에도(江戸)시대 조닌(町人)문화 연구

Abstract

In the Edo period, the common people were able to enjoy their lives with relaxed feelings thanks to the commercial and industrial development and the growth of cities after the wars. As the common people could enjoy a variety of activities with improved education in this period, they even began to enjoy culture. Additionally, general framework of traditional Japanese entertainment was created in this period. Not everyone was affordable enough to enjoy such culture, but at least people of the Edo period had an opportunity to experience diverse culture. Chonin culture can be divided according to time such as Genroku culture, early Chonin culture, developed around Osaka and Kyoto from the end of the 17th century and Kasei culture, latter Chonin culture, being popular not only in cities but also in provinces from the end of the 18th century. In addition, Chonin culture of the Edo period includes various cultural fields such as food culture, publishing culture, craft culture, and theatrical culture. The common people played a pivotal role in Chonin culture which was the first culture where the lives of ordinary people were shown in entertainment. Among them, Kabuki was transformed from a performance with songs and dances into a play focusing on dialogues. As character roles became more complicated and realistic acting was emphasized accordingly, acting style was established. There is a slight difference of acting style and directing type between Kabuki in the Genroku period and the one in the Kasei period. Kabuki, one of Chonin cultures in the Edo period, was not an entertainment to see like other dance-dramas but a place of communication to enjoy. It was because there were many entertainment facilities including teahouses, restaurants, souvenir shops, and playgrounds around a Kabuki theater. People were able to enjoy different performances depending on their economic situation since ticket prices varied. People usually watched performances until the evening and came home. It means they spent the whole day in the Kabuki theater. Chonin began to enjoy the culture of entertainment like this, but the shogunate wasn’t tolerant of them and banned Kabuki for the reason of negative effects on public morality. Kabuki, however, has changed overcoming the shogunate ban and became typical of traditional Japanese culture today. We will study the popularity of traditional culture by looking into how Kabuki survived as one of traditional culture experiencing various changes, events, and restrictions and why it is popular with young people as well today. In the Edo period, the common people were able to enjoy their lives with relaxed feelings thanks to the commercial and industrial development and the growth of cities after the wars. As the common people could enjoy a variety of activities with improved education in this period, they even began to enjoy culture. Additionally, general framework of traditional Japanese entertainment was created in this period. Not everyone was affordable enough to enjoy such culture, but at least people of the Edo period had an opportunity to experience diverse culture. Chonin culture can be divided according to time such as Genroku culture, early Chonin culture, developed around Osaka and Kyoto from the end of the 17th century and Kasei culture, latter Chonin culture, being popular not only in cities but also in provinces from the end of the 18th century. In addition, Chonin culture of the Edo period includes various cultural fields such as food culture, publishing culture, craft culture, and theatrical culture. The common people played a pivotal role in Chonin culture which was the first culture where the lives of ordinary people were shown in entertainment. Among them, Kabuki was transformed from a performance with songs and dances into a play focusing on dialogues. As character roles became more complicated and realistic acting was emphasized accordingly, acting style was established. There is a slight difference of acting style and directing type between Kabuki in the Genroku period and the one in the Kasei period. Kabuki, one of Chonin cultures in the Edo period, was not an entertainment to see like other dance-dramas but a place of communication to enjoy. It was because there were many entertainment facilities including teahouses, restaurants, souvenir shops, and playgrounds around a Kabuki theater. People were able to enjoy different performances depending on their economic situation since ticket prices varied. People usually watched performances until the evening and came home. It means they spent the whole day in the Kabuki theater. Chonin began to enjoy the culture of entertainment like this, but the shogunate wasn’t tolerant of them and banned Kabuki for the reason of negative effects on public morality. Kabuki, however, has changed overcoming the shogunate ban and became typical of traditional Japanese culture today. We will study the popularity of traditional culture by looking into how Kabuki survived as one of traditional culture experiencing various changes, events, and restrictions and why it is popular with young people as well today.