#myojo is an actual magazine

[abstractredd]

[boricuacherry-blog]

The most popular form of Japanese poetry for twelve hundred years has been the tanka. Ninety percent of the 4,500 poems in Japan's oldest anthology of poetry, the Man'yo-shu, are in this form, and of the one thousand poems in Japan's second oldest anthology, the Kokinshu, only nine are not. Since Emperor Daigo ordered the compilation of this second anthology, twenty-one collections were decreed by Imperial edict, the last compiled by order of Emperor Go-Hanazono in 1439. As a result this practice gave to tanka a most respected place in the history of Japanese literature. The tanka received Imperial patronage and produced, naturally enough, generation after generation of court poets.

To these court poets the poetry of the Kokinshu represented the height of polished technique. They made it their sacred book, one to be imitated eternally. But as time passed, many words and phrases were totally incomprehensible to the mass of readers. Those families versed in the art of tanka capitalized on the inscrutable expressions in these poems and monopolized the field. The prestige of the poetry families was heightened; moreover, the financial rewards were great. For hundreds of years the heirs of these families were initiated into the well-guarded techniques of the art. As a matter of course, poets and their poems were conservative in the extreme.

In 1871 what later became the Imperial Poetry Bureau was established under the Ministry of the Imperial Household, the commissioners of the bureau descendants of these very court poets and their disciples. The commissioners were rigid formalists absorbed in preserving tradition yet deficient in creative energy. Until the end of the second decade of the Meiji era (1868-1912), poets were completely dominated by the Poetry Bureau School, or, as it was later called, the Old School. The poets of the Old School were removed from the dynamic life of Meiji as it experienced the impact of Westernization. Their poems, deficient in real feeling, were concerned only with the beauty of nature. Suddenly aware of the rapidly progressing materialism of the new age, the Old School began to feel something of its impact and tried to adapt their art to the new era. But inadequate in talent and sensibility, they were unable to keep pace with the times, even though they introduced into tanka the telegraph and the railroad. Their newness never went beyond mere subject matter.

This stirred Japan's younger poets and students of Japanese literature to rescue the tanka through innovation. Yoshiyuki Hagino, in his 1887 essay "The Reform of Tanka," suggested its diction be modernized, its style be given greater freedom, its subject matter be made more masculine.

In February 1893, Naobumi Ochiai, a noted poet and scholar, founded the Asaka-sha (The Brotherhood of Asaka), named after the district in Tokyo. Ochiai and his collaborators, among them Tekkan Yosano, were against the Old School and were tanka-reformists. Tekkan advocated a more "manly" poetry, his proclamation causing an enthusiastic response, since it was the eve of the Sino-Japanese War and his words were markedly nationalistic. He maintained that a nation's prosperity was directly linked to its literature and that effeminate tanka was harmful to Japan, launching the soon-to-be-famous magazine Myojo. One of his disciples would be Akiko Yosano (his future wife) - it was Akiko herself who would actually establish the new style of tanka.

Akiko was the third daughter of Soshichi Ho, owner of a famous confectionary shop used by the Imperial household. The name Ho ("Phoenix" in Chinese) suggests that a remote ancestor, probably a Chinese artisan, had settled in Japan, though the famous poet and author Haruo Sato rejects this possibility. Akiko's father registered her name as Sho, merely a Chinese character, but to make the name more feminine, Akiko later added to it the suffix "ko." Since the character "Sho" can also be pronounced "Aki" in Japanese, her pen name became Akiko.

The once prosperous port of Sakai, where Akiko was from, had earlier produced many rich merchants of aristocratic taste, not the least of whom was the famous tea ceremony master Rikyu. True to local tradition, Akiko's father was more interested in art than business. At the same time he was very much concerned about the upbringing of his eight surviving children. Akiko was born two months after a boy in the family had died in an accident. Her father had believed the new child would be a male. When he discovered its sex, he was quite angry, and instead of the usual celebration seven days after the birth of a child, he left home and remained at an inn for several days. His disappointment turned into a hatred for the infant. In order to appease her husband and mother-in-law, Akiko's mother asked her younger sister to bring up the child; consequently, Akiko was raised by her aunt for three years. Akiko's mother was forced to visit her daughter only at night to escape detection by her husband and mother-in-law. When a third son was eventually born, Akiko's mother felt justified in bringing Akiko back home. At first her father disliked her, but she was so bright that he gradually became fond of her. Later his admiration increased, and recognizing her literary talents, he gave her the highest education possible for a woman in that district.

Akiko graduated high school in 1892 and had gone as far as a woman could go in terms of her education. But she still had to run her father's shop after her elder brother left Tokyo to study science. Her father had little interest in business, and her mother was in delicate health. Until she left home, Akiko was the main support of her family. It was doubly frustrating for Akiko, educated as she had been, to undergo the restraints imposed by her domineering father. A strict believer in feudalistic morality, he refused to allow her out alone even during the day, a member of the family or a servant always accompanying her. At night she was locked in her bedroom, a practice established among the rich in Sakai to ensure her virginity. Her father also tended to ignore his daughter in partiality to his sons. Later she was to give vent to her feelings in the bold unconventional tanka of Midaregami (Tangled Hair).

The word Midaregami (tangled or disheveled hair) does not imply a slovenly or unaesthetic appearance in this context. Today, when the Japanese are favoring more direct expression, evocative values of earlier terminology are lost to the younger generation. In the days before World War I, the image of a woman with even slightly disordered hair had an erotic association. H.H. Honda, in his small volume entitled The Poetry of Yosano Akiko, translates Midaregami as "Hair in Sweet Disorder."

In those earlier days Japanese women took pride in long, black, straight hair. No woman thought of cutting or curling her hair. Women born with curly hair took great pains to straighten it with steamed towels and hair irons. It was also considered a disgrace for a woman to let others see her hair disheveled, it being part of female virtue to have meticulously neat hair. Women with disheveled hair were considered loose and immoral. Still, in those pre-Taisho days, a few stray hairs or hair in slight disarray evinced an erotic resonance. Many examples of midaregami were depicted in woodprints. But Akiko raised midaregami to a further level, equating it with the emancipation of women and sexual freedom. The implications behind her use of the term, while also embodying the usual associations, braid through them a complex pattern of great beauty, sexuality, and even psychological disturbance or madness. While other authors were moving away from romanticism and more towards naturalism, Akiko ushered in a new age of romantic love, allowing again for poetry to prosper.

[iohourtime]

Think Note Vol #90 Various

Myojo 10.2020

(Please let me know if there are any errors.)

Kei-chan and Ryo-chan’s bond is deepening into something good.

Yamada plays Kanzaki Ryuichi, a compassionate and super serious detective on the drama, “Kiwadoi Futari - K2 - Ikebukuro Sho Keiji Ka Kanzaki · Kuroki” (Dangerous Duo - K2 - Ikebukuro Station’s Criminal Investigation Unit’s Kanzaki & Kuroki) (starting September [11]). [This issue] will deliver his various (いろいろ) faces now and the various happenings on set to you.

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Due to the long periods of rain, as you can imagine, there were [many starts and stops] in the location shoots for the drama, “Kiwadoi Futari - K2 - Ikebukuro Sho Keiji Ka Kanzaki · Kuroki”. The scenes that cannot be shot during the rain have been gradually pushed back, so in the end, the filming of the first episode took around a month. In addition, we need to take precautions against the novel coronavirus, so now, whether we are resting or rehearsing… basically any time other than the actual take, we are wearing face shields. Although us actors can take them off during the actual take, the staff cannot take them off at any time, so given how hot it will get, I am worried about their health.  Hopefully we can all work together and get through this.

The atmosphere on set is really good. Me and (Tanaka) Kei-chan are pretty busy right now, so when we meet on set, we’ll worry about each other’s health and encourage each other (laughs). Right, we have gone from calling each other “Tanaka-san” and “Yamada-san” to “Kei-chan” and “Ryo-chan”. When we were shooting the video for the YouTube channel, I suggested, “I want us to call each other “Kei-chan” and “Ryo-chan”!” Since then we have smoothly shortened our distance, but we can’t go for dinner like before. Earlier when the corona [infections] were subsiding, Kei-chan invited me to dinner around 3 times, but I had to do a number of music programs, so the timing didn’t work… After that, the situation [has gotten worse] so we can no longer go for dinner. If we can, I would like to go at least once while we are filming, but if it’s difficult to do so, I hope the entire cast can go for dinner even if we have already cranked-up.

Yashima (Norito) san, who plays Kanzaki’s boss, co-starred with me in the 2008 drama “Scrap Teacher ~ Kyōshi Saisei ~”. However, when I was around 19, I had dinner with him privately one time afterwards. One of Yashima-san’s drama co-stars at the time was talking about me, so they invited me along. So after that meeting, it has been around 8 years [since I’ve seen him]. That said, his appearance and personality have not changed at all and he is still the reliable senpai who can make things lively on set.

The toughest part about playing Kanzaki is the number of lines [I have to learn]. Although there are fewer lines compared to the “Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo” (The Casefiles of Young Kindaichi) series, I am no longer the same age as when I played (Kindaichi) Hajime-chan (laughs). Especially with the exposition in [the scenes] where I am questioning the suspect, there are so many similar lines that it was very difficult. “My past self would be able to memorize this volume of texts much quicker... I haven’t changed the way I get the lines in [my head]...”; I was shocked at the deterioration of my brain while desperately fighting* [against reality].

* I think there is a misprint in my magazine. The text said 悪銭苦闘 (akusen kutou), which is like struggling with dirty money. However, 悪戦苦闘 is also akusen kutou, which means struggling desperately. I did try googling to see if the first one is an idiom but got nothing, so I went with the second one since it fits the context.

Although I want to tell you lots and lots about my private life… but unfortunately, I got nothing during these times (laughs). If I have to say, I’m going to the gym. During filming, it’s considered early if we are done at around 9pm or 10pm, so in those days, I’ll go straight to the gym. Since I want to keep my current shape, I have to somehow inspire myself to keep training. After that, I will spend a little time skimming live stream gaming videos while thinking “I’m going to play this game later”; and I will look at Hawaii magazines and firmly decide that “I’m definitely going there when I can get time off!” I can’t wait for the time when I can tell you all sorts of stories from my private life.

“As I’m learning my lines, I truly feel old." - Ryo

[iohourtime]

Think Note Vol #57: Starting Point

Myojo 12/2017

(Translated from scans by MoMozzz32 on weibo.  The photo is also from her.  Please let me know if there are any errors.)

I have always acted on my feelings.  I will take responsibility for whatever happens to me.

These are the thoughts he had after holding the 10th anniversary concert at Yokohama Arena; the place that can be called the starting point of Hey!Say!JUMP.  Also, as an idol and an actor, what is the origin of the current unwavering Yamada?

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Coinciding with Hey!Say!JUMP’s 10th Anniversary concert tour, I choreographed for 1 song for the first time ever. It was around 3 years ago when I first thought about trying to choreograph and I confided in Dai-chan (Arioka). Since I wanted my first choreography experience to be special, I thought “isn’t this the best timing?” When I spoke with the members, they were on board with it right away. However, I had zero experience with choreography, so I had no idea where to start... Fumbling along, I thought about the formation and the steps at the same time. [T/N: While in Paris, wearing only his underwear, as he told the audience on Music Station.  Or nude, as told in one of the MC sessions.  You are welcome! :-) ]  The most important thing is to consider how to show the 9 of us dancing in sync.  In fact, when we were practicing, we were perfectly in tune with one another.  Unfortunately, I did not take our costumes into account. Since we picked the outfits that matched the song first, [it turned out] the boots we were wearing, the chains that were attached to certain members' jackets, etc... actually made it harder for them to dance. So for our actual performance, we were not able to show the beautiful dancing we achieved during rehearsal, and that was really regrettable.  So when picking outfits for the song, it is important to think about how they will affect the movements. This is something I need to remember for future concerts.

If I have to talk about the starting point for Yamada Ryosuke, the actor, then I will say I owe it all to the producer I have worked with since “Scrap Teacher”. I don’t think it is too much to say that I learned how to act through her words and advice.  I used to be the type who overthink everything before I act [in a scene]. But 2 years ago, when I participated in the drama “Okaasan, Ore Wa Daijobou” (Mom, I am fine), I was [finally] able to empty my mind completely when I was acting.  Maybe it was possible because the family in the story was quite similar to my own, and also, my five senses were cleansed due to me not eating much to get into the character.  [T/N: He played a cancer patient, so he had to look sickly.]  When the producer saw the scene where my character was crying and banging against the wall, she gave me the highest complement, “Because of that [level of] acting, this [drama] can be finished properly”. Since she doesn’t normally complement others, I remember I was very happy [to hear her say that].  “Okaasan, Ore wa Daijobou” was probably the most satisfactory role [to me] up to now.  Although it is different from a novel or a live action adaptation, from that point forward, I have learned that expressing my feelings naturally is more important than using particular acting techniques.

My personality has not changed over the years. Since I come across as very ordinary, people keep telling me “You are not like an entertainer”.  Somehow, I feel a bit smug about that. During the time when I was a Jr. and when I first debuted, I had a strong desire to “Be a good kid!”, so I wanted to take responsibility for myself during magazine interviews or variety shows.  If I had something to say, I would not hold back. On the positive side, I was able to share my thoughts with the staff together.  My current “self” is very different from my Jr. “self” who only wanted to dance 1 row ahead.  Nowadays, my head is filled with thoughts on how to bring our group to the next level.  Since JUMP members all have a high level of self-awareness, I have to improve my production abilities.  If Yabu (Kota)-chan and I can look at these [qualities] objectively, I believe we will become bigger and better. The validation from members, staff, and fans allow me to take on the position as a producer.  I would like to [show you] JUMP’s growth as a thanks for your support.

“Like this forever...” - Ryosuke