Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [35]
SHIKKI (LACQUERWARE)
The Japanese have been using lacquer to protect and enhance the beauty of wood since the Jōmon period (13,000–400 BC). In the Meiji era (1868–1912), lacquerware became very popular abroad and it remains one of Japan’s best-known products. Known in Japan as shikki or nurimono, lacquerware is made using the sap from the lacquer tree (urushi), a close relative of poison oak. Raw lacquer is actually toxic and causes severe skin irritation in those who have not developed immunity. Once hardened, however, it becomes inert and extraordinarily durable.
The most common colour of lacquer is an amber or brown colour, but additives have been used to produce black, violet, blue, yellow and even white lacquer. In the better pieces, multiple layers of lacquer are painstakingly applied and left to dry, and finally polished to a luxurious shine.
Contemporary Theatre & Dance
Contemporary theatre and dance are alive and well in Japan, though you’ll quickly notice that most major troupes are based in Tokyo. If you’re interested in taking in contemporary theatre, your best bet is to enlist the help of a translator and to hit the shōgekijō (little theatres; see below) scene. If contemporary dance is what you seek, check the Japan Times, Metropolis or the Tokyo Journal in Tokyo, or the Kansai Time Out in Kansai, to see what’s on when you’re in town.
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Tokyo Art Beat (www.tokyoartbeat.com) is a great way to find out about what’s happening in the arts while you’re in the country.
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UNDERGROUND THEATRE
Theatre the world over spent the 1960s redefining itself, and it was no different in Japan. The shōgekijō movement, also called angura (underground), has given Japan many of its leading playwrights, directors and actors. It arose as a reaction to the realism and structure of shingeki (a 1920s movement that borrowed heavily from Western dramatic forms), and featured surrealistic plays that explored the relationship between human beings and the world. Like their counterparts in the West, these productions took place in any space available – in small theatres, tents, basements, open spaces and street corners.
The first generation of shōgekijō directors and writers often included speedy comedy, wordplay and images from popular culture in their works to highlight the lunacy of modern life. More recent shōgekijō productions have dealt with realistic and contemporary themes, such as modern Japanese history, war, environmental degradation and social oppression. Changing cultural perceptions have propelled the movement in new directions, notably towards socially and politically critical dramas.
BUTOH
In many ways, butoh is Japan’s most accessible (there are no words except for the occasional grunt) and exciting dance form. It is also its newest dance form, dating only to 1959, when Hijikata Tatsumi (1928–86) gave the first butoh performance. Butoh was born out of a rejection of the excessive formalisation that characterises traditional forms of Japanese dance. It also stems from the desire to return to the ancient roots of the Japanese soul, so is also a rejection of Western influences that flooded Japan in the postwar years.
Displays of butoh are best likened to performance art happenings rather than traditional dance performances. During a butoh performance, one or more dancers use their naked or seminaked bodies to express the most elemental and intense human emotions. Nothing is sacred in butoh, and performances often deal with topics such as sexuality and death. For this reason, critics often describe butoh as scandalous, and butoh dancers delight in pushing the boundaries of what can be considered tasteful in artistic performance.
Butoh tends to be more underground than the more established forms of Japanese dance and it is, consequently, harder to catch a performance. The best way to see what’s on while you’re in town is to check the local English-language media (the Japan Times,