Ayameya Heiji - Ayameya Heiji

...It is said that around the Genroku period (1688-1704), this was already being performed by hokan (traditional Japanese geisha) at banquets. During the Shotoku period (1711-16), Ayameya Heiji imitated the famous female actor Yoshizawa Ayame, and a servant at a sake shop in Kanda Kon'yacho imitated Fujimura Hantayu's joruri, becoming famous for using the voice of the kakeai (a traditional Japanese play) at the entrance to the Nakamuraza theater. In this way, the callers at the entrance to the theater were called "kido geisha," and they would imitate the voices of popular actors to perform a part of the play that was being performed that day. ...

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Ayameya Heiji" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…元禄(1688‐1704)ごろすでに幇間（ほうかん）によって宴席で行われていたという。正徳年間(1711‐16)にあやめ屋平治が名女方芳沢あやめの，また神田紺屋町の酒屋の下男が藤村半太夫の浄瑠璃を真似て評判となり，中村座の木戸口で掛合の声色を使ったのが有名。このように，芝居の木戸の呼びこみを〈木戸芸者〉と呼び，その日場内で演じられている芝居の一くさりを人気役者の声をまねて聞かせることが行われていた。…

※「あやめ屋平治」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

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