Oyama

Japanese: おやま

(1) A female puppet in Bunraku puppet theater. There are various theories about its origin, but the most likely is that it comes from the "Koyama Ningyo" (Oyama doll) of Koyama Jirozaburo, a female puppeteer active around the Shoo era (1652-55). (2) Another name for a prostitute. The word "oyamagurui" means to be infatuated with a prostitute. (3) Another name for a female Kabuki actor. It is said that this name was born from the fact that female actors were primarily good at playing prostitute roles. There used to be a call called "Yamayama," and there is a legend that this call led to the stage name Yamatoya of the famous female actor Iwai Hanshiro.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

(1)人形浄瑠璃で女役の人形のこと。語源はいろいろ説があるが，承応(1652‐55)ごろ活躍した女役の人形遣い小山次郎三郎の〈小山人形〉から出たとするのが有力。(2)遊女の別称。〈おやまぐるい〉ということばは，遊女にうつつを抜かすことである。(3)歌舞伎の女方（おんながた）の別称。女方はまず遊女の役を得意としたところから，この呼称が生まれたという。昔は〈やまやま〉という掛声があって，この掛声から女方の名優岩井半四郎の屋号大和屋ができたという伝説がある。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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