance becomes part of the experience.
When these three years come to a close, I believe something new will begin to grow from what we have shared together.
That possibility—something unexpected—is also part of what I look forward to most.