This instrument is a biwa. Nasuno Yoichi( 那須与一 この歌では那須与市 ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasu_no_... 那須与市が矢を放つ場面を12分掛けて演奏します。 アノテーションで字幕を入れたいと思うので どなたか英訳してもらえないでしょうか?
The acoustic properties of the instrument, their combinations, pace and artistic preferences of the culture determine it. The instruments are actually not fully unique to Japan, and it is more likely that the original wares and music theory came from China. However, this is where their differences start, and the character of their cultures shine through.
My professor of Japanese culture explained the sacred value of the biwa and how it's a tool that can "pierce the spirit world" bridging the gap between existence. I felt chills that raked my soul the first time I heard it.
It's a traditional Japanese biwa, a sort of lute, and was used to accompany stories of great warriors. This piece is telling the story of Nasuno Yoichi, a samurai archer in the war between the Taira and Minamoto clans in the 13th century. The Taira put a fan on top of the mast of one of their ships and dared the Minamoto warriors to try to hit it. Nasuno Yoichi was the best archer, and it tells of how he praya to the gods and says he would rather die and never go home than fail to hit the target. It's called Ogi no Mato - the folded fan as target. The story tells how he hit the fan.
Nasu no Yoichi (那須 与一?) (c. 1169 - c. 1232) was a samurai who fought alongside the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War. He is particularly famous for his actions at the Battle of Yashima in 1184. According to the Heike Monogatari, the enemy Taira placed a fan atop the mast of one of their ships, claiming it protected the ship from arrows, and daring the Minamoto warriors to shoot it off. Sitting atop his mount in the waves, his target atop the ship rocking as well, Nasu nevertheless shot it down with only one shot. After the Genpei War, he was made daimyō of Tottori Castle, but he lost this position to Kajiwara Kagetoki after being defeated in a hunting competition. He left Echigo Province and, following the death of Minamoto no Yoritomo, Nasu became a Buddhist monk in the Jodo Shinshu sect. Eventually, he formed a temple, which has since been passed down to the oldest son of the Nasu family. For administrative purposes, detailed records were kept regarding who was to inherit the temple. As a result of this, it was possible to trace the Nasu lineage right up to the destruction of the temple during World War II. Most believe that he died at the age of 64, in the year 1232, during a ceremony in Kobe honoring those who died in the Genpei War.
Splendid Zen You are great in anything Japanese. Nasu（那須）is place name one hour and a half train to the north from Tokyo station where the Imperial summer palace exists. Yoich（与一）means extra heir. His parents were feudal lords around there.However, in samurai society gender equality was a must.He had a political but tacit lover who was destined to marry him She had no way other than to pray for his return and distinguished service in the battlefield.
Useful wikipedia. The Heike Monogatari gives the full name as Yoichi Munetaka, son of Nasu no Taro Suketaka of Shimotsuke, and the age of about twenty (English version). In the song, he is called by his given name of Munetaka, and the age is 17.
Best comment I ever read was on someone playing a trumpet into a couple mile long pipe. And he said “everyone gangster till the toilet starts playing music” Thank you for reminding me of this hilarious comment
Too anyone who really enjoyed this I suggest watching the 1964 movie Kwaidan. Its one of the most beautiful films of all time, this music is featured very heavily in it.
Kumada Kahori performs “Nasu no Yoichi,” from the “Tale of Heike.” She plays a five-string Satsuma biwa of the Nishiki-ryū type, also used by many Tsuruta-ryū performers. I’ve never heard any Tsuru-ha player do “Nasu no Yoichi” before. This may be her own setting. The story is as related by other commentators here. - Kyokureki
For those in need of context and don't want to follow the link, Nasu no Yoichi was a famous Samurai in the Genpei War (which ended the Heian Era and ushered forth the first Shoganate). According to the "Tale of the Heike", at the Battle of Yashima in 1185, the Taira forces placed a fan atop the masts of one of their ships floating off the shore, daring the Minomoto forces to shoot and hit it with their arrows. Nasu, riding his horse into the waters, despite both himself and the boat rocking from the waves, took aim with his bow and nailed it with one shot.
That’s okay. I came here wanting to know what a biwa was and how it sounded, and heard a beautiful story and got a history lesson all in one. I’ve walked away from this video with a new appreciation for an instrument I didn’t even know existed and a curiosity to learn more about the instrument and the culture.
When Nakime shows off her skills to impress muzan but just ends up spawning all of the demons and makes the castle fall to pieces
9 лет назад
So hard to find an authentic japanese traditional song in this sea of "meditation, relaxation" kitsch ... Very interesting performance. Thank you very much.
Japanese Lyrics & Romanization 去る程に Saru hodo ni 那須与市宗高は Nasu no Yoichi Munetaka wa 君の仰せをかしこみて Kimi no ōse o kashikomite 波打ち際に 乗りいだす Namiuchigiwa ni noriidasu この時 宗高 十七歳 Kono toki Munetaka jūnanasai かかる晴れなる場所にいで Kakaru harenaru basho ni ide もしもこの矢をあやまらば Moshimo kono ya o ayamaraba 弓切り折って割腹し Yumi kiri otte kappuku shi その場をさらで 死なんずと Sono ba o sarade shinanzu to 入り日傾く 屋島潟 Irihi katamuku Yashimagata さっと乗り入る 海の面 Satto noriiru umi no omo 渡る潮風いと強く Wataru shiokaze ito tsuyoku 打ち込む波の高ければ Uchikomu nami no takakereba 駒のあがきの定まらず Koma no agaki no sadamarazu 扇も風にたまらねば Ōgi mo kaze ni tamaraneba くるりくるりと打ちまわり Kururi kururi to uchimawari ねらい定むるすべもなし Nerai sadamuru sube mo nashi 今の与市を哀れとも Ima no Yoichi o aware tomo 見たもう慈悲のましまさば Mitamō jihi no mashimasaba この波風を打ち鎮め Kono namikaze o uchishizume 扇を射落とさせたまえやと Ōgi o iotosase tamaeya to 心を込めてぞ祈りける Kokoro o kometezo inorikeru この念力や通じけむ Kono nenriki ya tsūjiken 磯吹く風も音絶えて Iso fuku kaze mo oto taete 駒も扇も静まりぬ Koma mo ōgi mo shizumarinu 宗高 心 勇み立ち Munetaka kokoro isamitachi 鏑矢つがえて引きしぼる Kaburaya tsugaete hikishiboru 源氏の兵 声々に Genji no tsuwamono koegoe ni いま少しうち入れたまえ Ima sukoshi uchiire tamae うち入れたまえと呼ばわるを Uchiire tamae to yobawaru o さらに耳にも聞き入れず Sara ni mimi nimo kikiirezu 矢声をかけて切って放つ Yagoe o kakete kitte hanatsu 矢音は浦になりわたり Yaoto wa ura ni nariwatari 要際より ふっつと射切る Kanamegiwa yori futtsu to ikiru 屋島潟 入る日の影に なるはずの Yashimagata iruhi no kage ni naru hazu no 響きは高し 波のはてまで Hibiki wa takashi nami no hate made
Nasuno Yoichi was a great archer in the Genji-Army. He had to hit the fan on the enemy's boat's mast, Otherwise he had to kill himselve for bringing shame over his whole troop. What a culture, what a discipline! Marvellous. Great Artist this young Lady!
Not a word I can understand, I can feel her pure performance. Extracts the history, from far days, maybe talking about herself, what has happened to her. Great art.
Clearly in the same musical universe as traditional Chinese or Indian music.Though, Japanese instruments seem more primitive and the music seems to be closer to folk or tribal music. But the simplicity is deceptive. I don't think any other musical system is better than Japan''s at the treatment of silences. The music invites us to contrast the duration and intensity and the tones to adjoining silences, to perceive how the silences.musical overtones subtly modify silence and to contemplate each individual silence by itself. A very pure expressions of Zen Buddhist sensibility.
The seeming simplicity of the instrument only that - seeming. Listen to the amazing variety of expression that she derives from it. The trick is not to listen to it as a melody but as speech. Her playing is a masterpiece of inflection, timing, tension building and even depiction of the whistling arrow. This is playing and singing of the highest subtlety.
When the song ends, my imagination turns towards an ancient era. I can see a clear day, sitting on the gentle waves, grey mountains in the distance, my spirit full of resolve.
I wish I could hit "like" for this video 1,000 times!!! NEVER have I heard such a beautiful voice, especially associated with this genre of Japanese music...💜
I liked this part a lot from the Heike Monogatari. With the story, the background music, and the sound effect you made with your biwa, I could imagine the tense air created when Yoichi pulled and shot his arrow.
Kumada Kahori. I imagine what I'm seeing and hearing here is very much like what someone would have experienced centuries ago. Generations of people rise up and fade away according to the same pattern, not endlessly but towards some specific place, maybe like Nasu no Yoichi's arrow, all of us as individuals but humanity as a whole as well. A curious experience for a foreigner!
Some things transcend language and culture. This song's beauty is one of them. I was entranced, even though I don't know what story is being told or even if there is one.
Every once in a while i'll see straight up shadow people, or glowing people. I think they're demons, and angels respectively. They're very rare, very faint, gone in an instant, but humanoid, and seemingly aware. You really have to have your head on a swivel to see them, as I take it they don't enjoy being noticed. There's definitely a lot more going on, than simply meets the eye, a whole other reality, woven into ours like threads in fabric..
I fell in love with the biwa and the haunting music and story telling singing when I first watched an old Japanese Horror movie called “ Kwaidan” many years ago.
I love this music. I'm a big fan of music and language. I think it's interesting that they use the 琵琶 kanji to write Biwa but it's Pipa in Chinese which, although similar, is a completely different instrument.
Ben McCrary I might assume that these hieroglyphics are used as a generalisation - the "koto" kanji means "zither" in Chinese, but it is a different instrument (of the zither family, ofc).
***** It is heikyoku music in which "Heike Monogatari (the story of Heike clan " is sung accompanied by biwa performance. Heike clan held substantial power of Japan in the 11th century but eventually defeated by Minamoto clan. The story tells Heike clan's rise and fall. It used to be sung by strolling biwa houshi (blind monk biwa players ) which died out late 20th century.
sydneyricefish so... what are you waiting for... WE are waiting for you to tell us the story lol. Cmon :) If you know that much you gotta know more, give. ;)
This is beautiful! Her voice is so pure and the instrument so distinct. I’m currently working on a project where we interview musicians from around the world. If Kahori Kumada might want to be part of the project, we’d love to have her!
I've been watching this video every once and a while for 6 years now, and it's just as absolutely mesmerizing every single time. I'm just amazed by it!
I was curious and wanted to hear some traditional Japanese music to learn more about the sound. Very lovely performance and the instrument of course so wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing!
Came here by the reference kawaidan movie. That story of a blind man singing glories of loss warriors literally breathtaking. So is this instrument and the singing thank you so much for the creation
